lebanese salad dressing

fattoush (aka lebanese salad) is my absolute FAVOURITE salad. i finally have my own version of the deliciously amazing dressing that goes on top, making the salad the yummy perfection it is. no need for those yucky store-bought dressings loaded with bad oils, preservatives, and synthetic flavour. this dressing takes no time at all and makes enough to dress a large salad for about 4 people.

the salad is a bed of romaine lettuce and basically any veggies you like. often you'll find cucumber, cauliflower, radish, onion, and carrots in this salad, but make it into the garden salad of your dreams and top with this dressing. for the finishing touch, throw a pita bread into the oven to crisp up. 350F for about 5 mins should do it, but keep a close eye because it can go from perfect to fire-alarm burnt almost instantly (just ask john, he's the master of burning bread in the oven;) )

Lebanese Dressing

ingredients:
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons worth of juice if you don't feel like measuring.)
an aside: please don't use the fake lemon stuff. if it isn't right out of a lemon, it doesn't taste the same, nor is it very good for you. i'll give you the dollar if it's that much of a hassle.
3 tbsp hemp oil
2 tbsp honey
1 clove garlic, crushed
3 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tbsp mint
1 tbsp ground sumac
another aside: ground sumac was a pain to find. the grocery store didn't have it. the health food store didn't have it. we finally found some at the local farmer's market, at a stand that sells spices. go the extra mile here to find sumac, it's what makes the dressing special.

supplies:
- measuring cups
- bowl for mixing
- whisk or fork for mixing
- cutting board and knife
- container to store dressing

step by step:
combine all ingredients and refrigerate until use. you can either toss the salad veggies in the dressing, or put it in a decorative container for individual dressing at the table.

fyi: if it looks like you've got more spices than dressing base (as is sometimes the case when using fresh herbs), add some more lemon juice and hemp oil. make sure you taste-test it before serving in case it needs anything else. if you feel like it's missing something initially, try adding a bit of salt (or herbamare) and pepper and see if that does the trick. failing that, play with the spices you've used and add a bit more of the things you like best. homemade dressings are supposed to be crafted to suit your taste buds, so taste-test first to ensure a satisfying salad!