Asha's Little Gem Salad with Radishes, Beets & Sumac Ranch

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Like many children of the 90s, I was raised on ranch—Hidden Valley Ranch, to be exact—so needless to say this grown-up sumac ranch is a permanent staple in my fridge now. A allium-rich combination of labne and buttermilk bolstered with Pahadi Pink Garlic, onion powder, and fresh chives, this dressing gets extra tang from sumac instead of the more traditional addition of lemon juice or a splash of vinegar. Pro-tip: Make a double batch. That way you can make this salad and have plenty on hand to dip veggies in, toss with leftover chicken and tuck into a wrap, or make this salad again. Yes, it’s that good.

Ingredients

For the dressing

⅓ cup (79g) buttermilk
¼ cup (60g) labne
2 tablespoons minced chives
1 tablespoon finely chopped dill
1 teaspoon Wild Heimang Sumac
½ teaspoon granulated onion powder
¼ teaspoon Pahadi Pink Garlic
½ teaspoon Surya Salt

For the salad

6 to 8 radishes (about 1 bunch)
2 small-to-medium chioggia or golden beets
2 to 3 medium-to-large little gems or 1 large head romaine
Handful torn dill fronds
Wild Heimang Sumac, for finishing

Methods

To make the dressing, whisk together all the ingredients until smooth. Taste and season with more salt, if necessary. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to let the flavors marry.
While the dressing is chilling, prepare the salad. Thinly slice the radishes and place in a bowl of cold water. Then, thinly slice the beets and place them in another bowl of cold water (this will prevent their color from leeching onto the other veggies). Let the radishes and beets sit in the cold water for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, separate the leaves from the little gems, rinse, and dry. (If using romaine, tear into large bite-sized pieces.)
To assemble, drain and pat dry the radishes and beets. Place the lettuce leaves, half the radishes, and half the beets in a large bowl and toss with half the dressing. Arrange the dressed salad on a serving platter and nestle in the remaining half of the radishes and beets, then spoon more dressing over the top (you might have some dressing left) and sprinkle with torn dill fronds and a little extra sumac. Serve immediately.