Do you have a neglected bottle of pomegranate molasses in your pantry that you bought for a recipe and never used again?

Let me help you out.

First a little background: Pomegranate molasses is a thick, dark ruby red liquid that is a beautiful combination of  sour and sweet.The taste is some what reminiscent of balsamic vinegar. They share the intense sweet yet tart notes.

Pomegranate molasses is made by boiling down the juice of a special variety of pomegranates so technically it is  not molasses, it is concentrated juice.  In Arabic it is called dibs rumman دبس رمان  and it is featured in many Middle Eastern and Mediterranean  recipes ranging from marinades to salads, soups, desserts, and even drinks.

I love using it in salad dressings. Adding a touch to your favorite  vinaigrette can really take your good old boring salad dressing to the next level. With its intense flavor and sticky nature which helps it cling to leafy greens . I am sharing one of my favorite pomegranate molasses dressings today along with my oregano and grilled halloumi cheese salad but if you need more inspiration try my monk salad  and Fattoush .

But the fun doesn’t stop here, you can add pomegranate molasses to ground meat to add a wonderful depth of flavor to the recipe. I use it in the stuffing for  Sfeeha (Lebanese meat pies) and Kubbeh.Cooking does tone it down making the taste much more subtle yet it adds a layer of flavor that is unique and irresistable. You can also use Pomegranate molasses as a glaze for roasted vegetables or for your choice of grilled meat. A drizzle on top of your soup is a great way to add color and it works as a beautiful substitute to sour cream.

So why don’t you dig up that neglected bottle of pomegranate molasses and give these recipes a try?

Pomegranate molasses salad dressing

Juice of one lemon (about 1/4 cup)

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup or 4 tablespoons vinegar (see notes)

1/4 cup or 4 tablespoons pomegranate molasses

one clove of garlic minced

1/2 teaspoon dried mint

1/2 teaspoon sumac

1/2 teaspoon salt

Half of a red onion finely chopped (optional)

black pepper to taste

Add all the ingredients to a jar, close the lid and give it a good shake. You can also do this in your blender

Notes:

For the vinegar you can use apple cidar vinegar or balsamic vinegar. The apple cidar vinegar will intensify the tart notes in the dressing while the balsamic plays on both the sweet and sour. Try both and let me know which one you like better 🙂

This salad is a must on my spring menu when fresh oregano is everywhere with its velvety green leaves and intense peppery taste. Mixed with smoky grilled halloumi, crunchy golden pita, juicy tomatoes and the beautiful purple hues of red onion strips infused with vinegar and sumac, each bite explodes in your mouth with  a celebration of spring

Whenever I post a recipe with fresh oregano, I get many questions about oregano, thyme, which is which and which one are you using. So to avoid the confusion, this is the oregano I am referring to

Oregano and grilled halloumi cheese salad

4 cups oregano leaves, washed and dried

100 g halloumi cheese cut into bite size cubes and grilled

1 tomato chopped

1/2 red onion cut into strips

2 tablespoons vinegar

1 teaspoon sumac

1 loaf pita bread cut into squares

2 tablespoons olive oil

Pomegranate molasses salad dressing

In a bowl add the vinegar and sumac to the onion strips, rub the strips with the vinegar and sumac. Set aside for 10 minutes

Heat the olive oil in a pan, add the pita squares and stir until the pita is golden and toasted, remove from the pan to a plate lined with kitchen towels

Drain the onions, discard the vinegar

In a bowl toss the oregano, tomatoes, onions and dressing together.

Arrange in serving plate

Top with grilled Halloumi cheese and pita squares

Serve immediately

Notes:

You can toast your pita squares in the oven if you want to avoid the oil or you can go to the opposite extreme and deep fry them. I usually choose the middle ground and toss them with some olive oil in a pan until they are golden brown

 صلصة دبس الرمان للسلطة

عصير ليمونه واحده (حوالي  ربع كوب)

ربع كوب زيت الزيتون

ربع كوب أو 4 ملاعق طعام من الخل

ربع كوب أو 4 ملاعق طعام من دبس الرمان

فص واحد من الثوم المفروم

نصف ملعقة صغيرة من النعناع المجفف

نصف ملعقة صغيرة من السماق

نصف ملعقة صغيرة من الملح

نصف بصله حمراء مفرومه بشكل  ناعم (اختياري)

الفلفل الأسود حسب الرغبة

قومي بإضافة كافة المكونات إلى وعاء، اغلقي الغطاء وهزي حتى تختلط المكونات. يمكنك أيضا القيام بذلك في الخلاط الخاص بك

سلطه الزعتر الاخضر و الحلوم المشوي

اربع أكواب من اوراق الزعتر الاخضرالمغسوله و المجففه

مئه غرام من الحلوم مقطعه مكعبات و مشويه

حبه طماطم متوسطه مفرومه

نصف حبه من البصل الأحمر مقطعه إلى شرائح

ملعقتا طعام من خل التفاح

ملعقة صغيرة من السماق

رغيف خبز مقطع إلى مربعات

ملعقتا طعام من زيت الزيتون

صلصه دبس الرمان للسلطه المذكوره سابقا

في وعاء  قومي بإضافة الخل والسماق وشرائح البصل، وافركي البصل مع الخل والسماق. يوضع جانبا لمدة 10 دقيقة

قومي بتسخين زيت الزيتون في مقلاة، اضيفي قطع الخبز و قلبي حتى تصبح ذهبيه اللون

صفيها و ارفعيها من المقلاه الى صحن فيه بعض من مناشف المطبخ لتمتص الزيت الزائد

صفي البصل من الخل

في وعاء اضيفي الزعتر والطماطم والبصل والصلصه و قلبيها جميعا معا.

صبيها في صحن التقديم

وزعي الخبز و قطع الحلوم على وجه السلطه

يقدم فورا