Lebanese Fattoush
A vibrant and refreshing Middle Eastern salad made with crispy pieces of toasted or fried pita bread that act as croutons, mixed with a variety of fresh vegetables such as lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, radishes, and capsicum (bell peppers) with a tangy lemon dressing including a touch of signature pomegranate dressing.Serve with Lebanese Lemon Garlic Chicken for a wonderful Lebanese feast at home!
Servings: 5 - 6 people
Ingredients
Crispy pita bread "croutons"
- 2 pita bread or 1 lebanese bread
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
Salad:
- 5 cups cos/romaine lettuce , cut into large bite size pieces
- 2 Lebanese cucumbers , thinly sliced into 3mm rounds
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes , halved (~200g), or 1 1/2 regular tomatoes cut into large chunks
- 1/2 small red onion , thinly sliced
- 5 red radish , finely sliced
- 1/2 cup mint leaves , lightly packed (large ones torn in half)
- 1 tbsp roughly chopped parsley
Dressing:
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp pomegranate molasses
- 1 medium garlic clove , finely grated or crushed using garlic crusher
- 1 tsp sumac (still worth making without)
- 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
Instructions
Crispy pita bread "croutons"
- Preheat oven to 220°C/425°F (200°C fan-forced).
- Separate the pita bread into 2 thin sheets. Cut into 3cm / 1.2" squares.
- Pile on a tray, drizzle with olive oil, toss, then sprinkle with the salt and toss again.
- Spread on the tray. Bake for 5 minutes or until crispy, then cool on the tray before use.
Salad:
- Dressing - Shake the dressing ingredients in a jar until well combined.
- Salad - Place the Salad ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle over half the dressing, toss. Add most of the crispy pita chips, drizzle with remaining dressing and toss again.
- Serve - Transfer into a serving bowl, top with remaining crispy pita and serve immediately.
Notes
Storage - Dressed salad doesn't really keep well. It's best to eat freshly made. To make ahead, the dressing can be made the day before and stored in the fridge. Crispy pita can be baked ahead, cooled then stored in an airtight container for 24 hours. Salad ingredients can be chopped ahead and kept in a container (don't toss). Then assemble just prior to serving.
Inspired by various recipes found online including the Fattoush recipes by Zaatar and Zaytoun and the Guardian's How to make the perfect fattoush.