One of the best Lebanese salads is the Fattoush. Bright and zesty dressing, fried pita bread, greens, veggies..what's not to love? If you need to clean out your refrigerator this Fattoush salad recipe is perfect!
What Is Fattoush?
Fattoush is a Middle Eastern salad made with fried pita bread, romaine lettuce, and chopped vegetables such as cucumber, tomato, and raddishes.
Fattoush translates to "fatteh" or "crumbs" in Arabic. It is based around the delicious fried pita and that's what really sets it apart!
No pita bread left behind, you feel me? Toast up any leftovers and put them on this salad.
How To Make It
So the steps to making fattoush are quite simple, but you must go in this order as to not get your fried pita, the star of the show, all soggy!
- Chop your vegetables
- Mix Your dressing
- Top with fried pita
- Toss with dressing and serve!
The Dressing
If you've ever had Fattoush you will distinctly remember the tangy, delicious salad dressing.
It's hard to put your finger on exactly WHAT is making it so delicious. I'll let you in on it: Sumac.
Sumac is a Middle Eastern Spice that is made from Sumac berries. It is red in color and has a zing to it like lemon juice.
It goes exceptionally well with warming spices and can be found in many lebanese dishes.
It is delicious in my Za'atar Roasted Beet Salad! I found it at my local Middle Eastern grocery store.
Using Leftover Pita Bread
So this Fattoush salad is essentially a bread-based salad. So we're making use of leftover pita bread by crisping it up!
Think of it as delicious, Middle Eastern croutons. Perfect for dipping in hummus and topping this Fattoush with.
You can definitley toast your own pita OR use store bout Pita Chips.
Pro Tips For Making Fattoush
First of all I like to cut my vegetables in all roughly the same size. This is a chopped salad so you want a little piece of everything in every bite.
Don't leave out the Sumac. I'm sorry but it's just not the same! Check your local grocer because I've also seen it at Kroger before in the international isle.
Dress the salad right before serving. The toasted pita is the star of the show, don't ruin it by getting it all soggy!
What To Serve With It
Fattoush is an incredible side to any dinner, however, try some of these traditional Lebanese dinners for the most authentic experience!
Serve it with a Chicken Kafta Burger, Kousa Mahshi, or Spinach Fatayers.
Fattoush Salad
Ingredients
Salad
- ½ pint cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 English cucumber diced
- 1 heart of romaine lettuce
- ¼ red onion sliced
- ¼ a bunch of parsley chopped
Dressing
- 10 fresh mint leaves chopped
- 1 tablespoon dry mint
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 3 tablespoon lemon juice
- 4 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sumac
- 1 cup pita chips
Instructions
- In a large salad bowl combine the tomato, cucumber, lettuce, green onion, and parsley.
- In a small mixing bowl combine mint, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, pepper, salt and sumac.
- Whisk to combine and pour over salad.
- Serve with pita chips!
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