Description
Fattoush is a vibrant Middle Eastern salad featuring fresh vegetables, herbs, and toasted pita bread, all flavored with a tangy sumac dressing. This recipe combines chopped tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, and romaine lettuce with fresh mint and parsley for a refreshing, crunchy salad that’s perfect for a light lunch or a healthy side dish.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad Ingredients
- 2 tomatoes, chopped into chunks
- ¼ cucumber, deseeded and sliced
- ½ red onion, sliced
- 1 small head romaine lettuce, shredded
- Handful of mint leaves, roughly chopped
- Handful of parsley leaves, roughly chopped
Dressing & Extras
- 1 tsp sumac
- ½ garlic clove, crushed
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 2 pita breads
Instructions
- Prepare Salad Ingredients: The night before, combine the chopped tomatoes, sliced cucumber, sliced red onion, shredded romaine lettuce, chopped mint, and parsley in a large bowl. This allows the flavors to meld overnight for maximum freshness.
- Make the Dressing: In a separate bowl, mix the crushed garlic, red wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep the dressing separate from the salad until serving to maintain crispness.
- Toast the Pita: The next morning, lightly toast the pita breads until they turn golden and crisp. Allow them to cool before breaking into bite-sized pieces.
- Combine Salad and Dressing: Toss the salad ingredients with the dressing just before serving to keep the vegetables crunchy.
- Add Pita and Sumac: Fold the toasted pita pieces into the dressed salad, then sprinkle sumac over the top for a zesty, tangy flavor enhancement.
- Package and Serve: Divide the fattoush into two containers or bowls and enjoy fresh as a light meal or side dish.
Notes
- To keep the pita bread crunchy, toast it right before serving and only add it to the salad at the last moment.
- Sumac adds a unique tangy flavor; if unavailable, a squeeze of extra lemon juice can be used as a substitute, though the flavor profile will differ.
- Feel free to add other fresh vegetables like radishes or bell peppers for extra crunch and color.
- For a gluten-free option, substitute regular pita bread with gluten-free flatbreads or omit entirely.
- This salad is best eaten fresh, as the pita will lose its crunch if left mixed for too long.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes (night before prep) + 10 minutes (morning assembly)
- Cook Time: 5 minutes (toasting pita)
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Keywords: Fattoush, Middle Eastern salad, sumac, fresh vegetables, pita salad, healthy salad, vegetarian salad