Quick and Easy Fattoush Salad Recipe

What is Fattoush

A salad item whose identity is having cut-up and fried or grilled pita bread – that is fattoush. Fattoush recipes are mostly popular in Lebanese kitchens and for the same reason, I believe, it is identified as a Lebanese salad. Fried pita bread can also be used in fatteh. The similarity in the name is not coincidental because both recipes are referring to fried pita bread.

Fattoush recipe and its ingredients

Like many other dishes, salad or otherwise, fattoush recipes differ from one table to another, and from one hand to another.   So, a mix of roughly diced romaine lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes with sliced carrots and radish (the roundish pinkish type) sprinkled with olive oil and lemon dressing and topped with “sumac” and pita bread croutons make up fattoush salads.  Sound simple, right?  Yes, it is simple. Sumac, by the way, is a dry spice that is mostly used in salads and sometimes mixed with za’atar (oregano seeds) as toppings for bread and some dishes.

Other Fattoush recipes or versions

If we so wish, we can complicate the simple fattoush recipe by adding more salad ingredients to it, but as long as we have the sumac and the fried Arabic bread, we would not go wrong.  Some add mint, parsley, and young onion and this salad continues to be fattoush!

Fattoush salad dressing recipe

I believe the easiest way to say and make the recipe for salad dressing for Fattoush is to add a teaspoon of pomegranate molasses to your basic Greek salad dressing” and that is it. What is Greek salad dressing, you might ask. It is lemon and olive oil with a dash of salt and ground black pepper.

Falling for fattoush

I fell in love with fattoush when a Lebanese friend served me this salad over 15 years ago. What makes this attractive to me is its vivacity.  Make it ahead of time and not worry about it becoming limp as long as the dressing is kept on the side till meal time.  However, adding the dressing about 5 minutes before serving gives the taste a lovely zing!

My own Fattoush recipe

My basic salad is mostly similar to fattoush.  lettuce, carrots, cucumber, and tomatoes.  So, fattoush came as a very lovely salad for me. All I needed to do with my basic salad recipe is add the identifying ingredients that are sumac and fried pita bread. Well, I do add green onions and mint as well.

Magida

Fattoush – A Mediterranean Salad

• Author: Magida

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

---

Description

Green salad with lemon and olive oil dressing

---

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the salad

• 2 heads of romaine lettuce (cut up)
• 1 big tomato (deseeded and diced)
• 2 medium sized cucumbers (halved and sliced or diced)
• 1 medium sized carrot – halved and sliced
• 1 medium sized green bell pepper
• 1 medium sized red bell pepper
• 2 pieces raddish (French Breakfast or Sparkler type)
• 1 tbsp sumac
• About a cup of pita bread croutons

For the dressing

• ¼ cup olive oil
• ½ cup juice of lemon
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses (can be replaced with 1tbsp sugar)

---

Instructions

1. Mix all salad ingredients except sumac and croutons. Set aside.
2. Mix dressing ingredients well. Sprinkle over salad then mix till vegetables are well coated.
3. Sprinkle with sumac and croutons.
4. Serve and enjoy.

---