This Fattoush Salad is a delicious Lebanese salad with mint, and a special spice called sumac. This salad is fresh, loaded with tantalizing herbs, and so healthy!
Fattoush Salad
Quite a few years ago, I used to work at a bank in Troy, MI and there used to be a Lebanese restaurant called La Shish nearby. That’s where I had my first Fattoush Salad. It was amazing and delicious – probably the best salad I ever had in my life! I’ve been hooked since but haven’t been able to find one that compares here in Calgary.
As the sun has finally been breaking through and giving us our first taste of spring, I’ve been craving something refreshing and scrumptious. The ingredients for this salad are very basic, sometimes without protein and sometimes with. I hope you enjoy this salad as much as I did!
What Is Fattoush Salad?
Fattoush is a Lebanese dish. It’s a simple fried bread salad with mixed greens and lots of veggies, typically tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers. I used mint and sumac as well today. For those who are unfamiliar with sumac it is a lemony, tart spice that packs so much flavor.
The first time I had it was when some Syrian friends of mine cooked it with roast chicken and potatoes and I was hooked. It is even a great addition to a bowl of popcorn! You may not be able to find this spice on the shelves of your local grocery store, but any specialty spice store will definitely have it!
Ingredient Notes
- Pita bread or tortillas – Traditional recipes use khubz, also known as Arabic bread. It’s a middle eastern flatbread that I wasn’t able to get my hands on! Instead I used regular pita bread which I broke into small pieces.
- Veggies – I used english cucumber, tomato, bell pepper, radishes, and lots of green onion.
- Herbs – Lots of fresh herbs are vital to the flavors we want to achieve! I used parsley and mint.
- Dressing – Fresh lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper are all we need for this simple dressing.
- Sumac – Believe me you’ll want to keep using this spice after tasting it in this! If you just can’t find any lemon pepper can be used to substitute.
How To Make Fattoush Salad
- Prepare the pita chips: Break the pita bread into small pieces and fry them in some olive oil on the stove top. Take them out as soon as they are golden brown and crispy. Alternatively you can toss them with olive oil, salt, pepper, sumac and place them under the broiler for a couple minutes until crispy.
- Chop up the base: Chop up your veggies into small cubes and add to a large bowl. Chop the herbs finely and add this to the same bowl.
- Prepare the dressing: In a small bowl whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and sumac together till thick.
- Combine your salad: Toss together the dressing, salad and pita chips. Serve up!
Tips For Making The Best Fattoush
- Look for fresh Arabic bread if you’d like to make this recipe more authentic! Feel free to season it before crisping up if you’d like something with a bit more zing.
- Radishes are a great crunchy addition to this salad! I love to use them when I have some on hand so if you can find them don’t skip them.
- If you’d like to add a little protein, this dish also tastes amazing with chicken.
- Add some romaine or other greens to bulk up with salad if you’d like!
Storing Fattoush Salad
This fattoush salad recipe can be stored in the fridge for 3 – 4 days in an airtight container but be sure to store the tortilla separately to prevent it from getting soggy. Unfortunately defrosted tomatoes tend to be very mushy eaten raw so I don’t recommend freezing this dish.
Craving More Delicious Middle Eastern Dishes? Try These:
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Fattoush Salad
Ingredients
- 2 pita breads broken in small pieces
- 1 english cucumber chopped
- 1 green bell pepper chopped
- 3 medium tomatoes chopped small
- 6 green onions chopped
- 1/2 cup radishes sliced
- 1/3 cup parsley fresh, chopped
- 2 tbsp mint finely chopped
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp salt or to taste
- 1/2 tsp pepper or to taste
- 1 tbsp sumac
Instructions
- Prepare the pita chips: Break the pita bread into small pieces and fry them in some olive oil on the stove top. Take them out as soon as they are golden brown and crispy. Alternatively you can toss them with olive oil, salt, pepper, sumac and place them under the broiler for a couple minutes until crispy.
- Chop up the base: Chop up your veggies into small cubes and add to a large bowl. Chop the herbs finely and add this to the same bowl.
- Prepare the dressing: In a small bowl whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and sumac together till thick.
- Combine your salad: Toss together the dressing, salad and pita chips. Serve up!
Recipe Notes
- This fattoush salad recipe can be stored in the fridge for 3 – 4 days in an airtight container but be sure to store the tortilla separately to prevent it from getting soggy. Unfortunately defrosted tomatoes tend to be very mushy eaten raw so I don’t recommend freezing this dish.
