Fattoush: How to Make the World’s Greatest Salad

Fattoush salad is hands down the world’s greatest salad. Especially if you are a salad or a veggie lover, this is a recipe for you. It combines fresh vegetables with herbs, crispy pita, and sweet and slightly spicy dressing. It’s light, refreshing, and a perfect accompaniment to your chicken arayes for lunch or maybe a kabob at dinner time.

If you are not familiar with fattoush, this is a Middle Eastern salad that is made with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, radishes, scallions, mint, and parsley. It is then dressed with a lemony dressing that includes sumac, and pomegranate molasses for a flavor like no other but somehow transports you back to your grandmother’s house. Top that with a salty, crispy pita chip, and you got yourself a winner.

I can remember my Teta making fattoush salad frequently and then my dad put his own twist on it. Now it is my turn and my plan is to bring it back to basics now that I have access to so many of these delicious Middle Eastern flavors. Sumac and pomegranate molasses can be easily found on Amazon, at your local Middle Eastern grocer, and I have found these ingredients at Whole Foods as well. But do not fret if you cannot find it all! The dressing will be good without it too!

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 head of romaine lettuce

1 large tomato, sliced

2 persian cucumbers, sliced

1 bell pepper, diced

2 radishes, chopped

3 scallions, chopped

2 tablespoons of mint, chopped

1/4 cup parsley chopped

1 pita bread, cut into bite sized pieces

For the dressing:

Juice of 1/2 lemon (about 2 tablespoons)

1 clove of garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon of sumac

1 teaspoon of pomegranate molasses

1/4 cup of olive oil

2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar

Salt and Pepper

Instructions:

1. In a frying pan, add some olive oil and allow it to heat up over medium heat. Add the pita pieces and some salt and pepper. Allow the pita to gently toast for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally taking care not to burn. Remove from heat.
2. Combine the rest of the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Top with said pita pieces.
3. Make the dressing by combining all dressing ingredients in a bowl and whisking together.
4. When you are ready to serve the salad. drizzle the dressing over the top and toss to combine.