Fattoush is a great answer to a summer glut of tomatoes and cucumbers, and the crisp pita pieces tend to vanish before the salad is even fully tossed.
Fattoush is sometimes called Lebanon’s poor man’s salad, built to use up stale flatbread instead of throwing it away, tossed with whatever vegetables are in season and dressed with sumac for its bright, lemony tang. That instinct, turning what would otherwise be wasted into something people ask for by name, is shared by Portuguese home cooking.
If you already make our Portuguese tuna salad or Spanish salad with seafood (recipes on the site), add this one to the rotation as a lighter, herbier option for the hottest weeks of summer.
Fattoush Recipe
Ingredients
- For the salad:
- 2 pita breads, preferably a day or two old
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, for toasting the pita
- 3 Roma tomatoes, cut into chunks
- 1 English cucumber, cut into chunks
- 4 radishes, thinly sliced
- 3 scallions, sliced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1 romaine heart, chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
- For the dressing:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sumac, plus more for garnish
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Split the pita breads open into rounds. Brush lightly with olive oil and either toast in a 375°F oven for 8 to 10 minutes until crisp and golden, or fry in a bit of oil in a skillet until crisp. Let cool, then break into bite-sized pieces.
- In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, cucumber, radishes, scallions, bell pepper, romaine, parsley, and mint.
- In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, garlic, and sumac. Season with salt and pepper.
- Just before serving, pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss well.
- Add the crisped pita pieces and toss again gently. Do this right before serving so the pita stays crunchy rather than turning soggy.
- Sprinkle extra sumac over the top and serve right away.
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