Description
A refreshing and vibrant Lebanese Fattoush salad featuring crispy toasted pita bread, fresh vegetables like cucumbers, tomatoes, radishes, and romaine lettuce, dressed with a tangy lemon and pomegranate molasses dressing infused with sumac and garlic. Perfect as a light appetizer or side dish with Middle Eastern meals.
Ingredients
Scale
Bread
- 2 pita bread or 1 Lebanese bread
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
Vegetables
- 5 cups cos/romaine lettuce, cut into large bite size pieces
- 2 Lebanese cucumbers, thinly sliced into 3mm rounds
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (~200g) or 1 1/2 regular tomatoes cut into large chunks
- 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 5 red radish, finely sliced
- 1/2 cup mint leaves, lightly packed (large ones torn in half)
- 1 tbsp roughly chopped parsley
Dressing
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp pomegranate molasses
- 1 medium garlic clove, finely grated or crushed using garlic crusher
- 1 tsp sumac (optional but recommended)
- 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
Instructions
- Prepare the bread: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Cut the pita or Lebanese bread into bite-sized pieces or strips. Toss the bread pieces with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt to season. Spread them out evenly on a baking sheet and bake for about 10-12 minutes or until the bread is golden brown and crispy. Remove from oven and set aside to cool, this will be your crunchy crouton base for the salad.
- Assemble the salad: In a large salad bowl, combine the chopped romaine lettuce, sliced cucumbers, halved cherry tomatoes or diced regular tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion, sliced radishes, mint leaves, and chopped parsley.
- Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, grated garlic, sumac, and 1/2 teaspoon salt until well incorporated. The dressing should be tangy with a slight sweetness and a hint of garlic and sumac.
- Toss and serve: Pour the dressing over the mixed vegetables in the salad bowl. Toss well to coat all the ingredients evenly. Just before serving, add the toasted pita pieces to the salad and give a final gentle toss to keep them crunchy. Serve immediately to enjoy the contrast of fresh vegetables and crispy bread.
Notes
- Sumac is a tangy Middle Eastern spice that adds a unique lemony flavor but is optional if unavailable.
- Use fresh Lebanese cucumbers if possible; regular Persian cucumbers can be a substitute.
- For extra flavor, you can lightly toast the pita bread on the stovetop in a dry pan instead of baking.
- To keep the bread crispy, add it just before serving as it can become soggy if mixed too early.
- This salad is naturally gluten-free if gluten-free bread is used instead of pita.
