LEBANESE FATTOUSH SALAD
Fattoush is a Lebanese salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, herbs, and toasted pita chips, flavoured with lemon juice, olive oil, and sumac vinaigrette. My mother always made a huge bowl with extra pita and garlic that could easily feed 20 people! I make it with the same flavours, just smaller cuts. The taste will be incredible however you cut and dice it. It is packed with healthy ingredients and makes a great lunch, or you can serve it with grilled chicken for dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 large head Romaine lettuce, chopped into bite size {I like mine cut even smaller}
- 2 green onions, green and white parts chopped
- 1 cup tomatoes diced
- ½ cup of thinly sliced radishes
- 1 English cucumber, diced
- ½ cup coarsely chopped fresh mint leaves
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley {leaves only, no stems}
- 1 green pepper, seeds removed, diced {optional}
- 1 red pepper, seeds removed, diced
- 1 Tablespoon sumac {more or less depending on your tastes}
- Toasted bread
- ¼ cup light olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. zaatar spice
- 2 whole wheat pita breads, cut into bite size pieces
- Vinaigrette / dressing
- 2 garlic clove, finely minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt {more to taste}
- Juice of two lemons {½ cup, I like mine lemony, adjust to desired taste}
- 1/2 cup of olive oil
Instructions
- To make pita chips: To make pita chips: Preheat oven to 350°F. Place chopped pita, olive oil and zaatar on a baking sheet and mix together. Bake in oven until light golden brown. Watch carefully as
the chips can go from crisp to overly brown quickly. Remove from the oven and cool. - For a lighter alternative: Bake as above but without using olive oil.
- Note: I usually make a huge batch of these and store them in an airtight container in the
fridge. They are a great garnish on soups and salads, and a favourite snack of the kids.
- To make the vinaigrette: With a mortar and pestle, mash together the garlic and salt. Put this garlic-salt paste in a small bowl, add lemon juice and whisk in olive oil. Set aside.
- Wash the romaine, let dry. Wash and chop all vegetables. In a large mixing bowl,
combine the romaine with all of the chopped vegetables.
- Pour half of the dressing on the salad and mix together. Taste and add additional
dressing to your liking. Store extra dressing in the fridge. Sprinkle with sumac and serve. - I like to garnish the salad with the toasted pita, or you can mix it all together if you’re
serving it right away.
NOTE: I have seen many ways that Fattoush can be made, so feel free to use the vegetables I have listed or modify to your liking, Enjoy!
