Fattoush Salad Recipe – with video!
Posted: 03/04/2019
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This fattoush salad will quickly become your favorite salad. Crispy pita, tangy dressing, and lots of fresh herbs will make this an instant favorite.
You guys, I am so excited for this recipe. This is hands-down my favorite salad. I was going to split it up and give you the dressing recipe first, and then follow with the salad in a different post…but the truth of the matter is:
a) You need both in your life, stat.
b) They’re best together. BFFs. Match made in heaven. Soulmates. They’re not meant to be with anyone else, so why share them separately?
This fattoush salad has been a restaurant and carryout favorite since the moment I first tasted it (probably 12 years ago) and ever since, I’ve been slowly trying to create my own version at home. Admittedly, it’s been a slow process. Before we moved to the west side of Michigan, we had quick and easy access to the best authentic fattoush practically around every corner. The push to make my own wasn’t too big at that time.
Then we moved and everything changed. We were on the hunt for fattoush (Middle Eastern food in general, to be honest), and we found fattoush, but it was never real fattoush. At least not in our minds. We have finally found one restaurant that we like quite a bit, but it’s a good 30 minutes from our house.
The little recipe in my notebook full of recipe ideas quickly became a front-runner, needing to be developed ASAP.
I’m super happy with how this recipe turned out, and better yet, Ben loved it too. He’s even pickier about fattoush than I probably am, because he grew up eating it because of where he lived.
I’ve already made this multiple times, and I don’t foresee myself stopping anytime soon.
About this Fattoush:
Fattoush is a Middle Eastern salad — its key characteristic are the pieces of crispy, toasted pita. The pita is often fried, but I bake mine. It gives the same crunch without the fried taste (or the calories).
The salad itself typically consists of fresh romaine, tomatoes, cucumber. Sometimes there is radish, sometimes onion, sometimes red cabbage. I love it the way I make it (obviously), but sometimes I’ll get crazy and add celery. It’s not at all traditional, but I like the crunch, especially if I don’t have radish on hand.
The dressing is made with sumac (sumac is a game-changer!), pomegranate molasses, lemon, garlic, olive oil, dried mint and a little vinegar. We like the dressing nice and tangy, but I’ve also seen some creamier varieties with milk or yogurt in them.
A few important notes:
This makes A LOT. It’s a big salad. Great for a group, but also great for meal prepping. If you’re prepping ahead, I recommend leaving the dressing separate (refrigerate in a jar), leaving the crispy pita separate (I keep mine in a ziploc bag), and leaving the tomatoes off. They’re best added immediately before eating the salad…tomatoes kinda lose their flavor and texture in the fridge.
Sumac. You might be wondering if you really need it and the answer is yes, you do. Find it at a specialty grocery store or on Amazon, but do not skip it. It’s 100% what makes this salad stand out from the rest.
If you HAVE to skip something, you could skip the pomegranate molasses (but you shouldn’t). If you can’t find it though, you can substitute honey.
Things that go great on top of fattoush:
- Feta — I love this salad topped with feta cheese.
- Grilled Chicken
- Shish Tawook
- Chicken Kofta
- Lamb Kofta
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
servings
This fattoush salad will quickly become your favorite salad. Crispy pita, tangy dressing, and lots of fresh herbs will make this an instant favorite.
Ingredients
For Dressing:
- 4 teaspoons ground sumac
- 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (1 large lemon should be good, but you might need 2)
- 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon dried mint
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 3/4 cup good-quality extra-virgin olive oil
For Crispy Pita:
- 2 8 "-diameter pita bread rounds
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon sumac
For Salad:
- 1 small head romaine lettuce, trimmed, cut crosswise into 1/2" strips (8-10 cups chopped lettuce)
- 3 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 10-15 radishes, thinly sliced or chopped
- 1 English hothouse cucumber, quartered lengthwise, thinly sliced crosswise
- 2 cups (loosely packed) flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped
- 5 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Combine 4 teaspoons of sumac with 4 teaspoons of warm water in a small bowl and set aside for 15 minutes
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush both sides of pita bread with olive oil and sprinkle both sides with salt and sumac. Cut pita in bite-sized pieces and spread into a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. You can work on the rest of the salad while they bake!
- In a jar or a measuring cup, combine sumac with the water it was soaking in, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, garlic, vinegar, dried mint and salt. Add olive oil while whisking (or if in a jar, pour it in and cover and give a good shake). Taste and season as needed.
- In a large bowl (find a really big one!), combine lettuce, tomatoes, radishes, cucumber, parsley, scallions, and mint.
- Pour dressing over the salad and toss to combine (you may not need all the dressing).
- Top with crispy pita immediately prior to serving.
Notes
- Adapted from Epicurious
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1g, Calories: 331kcal, Carbohydrates: 36g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 19g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 15g, Sodium: 472mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 5g
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
Husband’s take: He’s been eating this nonstop since I keep making it, and I haven’t heard any complaints. He does prefer it without the green onions. They aren’t traditional, but I like the flavor they add.
Changes I would make: None at all!
Difficulty: A fair amount of chopping and prep required, but it’s not difficult. Put some good music on and get it done.
Habiba says
Just the way I make it. I also add pommegranate to add that extra burst of flavour and the red pearls look beautiful.
Rachel Gurk says
Oooh yummy, I love that addition!
Olga Lucia @ Receta Típica says
I loved your recipe, very fast and quick to prepare, Thanks for sharing
Rachel Gurk says
I’m so glad to hear it! This is one of my favorite recipes. Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
Wendy says
I like this. Easy to prepare. And the low calorie recipe is great for a diabetic. Thanks. I will try this.
Rachel Gurk says
So glad you like it!
denise says
I’ve never had fattoush, but this salad sounds divine!
Rachel Gurk says
I hope you try it! It’s one of my absolutely favorite things.
Bonnie says
Such a yummy salad, thanks for introducing it to me! So crisp and tangy! Refreshing on a wintry day.
Rachel Gurk says
I’m excited for you to try this recipe!