Refreshing, herby and crisp. This vibrant Lebanese Fattoush Salad is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser! Make this flavorful salad using chopped vegetables, fried pita, pomegranates and a citrusy sumac dressing. Serve as a side with falafel, hummus or kebab.
This zesty Northern Lebanese salad deserves a spot on your dinner table. It combines fresh vegetables, pomegranate, sumac and pita croutons to make a memorable salad. The fried pita, sumac and pomegranates are my favorite ingredients in this salad. The pita is chewy and delicious, the pomegranates add sweetness to every bite and the sumac adds so much delicious flavor!
If you like this recipe, then you will love this Lebanese tabbouleh recipe.
What I Love About This Recipe
- It is easy to make this salad.
- Make it in 15 minutes!
- The addition of fried pita makes it filling.
- It is a great side option.
- This salad is vegan.
Ingredients
- Romaine: This is the lettuce of choice for this recipe. It is crisp and has a mild sweet flavor.
- Tomatoes: Select fresh ripe tomatoes. Use roma or vine tomatoes. If you can’t find these tomatoes, then you can swap them with what is available.
- Cucumbers: I used English cucumbers for this recipe. However, you can also use Persian cucumbers.
- Yellow capsicum pepper: Select ripe, unbruised yellow capsicum peppers for the best flavor.
- Radishes: Use vibrant, unbruised radishes. Remove the stem and chop them thinly.
- Green onions: Select fresh green onions for the best taste.
- Parsley: Pick parsley with fresh, vibrant leaves.
- Mint leaves: Select fresh, unbruised mint leaves.
- Pita bread: Chop the pita into equal-sized pieces before frying.
- Olive oil: Use good quality olive oil or extra virgin to fry the pita and for the dressing.
- Sumac: For flavor.
- Pomegranate: Add fresh pomegranate seeds to the salad or add pomegranate molasses to the dressing.
Equipment
- Frying pan
- Chef’s knife
- Chopping board
- Salad bowl
Recipe Variations
Like most recipes, fattoush salad can be made in different ways. I added pomegranate seeds for extra crunch but you could also add pomegranate molasses to the dressing instead.
To make this salad a meaty main, chop a chicken fillet, season with salt and pepper and cook on both sides for 5-7 minutes or until done. Add the chicken chunks to the salad to make chicken fattoush. For a vegetarian option, add cooked chickpeas instead. Both dishes can be served as a main.
How to Make Lebanese Fattoush Salad
- Combine 1/3 cup of olive oil, juice from one lemon, 1 tsp of sumac, salt to taste, black pepper to taste and one grated garlic clove in a bowl or food processor. Mix well to emulsify. Set aside for later.
2. Wash all of the vegetables and set aside to dry.
3. Meanwhile, chop three pita bread into equal-sized pieces, then heat olive oil in a pan. Add pita to a pan, season with salt and pepper to taste and fry pita on both sides for 2-3 minutes on low to medium or until golden. Once the pita is done, set aside on paper towels to soak up excess oil for later.
4. Remove the stem from the two romaine lettuce, seven radishes, five green onions, 1 cup of parsley and 1/2 cup of mint. Chop and add the veggies to the salad bowl.
5. Chop tomatoes and remove seeds and liquid to prevent the salad from becoming soggy. Add to the salad bowl. Remove stem from yellow capsicum peppers and deseed. Chop and add to the salad bowl.
6. Slice the pomegranate in half, and remove the seeds. Do not throw away the seeds. Add them to the salad bowl. Do not add the fried pita yet. Pour the dressing on top of the salad and toss until well combined.
7. Add fried pita when serving or on a plate on the side. Serve this glorious Fattoush salad with hummus, falafel or kebab.
Tips and Tricks
- Ingredients: Select fresh ingredients for the best texture and flavor. Avoid bruised and unripe vegetables.
- Pita: Add the pita to the salad just before serving. If the pita is added beforehand, then it will become soggy.
- Dressing: Feel free to add less or more of the dressing ingredients to suit your taste.
- Chopping: I prefer to chop the ingredients quite thinly for this recipe but you can chop them medium-sized or large, depending on your preference.
FAQs
Most fatoush salads include cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, radish, green onions, parsley, mint, and pomegranates tossed in a zesty sumac dressing topped with fried pita when serving. There are many variations as people like to swap or add different ingredients depending on their preference.
Tabbouleh and fattoush are popular Lebanese salads that are served as sides. They are made with some of the same ingredients but they are not the same. Tabbouleh includes bulgur wheat, mint, parsley, cucumber, tomatoes, green onions, olive oil, salt, pepper and lemon juice. While, fattoush is made with cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, radish, green onions, parsley, mint, pomegranates, a zesty sumac dressing topped and is served with fried pita.
It is refreshing, herby, and zesty. It includes pita croutons, fresh vegetables and a sumac dressing, adding a hint of sweetness and floral notes to the salad.
Fattoush is derived from the Arabic word “fatteh” which means crumbs. The crumbs refer to the fried pita bread which is one of the key ingredients in this salad.
Thanks for reading this recipe, comment below if you made this and let me know how it went! Follow @simshomekitchen on Instagram, take a photo, tag and hashtag it with @simshomekitchen.
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Fattoush
Equipment
- Frying pan
- Chefs knife
- chopping board
- Salad bowl
Ingredients
- 1-2 Romaine lettuce
- 4 tomatoes
- 1 cucumbers
- 1 yellow capsicum pepper
- 7 radishes chopped
- 5 green onions
- 1 cup parsley
- 1/2 cup mint leaves
- 3 pitta bread
- olive oil
- 2-3 tsp sumac
- 1 pomegranate
Dressing
- 1 lemon
- Salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- 1 tsp sumac
- olive oil
- 1 garlic clove
Instructions
- Combine olive oil, lemon juice, sumac, salt to taste, black pepper to taste and one grated garlic clove to a bowl or food processor. Mix well to emulsify. Set aside for later.
- Wash all of the vegetables and set aside to dry.
- Meanwhile, chop pita bread into equal-sized pieces, then heat olive oil in a pan. Add pita to a pan, season with salt and pepper to taste and fry pita on both sides for 2-3 minutes on low to medium or until golden. Once the pita is done, set aside on paper towels to soak up excess oil for later.
- Remove the stem from the romaine lettuce, radishes, green onions, parsley and mint. Then, chop and add the veggies to a large salad bowl.
- Chop tomatoes, remove seeds and liquid. Add to the salad bowl. Remove stem from yellow capsicum peppers and deseed. Chop and add to the salad bowl.
- Slice a pomegranate in half, and remove the seeds. Do not throw away the seeds. Add them to the salad bowl. Do not add the fried pita yet. Pour the dressing on top of the salad and toss until well combined.
- Add fried pita when serving or on a plate on the side. Serve with hummus, falafel or kebab.
Video
I just made your vibrant and refreshing salad and wow, what a treat! The combo of fresh veggies, crunchy pita, and that tangy sumac-infused dressing is just fantastic. And those pops of pomegranate? Perfection! Can’t wait to share this at my next BBQ. Thanks for the recipe! xx