Fattoush Damascena (Syrian Damascus-Style Bread Salad)

About This Recipe

Fattoush (فتوش) is the Levant's answer to Tuscan panzanella: a salad built around toasted or fried pita bread, celebrating the Arab culinary tradition of transforming day-old bread into something glorious. The name is thought to derive from the word 'fattoush' (meaning crumbled or broken), and regional versions differ subtly but meaningfully across Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan. The Damascene version — fattoush Damascena — is distinguished by its generous hand with sumac (a tangy, burgundy-colored spice ground from dried berries of the Rhus coriaria shrub), the addition of pomegranate molasses to the dressing for a sour-sweet depth, and the use of purslane (bakleh) leaves among the greens, which add a distinctive slight mucilaginous texture beloved in Syrian cooking. The pita is typically fried rather than simply baked, giving it a richer crunch that holds up longer under the dressing. Fresh radishes, cucumber, tomato, spring onion, and flat-leaf parsley are all essential. A good fattoush should be dressed at the very last moment, with the pita added seconds before eating — the controlled sogginess of lightly dressed pita that has absorbed some vinegar-sumac liquid is part of the pleasure, but completely soggy pita is a failure.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 2 largepita breads(split open, torn into pieces)
• 4 tbspolive oil(for frying the pita)
• 3 mediumtomatoes(cut into 1 cm chunks)
• 1 largecucumber(halved, seeded, and sliced)
• 5 mediumradishes(thinly sliced)
• 4 stalksspring onions(sliced)
• 1 large handfulflat-leaf parsley(roughly chopped)
• 1 small handfulfresh mint leaves(torn)
• 1 small handfulpurslane leaves (bakleh)(optional but traditional)
• 3 tbspextra-virgin olive oil(for the dressing)
• 3 tbspfresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsppomegranate molasses
• 1.5 tspground sumac(plus more for sprinkling)
• 1/2 tspfine salt
• 1/4 tspground black pepper

Instructions

1. 1

   Fry the pita

   Heat 4 tbsp olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the torn pita pieces in a single layer (fry in batches) and fry for 2–3 minutes per side until golden and crispy. Drain on paper towels, season with salt.

   Frying produces a crunchier, more flavorful pita than baking. Do not crowd the pan.

2. 2

   Make the dressing

   Whisk together lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, olive oil, sumac, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl. Taste — it should be sharply sour, a little sweet, and deeply seasoned.

3. 3

   Prepare vegetables

   Combine tomatoes, cucumber, radishes, spring onions, parsley, mint, and purslane (if using) in a large bowl.

4. 4

   Dress and combine

   Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss well. Taste and adjust seasoning.

5. 5

   Add pita at the last second

   Add the fried pita pieces to the salad just before serving and toss briefly — you want the pita to begin absorbing the dressing but still retain most of its crunch.

   If you are taking it to a picnic or potluck, pack the pita separately and add at the serving point.

6. 6

   Serve

   Arrange on a large platter or serve directly from the bowl. Sprinkle with an extra pinch of sumac and serve immediately.

Variations

• •

  Lebanese fattoush: omit the pomegranate molasses and add extra sumac; uses baked rather than fried pita; often includes gem lettuce.

• •

  Feta fattoush: crumble 100 g feta over the finished salad for a saltier, creamier variation — not traditional but delicious.

Storage

Fattoush cannot be stored once assembled. Refrigerate the dressed vegetables (without pita) for up to 6 hours. Fry the pita the same day. Combine only at serving time.

Frequently Asked Questions