Vibrant Palestinian fattoush with crisp toasted pita, ripe seasonal vegetables, fresh herbs, and a bold sumac-lemon dressing that makes every bite sing.
Fattoush (فتوش) is the Levant's brilliant answer to stale bread: torn pieces of day-old or toasted pita are tumbled with ripe tomatoes, cucumber, radishes, spring onions, and generous handfuls of fresh parsley and mint, then dressed boldly with sumac, lemon juice, and olive oil. The Palestinian version — particularly as made in village kitchens of the West Bank and Gaza — leans heavily on sumac, sometimes using two to three tablespoons to achieve a deeply purple-tinged, mouth-puckeringly tart dressing that contrasts gloriously with the sweetness of ripe tomatoes and the cooling quality of cucumber. Fresh purslane (baqleh), when available, is a prized addition that adds a faint lemony succulence. The bread must be toasted or fried until properly crunchy, added at the last moment so it softens just slightly while retaining some bite. Fattoush is not a leftover salad — it is a considered dish that showcases the best seasonal produce and the Levantine love of sour, herbal flavour.
Serves 4
Tear the pita bread into rough 3cm pieces. Spread on a baking tray, drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil and a pinch of salt. Bake at 200°C (390°F) for 8–10 minutes until deeply golden and crunchy. Alternatively, fry in 2 tbsp olive oil until crisp.
For extra flavour, rub the pita with a cut garlic clove before toasting.
Cut tomatoes into chunky pieces. Slice cucumber, radishes, and spring onions. Place all in a large bowl with parsley, mint, and purslane if using.
Whisk together sumac, lemon juice, minced garlic, remaining olive oil, salt, and pepper. Taste — it should be bracingly tart and fragrant.
Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss well. Add the toasted pita and toss gently once more. The bread should be coated with dressing but still have some crunch.
If bringing fattoush to a picnic, pack dressing and bread separately and combine just before eating.
Transfer to a serving platter. Dust with an extra pinch of sumac over the top for colour. Serve within 15 minutes while the bread has contrasting texture.
Use Za'atar sumac (Syrian sumac) if available — it has a darker colour and more complex tang than Turkish sumac.
Salt the tomatoes and cucumbers lightly 10 minutes before assembling, then drain off the water; this concentrates flavour and prevents the dressing from being diluted.
Romaine lettuce is sometimes added in restaurant versions — leave it out for a more traditional village-style fattoush.
Add 200g halloumi cubes fried golden for a more substantial meal.
Pomegranate molasses in the dressing (1 tsp) adds a fruity depth popular in some Lebanese versions.
Dressed fattoush does not keep well — the bread turns soggy within an hour. Store undressed vegetables and toasted bread separately for up to 1 day.
The word fattoush likely derives from the Arabic fatteh (crumbled bread), and the concept of reviving stale bread in salads appears across the medieval Islamic culinary tradition. The specific combination of sumac, fresh herbs, and toasted pita as fattoush is documented in Levantine village cooking from at least the 19th century, and remains a daily staple across Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, and Jordan.
Sumac is hard to replicate exactly. In a pinch, use a combination of lemon zest and a little lemon juice to approximate the tartness, but the distinctive brick-red colour and fruity sourness of sumac cannot be fully duplicated. Most Middle Eastern grocers and many supermarkets now stock ground sumac.
You can, but the flavour will be completely different. Toasted pita has a chewy-crisp texture and mild wheaty taste that absorbs the sumac dressing in a particular way. Plain croutons are too neutral and too small.
They share the concept of bread-in-salad, but are distinct dishes. Fattoush uses toasted or fried pita, sumac, and Levantine herbs; Italian panzanella uses soaked stale ciabatta with basil and balsamic. Both are wonderful in their own right.
Per serving (280g / 9.9 oz) · 4 servings total
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