A crunchy Lebanese salad of mixed vegetables and crisp fried pita, dressed in a tangy sumac and pomegranate molasses vinaigrette.
Fattoush is one of Lebanon's most recognizable salads, built to use up slightly stale pita bread, which is torn or cut and fried or toasted until crisp before being tossed with a colorful mix of fresh vegetables. Sumac, a tart, deep red ground spice, is essential here, dusted generously over the salad to give it a lemony tang that pairs with fresh mint and parsley for real herbal brightness against the crunchy pita. A dressing built on pomegranate molasses, lemon juice and olive oil ties everything together, coating the vegetables just enough without making the pita soggy β the salad is best eaten soon after tossing, while the bread still has its crunch.
Serves 4
Toss the pita pieces with 1 tablespoon olive oil and toast in a 200C/400F oven or dry skillet until deeply crisp, about 8-10 minutes.
Toss tomato, cucumber, bell pepper, radish, scallions, parsley and mint in a large bowl.
Whisk remaining olive oil, sumac, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice and salt.
Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss.
Add the crisped pita pieces just before serving and toss once more, briefly.
Add the pita at the very last moment β even a few minutes of sitting in the dressing will make it soggy.
Use slightly stale pita if you have it β it crisps up better in the oven than fresh, soft pita.
Add the crisped pita at the very end, right before serving, since it softens quickly once combined with the dressed vegetables.
Use real pomegranate molasses, not grenadine or pomegranate juice β its concentrated tart-sweetness is essential to the dressing's balance.
Some versions add purslane, a slightly tangy green traditionally used in fattoush.
Fried pita, rather than baked, gives an even crunchier, richer result if you don't mind the extra oil.
Adding crumbled feta is a common, if non-traditional, modern addition.
Refrigerate the vegetables and dressing separately from the pita for up to 2 days; combine and add fresh or freshly crisped pita only right before serving.
Fattoush is part of the fattah family of dishes across the Levant, historically developed as a resourceful way to use stale bread rather than waste it, a practical technique now central to the dish's identity as a beloved sumac-spiced salad.
Yes, unsalted pita chips work in a pinch, though homemade toasted pita has a fresher flavor and better texture.
A mix of lemon juice and a touch of honey approximates the tart-sweet balance, though the flavor won't be quite as complex.
The pita was likely added too early β always toss it in only right before serving to preserve its crunch.
Per serving (220g / 7.8 oz) Β· 4 servings total
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