Fattoush salad is one of the most popular and flavorful salads in Middle Eastern cuisine. It’s made with fresh greens, herbs, veggies, and crispy pita bread, which adds crunchiness and tangy dressing. It’s the perfect salad to add to any meal or take to a picnic or any gathering.
What is Fattoush?
In Arabic, Fattoush is derived from the word “Fatteh”, which means “crush or crumbs”. It belongs to fatteh dishes, which use stale Arabic bread as a base.
Fattoush salad is very common in most Levantine countries, and each recipe slightly differs. There is no rule when it comes to the recipe, different vegetables and herbs are used, varying by season and taste. The vegetables are cut into large pieces rather than small ones. The critical ingredient is the crispy pita bread, and without it, it’s just a normal salad, not Fattoush.
Recipe Ingredients:
- Romaine lettuce
- Purslane leaves: Authentic Fattoush uses Purslane leaves, but if you can not find any, replace them with watercress leaves.
- Mint leaves
- Parsley.
- Persian cucumbers
- Tomatoes : Roma or Cherry tomatoes
- Radishes
- Pomegranates seeds
- Red onions: Use either fresh onions or pickled red onions. I used pickled onions, full recipe below.
- Crispy pita bread/ Arabic bread: I used gluten-free Arabic bread. Either cut into squares or stripes like I did in this recipe.
- For the dressing, you will need:
- Sumac: A regular ingredient in Middle Eastern cuisine. It’s tart and has a lemony flavor; you cannot skip sumac when you are making Fattoush. I have used it twice in this recipe, in the dressing and for pickling the fresh onion.
- Lemon juice
- Olive oil
- Garlic (optional)
- Pomegranate molasses
- Salt
- Pepper.
How To Make Fattoush?
- Start by pickling the red onion. Add the pickling ingredients to a jar and shake to mix. Cut red onion into thin slices, and add them to the marinade. Shake to mix and store in the fridge while you prepare the other ingredients.
- Next, preheat the oven to 200°C, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the Arabic bread into thin strips, mix them with olive oil. Transfer them to the baking sheet and arrange them into a single layer. Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes or until golden and crispy.
- Add all the chopped veggies to a large salad bowl.
- Mix all the dressing ingredients and add them to the salad.
- Add the pickled onion.
- Top it with the crispy bread and mix well.
Serving Suggestions:
Fattoush is one of these salads that can be served with any meal. whether it is a rice dish like this Mujadara or Biryani. Serve it with a delicious Lentil soup for a light dinner.
Storing Leftovers:
Fattoush, once prepared, should be served and consumed immediately. Leftover tends to get soggy. However, if you prepared a big batch, store each component separately. Chopped veggies, pickled onion, dressing, and crispy bread, store each in a separate container. Once ready to serve, mix all together.
Recommended Recipes:
If you like this recipe and are looking for more vegan recipe inspirations, make sure to check the following:
If you make this recipe, I’d love a comment and a rating. Please make sure to tag me in re-creation on Instagram @veganbilaraby. I love to see your take on my vegan recipes 💚
Fattoush Salad Recipe
Ingredients
Fattoush salad:
- 3 cups Romain lettuce chopped, packed
- 2 cups Cherry Tomatoes cut in half
- 2 Persian cucumbers chopped
- ¾ cup Radishes sliced
- 1 cup Purslane leaves
- ½ cup Pomegranate seeds
- ½ cup Parsley roughly chopped
- ½ cup Mint leaves roughly chopped
- 2 gluten-free Arabic bread
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
Pickled onions:
- ½ red onion sliced
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp sumac powder
- ¼ tsp sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
Fattoush dressing:
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 tsp sumac powder
- 3 tbsp pomegranate molasses
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
Making pickled onions:
- Mix the marinade ingredients in a jar and add the red sliced onion, shake well to combine, and keep the jar in the fridge to add to the salad later.
Salad dressing:
- Add all the salad dressing ingredients to a jar and shake well to combine. Set aside.
Making Fattoush salad:
- Preheat the oven to 180-200°C. Cut the pita bread into small-medium size square shapes, and transfer it to a baking tray. Add the olive oil and mix to coat the squared bread pieces. Put the tray in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes until golden crispy. Take them out of the oven and let them cool.
- To a mixing bowl add all the chopped veggies and herbs, add the pickled onions, crispy pitas, and the dressing. Mix to combine. Serve and enjoy.
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