This Lebanese Fattoush Salad is a vibrant Middle Eastern salad that combines crunchy vegetables, fresh herbs and homemade pita chip tossed with a tangy pomegranate vinaigrette.
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About This Recipe
This Lebanese Fattoush Salad is a vibrant and robust Middle Eastern salad that features layers of crunchy vegetables and crisp pita chips all dressed in a tangy pomegranate vinaigrette. Think of fattoush as a distant cousin of the Italian panzanella salad and instead of toasted bread cubes, it showcases pieces of crispy pita chips.
Fresh mint and parsley, juicy tomatoes, and tart pomegranate seeds bring a burst of flavor to this colorful salad, making it the perfect accompaniment to chicken shawarma skewers or herb crusted salmon.
📋 Ingredients
- Romaine Lettuce: Crisp and refreshing, romaine provides the perfect crunchy base for this salad, soaking up the tangy vinaigrette beautifully.
- Tomatoes: Look for deep red ripe tomatoes for the best flavor. When in season, use heirloom tomatoes.
- Persian Cucumbers: These are small and usually seedless cucumbers that are mild and crisp. If Persian cucumbers aren't available, look for English cucumbers.
- Radishes: Thinly sliced radishes bring a sharp, peppery bite to the salad.
- Pomegranate Seeds: These sweet-tart jewels not only add a pop of flavor but also a stunning visual contrast to the greens.
- Fresh Herbs: Finely chopped mint and parsley infuses the salad with a refreshing and aromatic layer of flavor.
- Pita Bread: Crisp pita chips is what makes the fattoush salad. You can either fry or bake them and if you're feeling very ambitious, make your own homemade pita bread.
- Sumac: A sprinkle of sumac brings a tart and zesty layer of flavor. You will often find sumac added to za'atar spice blend.
- Pomegranate Molasses: This thick, tangy syrup is the star of the vinaigrette, adding depth and a sweet-tart balance to the dressing.
- Honey: A touch of honey in the vinaigrette balances out the acidity with a hint of sweetness.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
🍋 Substitutions and Variations
- Cucumbers: If you can’t find Persian cucumbers, English cucumbers work just as well.
- Lettuce: Substitute the romaine with mixed greens or arugula.
- Pomegranate Molasses: Not a fan of pomegranate molasses? You can use balsamic vinegar as an alternative for the vinaigrette, but it won't be as tangy.
- Other Additions: Grilled chicken, roasted chickpeas, crumbled feta would all be great additions to the fattoush salad.
⏲️ Instructions
Step 1. Add all of the vegetables and fresh herbs to a large salad bowl.
Step 2. Add the toasted pita chips and drizzle the fattoush dressing all over. Toss to so everything is lightly coated with the vinaigrette.
📍 Recipe Tips
- Crispy Pita Chips: Keep the pita chips separate and in an airtight container or resealable bag to keep them crisp. Add the pita chips right before serving.
- Seedy Cucumbers: If your cucumbers are seedy and watery, cut them in half lengthwise and use a spoon to scrape out the seeds.
- Make the Vinaigrette Ahead: The vinaigrette can be made 3-5 days ahead of time.
- Make the Salad Ahead of Time: If making the salad ahead of time, keep the vinaigrette and pita chips separate until ready to serve. Prepped salad can be made up to 2 days in advance
Recipe FAQs
Yes! You can bake the pita chips a day ahead. Store them in an airtight container or resealable bag at room temperature.
The fattoush salad is best enjoyed fresh, but you can store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to a day. Just be aware that the pita chips may lose their crunch.
Serving Suggestions
This Middle Eastern fattoush salad will go well with just about anything! Serve it as a main course with shish tawook or kofta kebabs as a side with pistachio crusted lamb chops.
More Salad Recipes to Try
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.
Lebanese Fattoush Salad
LittleFerraroKitchen.com
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 large head of romaine cut into ½ inch pieces
- 2-3 medium sized vine ripened tomatoes diced
- 2 Persian cucumbers cut into ½ inch pieces
- 2-3 radishes thinly sliced
- ½ cup pomegranate seeds
- ¼ cup fresh mint leaves finely chopped
- ¼ cup fresh parsley leaves finely chopped
Pita Chips
- 2 pita bread
- Olive oil for drizzling
- ½ teaspoon sumac
Vinaigrette
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
- 2 teaspoons honey
- ½ lemon zested and juiced
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
Instructions
- For pita chips, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Cut the pita breads into bite-sized pieces, about the size of ½ inch cubes. Spread the pita pieces on a baking sheet in a single layer, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of sumac. Give the pita pieces a toss so the oil and sumac is evenly coated.
- Bake the pita chips in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, or until they are crisp and golden brown. Once done, set the pita chips aside to cool.
- Next, in a large bowl, combine the chopped romaine lettuce , diced tomatoes, chopped Persian cucumber, sliced radish, pomegranate seeds and fresh herbs.
- For the vinaigrette, whisk together olive oil, pomegranate molasses, honey and lemon zest and juice and season with Kosher salt until well combined. You can also add this to a mason jar and shake until emulsified.
- Add the cooled pita chips to the salad and pour the vinaigrette over the salad, tossing gently to ensure all the ingredients are evenly coated.
Notes
- Crispy Pita Chips: Keep the pita chips seperate and in an air tight container or resealable bag to keep them crisp. Add the pita chips right before serving.
- Seedy Cucumbers: If your cucumbers are seedy and watery, cut them in half lengthwise and use a spoon to scrape out the seeds.
- Make the Vinaigrette Ahead: The vinaigrette can be made 3-5 days ahead of time.
- Make the Salad Ahead of Time: If making the salad ahead of time, keep the vinaigrette and pita chips seperate until ready to serve. Prepped salad can be made up to 2 days in advance
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