Fattoush

Fattoush! Vibrant, colorful, rich and bursting with flavor. A Middle Eastern /Lebanese bread salad that you will find on the menu of all Lebanese restaurants around the globe and a staple salad in all Lebanese homes. Fresh vegetables, toasted or fried pita bread, and a bright dressing composed of freshly squeezed lemon juice, sumac pomegranate molasses, and olive oil. A peasant and a clean rich salad that has become trendy and fashionable to the extent that some added fruits and cheese to it. Ok, though I personally like some kind of fruits in my salad, but definitely not in fattoush. If you really want an authentic Lebanese fattoush, just stick to veggies and bread!

The two tangy star ingredients in fattoush are sumac and pomegranate molasses!! Both will take the dish to another level of flavor. The major vegetables used in fattoush are cucumbers, tomatoes, mint leaves, parsley, purslane leaves, radishes and romain salad. But there is always a room for your personal preference. As you must have noticed in the list ingredients that I added white and red cabbage leaves. The cabbage leaves provide the fattoush with an extra pleasant crunchiness.

It is so filling on its own, but I know that a fit diet isn’t complete without protein. And it tastes wonderful together with barbecues! Serve it with your grilled meat, chicken or fish. Mmmm, heavenly delicious!

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• It is a terrific salad to use your stale Lebanese or pita bread
• Mix the pita bread with the vegetables and dressing right before serving. Serve immediately so the bread doesn’t become soggy.
• The bread can be fried or toasted – frying is definitely tastier, but for a healthier approach, I toast the bread in the oven and manage to limit frying them only to special occasions.

Fattoush is a Middle Eastern garden salad

Cut the pita bread into medium-sized squares.

Toast in the oven. For a crunchier and richer flavor, pita squares can be fried instead.

Pomegranate Molasses: A pomegranate syrup that is made by boiling down pomegranate juice until it is reduced to a thick dark brown liquid. Can be found at Middle Eatsern groceries.

Sumac is a lemony berry that is ground and turned into a powder. It has a mild citrus flavor. It can be found at Middle Eastern stores.

Pomegranate molasses, sumac, lemon juice and olive oil tie together the salad, creating a wonderful tangy-oil flavor

Mix well to infuse the flavors together

Add the pomegranate molasses, sumac, lemon juice olive oil and salt. Mix with the veggies and add the fried or toasted bread just upon serving.

Ingredients:

• 2 cucumbers, cut into slices, preferably use Persian or English seedless cucumbers
• 1 small onion, cut into rings
• 1 parsley bunch, finely chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, finely diced
• 5 leaves of lettuce, shredded
• 3 radishes, sliced into discs
• ½ mint bunch, use the leaves only
• A handful of purslane leaves
• 2 leaves cabbage, shredded
• 1 leaf red cabbage, shredded
• 4 medium-sized tomatoes, diced

For the dressing:

• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 large loaf pita bread, or 2 small pita breads
• 1/2 teaspoon sumac

Directions:

1. Cut the pita bread into medium squares and toast in the oven. For a crunchier and richer flavor, pita squares can be fried instead.
2. Mix all the vegetables in a big salad bowl. Add the garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, sumac, salt, and pomegranate molasses.
3. Add the toasted or fried pita bread to the salad. Mix and serve immediately!

• Looking for more pita crouton salads, check our Labneh Tomato and Pomegranate Salad
• Looking for more lemony tangy saladscheck our Tabbouleh, Middle Eastern Salad, Potato, Green Bean and Avocado Salad

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