Description
Lebanese Fattoush is a refreshing and vibrant Middle Eastern salad featuring crisp romaine lettuce, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, radishes, red onion, fresh herbs, and crunchy toasted pita bread croutons. Tossed in a tangy and flavorful dressing made with olive oil, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, garlic, and sumac, this salad is a perfect blend of textures and zest that makes an ideal light meal or side dish.
Ingredients
Scale
Crispy pita bread “croutons”
- 2 pita bread or 1 Lebanese bread
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
Salad
- 5 cups cos/romaine lettuce, cut into large bite size pieces
- 2 Lebanese cucumbers, thinly sliced into 3mm rounds
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (~200g), or 1 1/2 regular tomatoes cut into large chunks
- 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 5 red radish, finely sliced
- 1/2 cup mint leaves, lightly packed (large ones torn in half)
- 1 tbsp roughly chopped parsley
Dressing
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp pomegranate molasses
- 1 medium garlic clove, finely grated or crushed using garlic crusher
- 1 tsp sumac (optional but recommended)
- 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
Instructions
- Prepare the crispy pita bread “croutons”: Preheat your oven to 220°C (425°F), or 200°C if using a fan-forced oven. Separate the pita bread into two thin sheets and cut each into roughly 3cm (1.2 inch) squares. Place the pita pieces in a pile on a baking tray, drizzle them with olive oil and toss to coat evenly. Sprinkle with salt and toss again to distribute the seasoning. Spread the pita pieces in a single layer on the tray and bake for about 5 minutes, or until the pita is crispy and golden. Remove from the oven and let cool on the tray while you prepare the salad.
- Make the dressing: In a jar or bowl, combine the extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, finely grated or crushed garlic, sumac, and salt. Shake or whisk the ingredients until they are well combined and emulsified to create a flavorful dressing.
- Assemble the salad: In a large bowl, add the chopped romaine lettuce, sliced cucumbers, halved cherry tomatoes (or chopped regular tomatoes), thinly sliced red onion, finely sliced radishes, mint leaves, and chopped parsley. Drizzle half of the prepared dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine all ingredients evenly.
- Add the pita croutons and second dressing: Add most of the crispy pita bread croutons to the salad and drizzle with the remaining dressing. Toss again gently to coat the croutons and vegetables evenly.
- Serve immediately: Transfer the fattoush salad into a serving bowl or platter. Top with the remaining crispy pita croutons to add an extra crunch. Serve immediately to enjoy the fresh textures and bright flavors at their best.
Notes
- For best results, serve the fattoush salad immediately after assembling to keep the pita croutons from becoming soggy.
- Sumac can be omitted if unavailable, but it adds an authentic tangy flavor to the dressing.
- Lebanese cucumbers are thinner and less watery; if unavailable, use regular cucumbers and remove seeds to prevent excess moisture.
- Pomegranate molasses can be substituted with a mix of lemon juice and a touch of honey or balsamic vinegar if needed.
- This salad is naturally gluten-free if Lebanese bread made from gluten-free flour is used or omit pita if necessary.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Keywords: Lebanese Fattoush, Middle Eastern salad, pita bread croutons, pomegranate molasses, sumac, fresh salad recipe
