Discover the vibrant flavors of Fattoush salad, a refreshing Middle Eastern dish bursting with crisp vegetables, tangy sumac, and toasted pita bread.
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This traditional Fattoush salad is a colorful medley of fresh ingredients tossed in a zesty lemon and olive oil dressing. Perfect for summer gatherings or as a light and delicious meal option. Fattoush salad is a delightful and flavorful dish hailing from the Middle East. This vibrant salad combines fresh vegetables, fragrant herbs, and crunchy pita bread croutons. The key ingredients include crisp lettuce, juicy tomatoes, refreshing cucumbers, vibrant radishes, and aromatic mint. The tangy notes of sumac, a traditional Middle Eastern spice, and a drizzle of zesty lemon and olive oil dressing further enhance the salad. Try this timeless classic today and elevate your taste buds to new heights!
💗 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Light and Refreshing: This salad made with fresh ingredients is light and refreshing thanks to the tangy lemon vinaigrette.
Crisp and Crunchy: The pita chips and the crisp lettuce give this salad a crunchy texture.
Easy and Quick: This salad comes together in only 15 minutes. All you need to do is chop the veggies, whisk the vinaigrette, and toss it together.
🥗 Ingredients and Notes
Vegetables: Use the freshest ingredients possible. Chopped romaine lettuce, fresh Persian cucumbers, a large tomato (de-seeded), green onions, red onion, and radishes make up the vegetables in this salad.
Fresh Herbs: Add fresh chopped mint for an aromatic flavor. If you don’t have fresh mint, use fresh parsley.
Vinaigrette: A combination of olive oil, fresh lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper.
Pita Chips: You can make your pita chips by crisping them in the oven or using store-bought pita chips.
👩🏻🍳 How to Make Fattoush Salad
- Chop the lettuce, dice the cucumber, de-seed the tomato, and cut into quarters. Thinly slice the radish, red onion, and chop the scallions. Add the vegetables to a large bowl. Add the pita chips and the sumac on top of the vegetables.
- Whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, minced garlic, salt, and pepper in a small bowl or mixing cup.
- When you’re ready to serve, pour the dressing on the salad, and toss to combine.
- Serve fresh, and enjoy!
📝 Expert Tips
- Wash and thoroughly dry the lettuce leaves to maintain their crispness. Tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces or chop them, depending on your preference.
- Sumac is a key ingredient in Fattoush salad, providing its distinctive tangy flavor. Sprinkle sumac generously over the salad for an authentic taste. If sumac is unavailable, you can substitute it with a combination of lemon zest and a pinch of salt.
- For authentic Fattoush salad, toast pita bread until golden brown and crispy. Break it into bite-sized pieces just before serving. This adds a wonderful crunch to the salad.
📋 Variations
While traditional Fattoush salad includes the ingredients in this recipe, feel free to personalize it by adding other ingredients like bell peppers, kalamata olives, or chickpeas for added protein.
🍽 How to Serve
Toss Before Serving: To ensure even flavor distribution, gently toss the salad before serving. This will help the dressing coat all the ingredients and allow the flavors to meld together.
Serve Immediately: Fattoush salad is best enjoyed fresh. Serve it immediately after tossing it to retain the crunchiness of the vegetables and pita bread.
Presentation: For an appealing presentation, garnish the salad with extra herbs, sumac, or a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds. The vibrant colors and textures will make your Fattoush salad visually enticing.
❓ Recipe FAQS
Fattoush salad originates from the Levantine region, which includes countries such as Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Palestine. It is a traditional dish that has been enjoyed for centuries in these countries and is a staple of their cuisine. Fattoush salad is particularly popular in Lebanon, where it is considered a national dish and is widely enjoyed as a refreshing and flavorful salad option. Over time, Fattoush salad has gained recognition and popularity beyond the Levant region, becoming a beloved part of Middle Eastern cuisine worldwide.
The primary ingredient in tabouli salad is bulgur wheat, which is soaked and mixed with finely chopped parsley, tomatoes, mint, onions, and sometimes cucumbers. On the other hand, Fattoush salad features a variety of fresh vegetables like lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, and herbs like mint and parsley. The base of tabouli is bulgur and parsley, while fattoush has a lettuce base.
❄️ How to Store
Store the salad ingredients and the vinaigrette ingredients separately. Dress the salad just before you’re ready to serve. The salad will keep for 1-2 days when not dressed. The salad dressing will last for 1-2 weeks.
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⚖️ Serving Size
This salad makes six large servings.
Recipe
Fattoush Salad
Ingredients
- 1 head romaine lettuce
- 1 large tomato de-seeded
- ½ cucumber diced
- 2 scallions chopped
- ¼ cup red onion thinly sliced
- ¼ cup fresh mint
- 5 radishes thinly sliced
- 1 cup pita chips
- 2 teaspoon sumac
Vinaigrette Dressing
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Chop the lettuce, dice the cucumber, de-seed the tomato, and cut into quarters. Thinly slice the radish, red onion, and chop the scallions. Add the vegetables to a large salad bowl. Add the pita chips and the sumac on top of the vegetables.
- Whisk together the olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, minced garlic, salt, and pepper in a small bowl or mixing cup.
- When you're ready to serve, pour the dressing on the salad, and toss to combine. Serve immediately! Enjoy!
Notes
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- Wash and thoroughly dry the lettuce leaves to maintain their crispness. Tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces or chop them, depending on your preference.
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- Sumac is a key ingredient in Fattoush salad, providing its distinctive tangy flavor. Sprinkle sumac generously over the salad for an authentic taste. If sumac is unavailable, you can substitute it with a combination of lemon zest and a pinch of salt.
-
- For authentic Fattoush salad, toast pita bread until golden brown and crispy. Break it into bite-sized pieces just before serving. This adds a wonderful crunch to the salad.
- Store the salad ingredients and the vinaigrette ingredients separately. Dress the salad just before you’re ready to serve. The salad will keep for 1-2 days when not dressed. The salad dressing will last for 1-2 weeks.
Stacey Crawford
I was sold at the word Sumac! It has such a unique flavor and is so underused. I was happy to see it used in this recipe.
Biana
Fattoush salad looks fresh and delicious. A perfect summer side dish.
Liz McCray
This salad sounds so good, I can’t wait to make it! I love a great crunch on my salads!
Caroline
Fattoush is always one of my favorites – such a great, fresh combination of flavors and crispness.
Tara
Oh yum! Such a refreshing salad. I love all those vibrant flavors and how easily everything comes together.