Lebanon • Regional Dish • Salad
Lebanese Fattoush Salad
Lebanese fattoush is a crisp, punchy bread salad with fresh vegetables, herbs, toasted pita, and a bright sumac dressing that wakes everything up.
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 200 C. Tear or cut the pita into bite-sized pieces, toss with 2 tbsp olive oil, and spread on a baking tray.
- Bake for 6 to 8 minutes until crisp and lightly golden. Set aside to cool.
- Add the chopped romaine, tomatoes, cucumber, radishes, spring onions, parsley, and mint to a large bowl.
- Make the dressing by whisking together the 4 tbsp olive oil, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, garlic, sumac, salt, and black pepper.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently until everything is lightly coated.
- Add most of the toasted pita and toss once more. Scatter the remaining pita over the top just before serving to keep it crisp.
- Taste and adjust with a little more lemon, salt, or sumac if needed. Serve right away.
Cultural Context
Fattoush is a classic Lebanese bread salad made with vegetables, herbs, and toasted or fried flatbread. The bread is part of the dish's identity, not a decorative extra, and the dressing commonly relies on lemon, sumac, and, often, pomegranate molasses for its sharp, tangy character.
Fun Fact
Fattoush is often described as a practical way to use up day-old or stale pita, which is a pretty good reminder that some of the best dishes start with cooks refusing to waste good bread.
Cook’s Tip
Fattoush is built around crisp pita, fresh vegetables, and a sharp sumac dressing. Pomegranate molasses is common in many Lebanese dishes and adds extra tang and depth to the dressing.
You can fry the pita for a more classic richness, but baking keeps things simpler for home cooks while still giving you the crunch the salad needs. The bread is not optional here. Without it, you just have a nice salad having an identity crisis.
Trivia
Compared with tabbouleh, fattoush is the crunchier Lebanese salad: lettuce and vegetables take the lead, while toasted pita gives it the texture that defines the dish.
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