Fattoush
Levantine bread salad: chopped cucumber, tomato, radish, herbs and shards of toasted pita, all dressed with lemon, olive oil and sumac. The peasant salad that uses up stale bread; sumac gives it the characteristic tang.
Overview
Pita breads are torn into pieces and toasted (or fried) until crisp and crunchy. Chopped vegetables, mint, parsley and a sumac-lemon-olive-oil dressing are tossed together; the toasted pita goes in last so it stays crunchy. Eaten immediately before the bread goes soft.
Ingredients
Salad
- 2 pita breads (large, 1-2 days old, torn into 3 cm pieces)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 ripe tomatoes (cut into wedges)
- 1 cucumber (cut into chunks)
- 6 radishes (sliced)
- 4 spring onions (sliced)
- 1 romaine lettuce (small, chopped)
- A small bunch of fresh mint (leaves picked, torn)
- A small bunch of flat-leaf parsley (chopped)
Dressing
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon (juice)
- 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
- 1 garlic clove (crushed)
- 2 teaspoons sumac (plus extra to scatter)
- 1 teaspoon dried mint
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Method
Stage 1 - Toast the pita
- Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan).
- Toss the torn pita with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and a pinch of salt.
- Spread on a baking tray; bake 5-7 minutes until deep golden and crisp.
- Cool completely (warm pita softens the salad).
Stage 2 - Dressing
- Whisk all dressing ingredients in a small jar.
Stage 3 - Salad
- In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, cucumber, radishes, spring onions, lettuce, mint and parsley.
- Pour the dressing over; toss gently.
Stage 4 - Serve
- Add the toasted pita; toss once more.
- Plate immediately.
- Scatter extra sumac over the top.
Notes
- Add the bread last: Pita in dressing for more than a few minutes turns soggy. Toss and eat.
- Pomegranate molasses: Tart-sweet syrup; central to the dressing. Find at any Middle Eastern grocer; substitute with 1 tablespoon balsamic + 1 teaspoon honey if needed.
- Sumac is the colour and tang: Dark red, lemony. Don't skip; it's what makes fattoush fattoush.
Storage
- Doesn't keep. Eat the moment it's tossed.
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