Fattoush
The Levantine chopped salad: cucumber, tomato, radish, sumac onion and herbs dressed with lemon, sumac and pomegranate, with toasted pita shards.
Overview
A torn pita is brushed with olive oil and grilled or fried until golden and crisp. Cucumber, tomato, radish, romaine, spring onion, parsley and mint are roughly chopped into a wide bowl. A dressing of lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, sumac, garlic, olive oil and salt is whisked. The salad is tossed with the dressing just before serving; the pita is scattered on top so it stays crisp.
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 pita (large, or 2 small ones)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (for the pita)
- 1 cucumber (large, deseeded, diced)
- 4 tomatoes (small, or 2 large, diced)
- 6 radishes (sliced thin)
- 1 romaine heart (small, chopped)
- 4 spring onions (sliced thin)
- 1 small handful fresh parsley (chopped)
- 1 small handful fresh mint (chopped)
- 1 small handful purslane (if you can find it, optional but classic)
Dressing
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
- 2 teaspoons sumac
- 1 garlic clove (small, crushed)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Method
Stage 1 - Toast the pita
- Heat oven to 200°C (180°C fan).
- Brush the pita lightly on both sides with olive oil; sprinkle with a pinch of salt and sumac.
- Tear into 3-4 cm pieces; spread on a baking tray.
- Bake 5-7 minutes until deep gold and crisp.
- Cool on the tray.
Stage 2 - Prep the vegetables
- In a wide salad bowl, combine cucumber, tomato, radish, romaine, spring onions, parsley, mint and purslane.
Stage 3 - Dressing
- Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, sumac, garlic, salt and pepper.
Stage 4 - Assemble
- Just before serving, pour the dressing over the salad; toss gently.
- Scatter the pita shards over the top - keep them on top, not folded in, so they stay crisp.
- Finish with another small pinch of sumac.
Stage 5 - Serve
- Eat within 20-30 minutes.
Notes
- Pita on top, not stirred in: The pita is meant to be crisp. Folded into the dressing it goes soggy in minutes. Scatter on top; let people lift it with their forks.
- Sumac is the signature: The dark-red ground sumac berry gives the salad its characteristic lemony tartness. Don't substitute - skip it instead and add more lemon.
- Purslane: A succulent green popular in Levantine salads. Hard to find outside Mediterranean grocers. Optional - the salad works without.
Storage
- Don't store dressed. Components keep separately 24 hours.
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