Delicious Fattoush Salad Recipe

During cold and dark winter days here in Germany, there is nothing like bringing a ray of sunshine to your plate. Today, I will show you how I like to make Fattoush, the delicious Levantine herby summer salad. It is so refreshing and flavourful. With fresh vegetables, crispy pita chips, and fantastic dressing, Fattoush salad cannot miss on a Meze plate. 

What is Fattoush: 

Fattoush is quite close to delicious Tabbouleh, but with a distinct difference: it features crispy bread instead of bulgur. Instead of bread croutons that we commonly top our salads in the west with, Fattoush features crispy fried pita chips. In my opinion, this is the most delicious addition to add to a salad. Fattoush is said to have originated in Lebanon, but it is also enjoyed across the Levantine region. Another factor that makes Fattoush salad stand out for me is its dressing, the combination of extra virgin olive oil, lemon, sumac, garlic, and pomegranate molasses gives a delicious tang, making the salad so refreshing and satisfying. You will know what I mean when trying it. 

Ingredients for making Fattoush Salad: 

• Parsley
• Cilantro
• Mint 
• Cucumber
• Tomatoes 
• Shallots 
• Pita bread
• Olive oil 
• Sumac 
• Garlic 
• Pomegranate molasses 
• Lemon 
• Salt 

To my knowledge, there is no set list of vegetables that are making Fattoush salad what it is. I like to keep it simple with only cucumber, tomato, and shallot, but this is of course not exclusive. Other leafy greens and radishes are also commonly added to the salad, so feel free to try different vegetables for yourself! 

Fattoush Salad Recipe: 

To make the fattoush salad, I like to make the crispy pita croutons first. These croutons are a great way to give new life to any stale pita bread you might have laying around. I like to pan-fry the pita bread for some extra nice crisp and olive-oily flavour. 

Making Crisp Pita:

Add some olive oil to your pan, and heat to medium heat. I like to fry the pita bread at a rather low temperature, so the olive oil doesn’t develop bitter flavours. Cut or tear your pita bread into equally sized pieces, and fry them until golden brown on each side. Once fried, take the pita bread out, dress it with a pinch of salt, and let them rest on a paper towel so the excess oil can drip off. If you want more tips on how to make delicious crisp pita chips, check out this recipe!

Pro tip when making crispy pita croutons: Make some more than you need for the recipe because they are irresistible. There is nothing worse than accidentally snack all the delicious pita croutons before even finishing making the delicious Fattoush salad. Trust me, that happened to me more than once. 

Assembling the Fattoush Salad:

Making the rest of the salad is pretty easy and quick. Give your vegetables and herbs a good wash, and cut the tomato and cucumber into small cubes. I thinly sliced the shallot with a mandoline for a delicious crunch. For the herbs, strip the leaves from the stems and finely cut them. Add the herbs to the other veggies, and give everything a good mix. 

Making the Fattoush Dressing: 

The last step to making the delicious Fattoush salad is the dressing. To make Fattoush salad dressing, add your olive oil to a glass. Add the lemon juice, sumac powder, and pomegranate molasses. I like to use a garlic press or a grater for the garlic, so it gives all its flavour to the dressing. Add a pinch of salt, and give all the ingredients a good mix. Taste the dressing and adjust its seasoning to your liking. 

Add the dressing to the salad, and give everything a good mix.

Plating the Fattoush Salad: 

To plate the fattoush salad, I like to mix half of the crispy pitta chips into the salad and use the rest as a topping when plating. And that’s it. Now you can enjoy this delicious, refreshing salad. Let me know what you think, and enjoy! 

Other Recipe Inspirations: 

This fattoush salad goes amazingly as part of a meze platter! These are some of the other dishes that I like to serve: 

• Harak Osbao is such a comfort food.
• This fava bean spread is simple and delicious!
• This refreshing tabbouleh is another fantastic salad to try. 
• Tasty vegan baba ganoush can’t miss on a meze platter.
• This panzanella salad is so refreshing.
• A simple and smooth hummus is a classic for a reason!
• You could like this deliciously sweet and tangy muhammara too.
• This healthy roasted fig couscous salad is a perfect summer dish.