A healthy Middle Eastern Salad with a light, lemony vinaigrette dressing. This Fattoush Salad mixes crisp romaine, fresh vegetables, pita chips and a light lemony sumac dressing and is great with fresh farmers market vegetables.

FATTOUSH SALAD

Growing up we ate a lot of Lebanese salads.

Some of my favorites have always been Fattoush Salad, this Easy Lebanese Salad, Mediterranean Bean Salad and Tabbouleh. 

They are both very different from each other but they are full of flavor, packed with healthy ingredients and make a great lunch or addition to a dinner.

Fattoush has quickly grown to be my go-to salad when I am craving a vegetable packed bowl of salad.

It’s especially nice in the summer when you can get your hands on fresh produce at the farmers market or grow it in your garden.

It mixes romaine lettuce, radish, tomatoes, cucumber and pita chips along with a lemony sumac dressing.

I often will add this Mediterranean Chicken, Crispy Chickpeas or Grilled Beef Kofta Kebabs for protein.

WHAT IS FATTOUSH?

Fattoush (Arabic: فتوش‎, also fattush, fatush, fattoosh, and fattouche) is a Levantine salad made from toasted or fried pieces of khubz (Arabic flat bread) combined with mixed greens and other vegetables, such as radishes and tomatoes.

Fattoush is a Lebanese salad that typically includes romaine lettuce, cucumbers, radishes, tomatoes, radishes and crispy pita bread. We grew up eating this in my family! 

The dressing mixes together extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice and sumach for a tangy, sweet dressing. Sumac has a sharp, slightly lemony taste that brightens whatever it garnishes which is so nice in this salad.

WHAT INGREDIENTS ARE IN FATTOUSH?

GREENS: I have always used romaine lettuce in my fattoush.

However, I also like kale or mixed greens because it stands up nicely against the crisp vegetables and pita chips.

PITA CHIPS: Pita chips are a must when you make a fattoush. 

If you want to make homemade pita chips use this recipe. You can bake your pita chips while you make the salad or make them ahead of time and keep them in a sealed container. 

FRESH VEGETABLES: I have seen fattoush salads make many different ways.

I add tomatoes, green onions, cucumber, bell pepper and radishes to my salad. You can use whatever fresh vegetables you like. Some other options are celery and carrots.

FRESH HERBS: As with many recipes, fresh herbs are your friend in this salad.

I love adding a lot of fresh mint and parsley to my salad. Other nice options are basil and dill. 

THE DRESSING: The dressing for fattoush salad is what sets it apart from other salads you have had.

This salad uses sumac to go along with the olive oil, lemon and garlic in the dressing.

The combination is perfect – tangy and sweet yet subtle enough that it doesn’t overpower the salad.

TIPS FOR MAKING FATTOUSH:

FRESH VEGETABLES: When I make fattoush I try to find the freshest produce I can.

I love making this salad in the summer when I get fresh farmers market produce or grow it in my garden. 

CRISPY PITA: The crispy pita bread is an important part of fattoush.

I suggest making your crispy pita at home but you can often find authentic crispy pita bread at your local Mediterranean store. 

TANGY DRESSING: The tangy dressing is my favorite part of the dressing because I just adore sumac and lemon together. I suggest you get the best extra virgin olive oil you can find for added flavor. 

VARIATIONS: Of course as with any salad you can make variations based on what you have on hand. Sometimes I will add chickpeas, feta cheese or extra veggies. 

WHAT SHOUD I SERVE WITH FATTOUSH SALAD?

 Mediterranean Chicken with Basmati Rice

Tandoori Grilled Chicken

Mediterranean Burgers with Mint Yogurt Sauce.

Shish Taouk Chicken Thighs 

Grilled Salmon