Fattoush salad is a great mix of fresh vegetables, a bright dressing, and pieces of crisp pita bread. Add feta cheese, olives, pepperoncini, and other flavorful items at will. Easy, light, yet filling - it's a great addition to grilled dinners or as a light dinner all on its own.
Fattoush salad is endlessly flexible. Use the formula below (with its many options) as a starting point. Tweak, add, and subtract ingredients depending on that magical combination of your taste and what's in your kitchen.
I like to use Lemon Garlic Vinaigrette for this salad, but feel free to apply whatever lemony dressing you like.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 to 4 pita breads
- 1 tsp. cumin seeds (optional)
- 1 head romaine lettuce
- 1/2 red onion
- 4 tomatoes
- 1 cucumber
- 1 cup mint leaves (optional)
- 1/2 cup cilantro leaves (optional)
- 1/2 to 1 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves (optional)
- 3 to 4 Tbsp. Lemon Garlic Vinaigrette or similar salad dressing
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)
- 12 to 24 Kalamata or similar black olives (optional)
- Tahini (sesame paste) for drizzling (optional)
- Garlic Yogurt Dressing for drizzling (optional)
Preparation:
- Toast pita breads, cool, and break into bite-size pieces. Set aside.
- If using cumin, heat a small frying pan over medium-high heat and toast cumin seeds until fragrant, about 1 minute. Let seeds cool and crush lightly in a mortar and pestle or with the bottom of a small frying pan. Set aside. (See How to Toast Cumin Seeds.)
- Tear or chop lettuce into bite-size pieces, wash and dry lettuce, put leaves in a very large bowl.
- Thinly slice red onion and add to lettuce.
- Chop tomatoes and add to lettuce.
- Peel cucumber, if you like. Cut in half lengthwise. Spoon out seeds, if you like, cut into thin half-moons, and add to lettuce.
- Cut mint into ribbons, chop cilantro and parsley, and add to lettuce.
- Add pita pieces to lettuce. Drizzle salad mixture with Lemon Garlic Vinaigrette and toss thoroughly.
- Divide salad between serving plates to arrange on a large platter. Top with crumbled feta cheese and olives, if you like. Drizzle with tahini and/or Garlic Yogurt Dressing, if you like. Sprinkle with reserved toasted, ground cumin seeds, if you like.
Makes 4 to 6 servings Fattoush Salad.
