You guys, I am so excited about this recipe. This is hands-down my favorite salad. I was going to split it up and give you the dressing recipe first, and then follow with the salad in a different post but the truth of the matter is: How long it takes: about an hour Equipment you’ll need: baking sheet, large bowl, small bowl or jar Servings: 10 a) You need both in your life, stat. b) They’re best together. BFFs. Match made in heaven. Soulmates. They’re not meant to be with anyone else, so why share them separately? This fattoush salad has been a restaurant and carryout favorite since the moment I first tasted it (probably 12 years ago) and ever since, I’ve been slowly trying to create my own version at home. Admittedly, it’s been a slow process. Before we moved to the west side of Michigan, we had quick and easy access to the best authentic fattoush practically around every corner. The push to make my own wasn’t too big at that time. Then we moved and everything changed. We were on the hunt for fattoush (Middle Eastern food in general, to be honest), and we found fattoush, but it was never real fattoush. At least not in our minds. We have finally found one restaurant that we like quite a bit, but it’s a good 30 minutes from our house. The little recipe in my notebook full of recipe ideas quickly became a front-runner, needing to be developed ASAP. I’m super happy with how this recipe turned out, and better yet, Ben loved it too. He’s even pickier about fattoush than I am probably because he grew up eating it. I’ve already made this salad multiple times, and I don’t foresee myself stopping anytime soon.
About Fattoush Salad
Fattoush is a Middle Eastern salad — its key characteristic are the pieces of crispy, toasted pita. The pita is often fried, but I bake mine. It gives the same crunch without the fried taste (or the calories). The salad itself typically consists of fresh romaine, tomatoes, cucumber. Sometimes there is radish, sometimes onion, sometimes red cabbage. I love it the way I make it (obviously), but sometimes I’ll get crazy and add celery. It’s not at all traditional, but I like the crunch, especially if I don’t have radish on hand. The dressing is made with sumac (sumac is a game-changer!), pomegranate molasses, lemon, garlic, olive oil, dried mint and a little vinegar. We like the dressing nice and tangy, but I’ve also seen some creamier varieties with milk or yogurt in them.
A few important notes
What To Serve With Fattoush
Grilled Marinated Chicken: This Greek-style chicken marinade works well with the salad. Shish Tawook Chicken Kofta Lamb Kofta (recipe by Gordon Ramsey) Marinated Lamb Chops with Garlic and Herbs
Storage Tips
I recommend storing the dressing separately (refrigerate in a jar), keeping the crispy pita in a ziploc bag, and waiting to add the tomatoes to the salad until you serve it. Tomatoes kinda lose their flavor and texture in the fridge.
