- Time
- 15 MIN
- Serves
- 2 AS A MEAL, 4 AS A SIDE
- Skill
- PARING KNIFE
- Tools
- KNIFE, BOARD, BOWL
- Heat
- Mild
- Protein
- No cooked protein
Fattoush is the Levantine bread salad: crisp vegetables and lots of herbs with shards of toasted pita, dressed with lemon and sumac, a tart, deep red spice found in most supermarkets now. Store-bought pita chips stand in for the toasted bread. Add them at the last second so they stay crisp at the edges and soak up dressing in the middle.
The lineup
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp ground sumac, plus more for the top
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- 1 romaine heart, chopped
- 2 Persian cucumbers, diced
- 2 plum tomatoes, diced
- 4 radishes, sliced thin
- 2 scallions, sliced thin
- 1 handful fresh mint leaves, torn
- 1 handful fresh parsley leaves
- 2 cups plain pita chips, broken up
- Salt and pepper
The chop
- Whisk the oil, lemon juice, sumac and garlic in the bottom of the bowl with a pinch of salt.
- Add the cucumbers, tomatoes, radishes and scallions. Toss.
- Add the romaine, mint and parsley. Toss until coated.
- Taste, then add salt, pepper and lemon until it tastes right to you.
- Add the pita chips, toss once, dust with sumac and serve right away.
The extras
Dodge the Carbs
Leave out the pita chips and add a handful of roasted sunflower seeds for crunch.
Beef It Up
Add a drained can of chickpeas and 2 oz of crumbled feta.
Future You
Chop the vegetables a day ahead. Dress it and add the chips only when you are ready to eat.
Show Off
Add a drizzle of pomegranate molasses to the dressing.
Flavor Bomb
Add chopped pickled tomatoes or a spoonful of giardiniera, or drizzle with Garlic Aioli thinned with lemon.
Heat Dial
Mild: as written. Warm: a pinch of red pepper flakes in the dressing. Hot: 1 tsp of harissa whisked into the dressing.
Psst
No sumac? Use the zest of the lemon, peeled and minced. It is not the same, but it is in the neighborhood.
