Lebanese Fattoush Salad

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Lebanese Fattoush is a classic middle eastern style Arabic salad that’s been enjoyed for centuries. This classic Middle Eastern salad combines crispy fresh vegetables, fragrant herbs, and a zesty dressing. Whether you enjoy it as a main course or a side dish, this salad will impress with its vibrant colors and unique flavors. Or you can also try this Shirazi salad as an alternative Arabic salad.

Contents

To take your Fattoush game to the next level, pair it with two other Lebanese favorites: succulent chicken tawook and savory beef kafta. These dishes perfectly complement the fresh and bright flavors of the salad, creating a satisfying and well-rounded meal. This recipe guideline will provide you with an overview of the ingredients and flavors of the dish, along with tips to make it at home.

Why Would You Like Lebanese Fattoush Salad?

This salad is refreshing, and you can make it instantly.
It comes loaded with fresh vegetables and herbs. All these vegetables are seasonal, and you can change them according to your choice.
You can pair this salad with several main courses and side dishes.
This salad is dietary friendly, 100% vegan, soy-free, gluten-free, corn-free, and nut-free, so you don’t have to worry about your diet while consuming this salad.
This salad is highly versatile, and you can easily customize it depending on the particular season and your preferences.

Ingredients For Lebanese Fattoush Salad

Here is the list of ingredients you will need to make this fantastic salad;

2 loaves of pita bread
Kosher salt
2 tsp sumac, divided or as much as you need
Virgin olive oil
5 chopped Roma tomatoes
1 heart of chopped romaine lettuce
5 chopped green onions (including white and green parts)
5 thinly sliced and stem removed radishes
1 half-cut and thinly chopped cucumber
2 cups parsley finely chopped
1 cup mint leaves

For Dressing:

Juice of 1 and a half lemon
1/3 cup of olive oil
1 tsp sumac
¼ tsp ground allspice
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
2 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp pomegranate molasses (optional)
Salt and pepper according to taste

Ingredients Notes

Want to make a perfectly-tasting Lebanese Fattoush Salad? Here are some ingredient notes you must consider:

Lettuce: You need to use romaine lettuce, iceberg, or green salad also works the same.
Tomatoes: All the tomatoes must be freshly ripe, and prevent using the ones with over seeds that can make the dish soggy. You can also use large or cherry tomatoes if you like them.
Cucumber: When selecting a cucumber, use the English or Persian cucumber. But, if you have a thick-skinned cucumber, you must peel it first and then use it.
Herbs: You can use different types of herbs in this salad, but according to tradition, fresh parsley and herbs are the only herbs used in this salad in Middle Eastern and Lebanese recipes. These two herbs combined ensure good flavor and freshness; you can remove mint if you don’t like its flavor.
Pita Bread: You can use Regular or whole-wheat Lebanese pita bread. The Lebanese pita bread is slightly different from the pita pockets; this bread is thinner and looks like a tortilla in shape. This bread is the actual indicator of this salad, which you can find in Mediterranean stores and bakeries.
Bell pepper: This ingredient is optional, but it adds freshness and a crunch of red, orange, and yellow bell pepper. Green peppers are somehow bitter for this salad, so it is better to use other colors.
Radish: Pink radishes add to the flavor of this recipe as they are peppery and crunchy to the right amount.
Onion: You can use red onion in this vegetable salad. If you like a more subdued flavor, soak the onion in iced water for 15 minutes before incorporating it into the Fattoush salad.

Expert Tips to Make the Best Lebanese Fattoush Salad

My expert tips for making the best Lebanese Fattoush salad are;

Pick all the fresh and seasonal vegetables as the core of this recipe and the ingredients you are using. You must ensure that all the ingredients you use taste ideal and include herbs.
Avoid using store-bought pita; roast them, fry them at home, and season them properly to make them taste the best.
Sumac is very important in this salad; you can’t forget to add it to the recipe as its flavor is the best, and you can’t find an alternative.
Try to use the best quality olive oil for this purpose. The olive oil must say purely as it is slightly peppery and contains a fruit taste.
The recipe mentioned in this article is the primary and traditional Fattoush recipe. You can change and customize the ingredients in this recipe according to your choice.
You can increase the number of herbs and add garlic if you like its taste. There are many other variations that you can do in this recipe.

How To Make Lebanese Fattoush Salad?

Here is a step-by-step guide for you to make the best Lebanese Fattoush salad;

Step 1: Prepare the Pita Chips

Set the oven to 350°F to prepare the salad. Arrange the pita halves on a sizable baking sheet with their rough side facing up. Now brush 1 tbsp of oil and sprinkle 1 tsp of sumac. Bake the bread until it turns golden and crispy for 15 minutes. Now, cool it and break it into bite-size pieces.

preparing pita bread for the fattoush salad

Step 2: Mix the Salad

Add lemon juice, salt, pepper and 2 tbsp oil, and ¼ tsp of sumac in a large bowl and whisk all the ingredients for 1 to 2 minutes until you see foam. It is time to add the vegetables to this mixture. One by one, mix in the pita pieces, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, mint, and other ingredients.

Ensure you finely chop all the vegetables, as mentioned in the ingredient tips. Now, toss the bowl for thorough mixing and coating. Let the bowl stay for 15 minutes to ensure perfectly coated ingredients.

Step 3: Make the Dressing

Now it’s time to make the dressing; take the lemon juice into a jar, add three tbsp of olive oil, and mix it into the lemon juice. Add two cloves of minced garlic and some salt, and dried mint.

preparing dressing for Lebanese Fattoush Salad

You can also add fresh mint, now add 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses into the jar. If you don’t have pomegranate molasses, use balsamic vinegar. Season the dressing with salt and pepper. After mixing everything, pour it into the prepared salad filled with vegetables. This dressing will enhance the flavor and take it to the next level.

pouring dressing over the Lebanese Fattoush Salad

How To Store Lebanese Fattoush Salad?

If you make Lebanese Fattoush salad with leftovers, put it in salad jars and refrigerators for 4 to 5 days. Please don’t add the pita bread to the same salad container, as it will become soggy in a few hours. You can store the pita bread in a separate airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge before serving.

If you want to keep your Lebanese Fattoush salad in the fridge for a long time, you must put it inside the jar and store it for over a month. You must be very careful when adding it to the fridge and ensure a completely sealed jar. If you have a tossed salad, you can put it in an airtight container, but it will become soggy within 24 hours.

How To Freeze Lebanese Fattoush Salad?

For over a month, you can freeze the pita croutons separately in an airtight container. But you can’t freeze the whole tossed salad in the freezer. If the salad is tossed, it can stay in the fridge for only 24 hours; if not, you can store it inside the fridge for more than a month.

Freezing is not an option for the salad, but you can freeze the pita bread; whenever you make the salad, you can take out the pita bread, reheat it and add it to your salad. This salad is not freezer friendly.

Reheating Instructions

As this salad is incompatible with freezing, reheating is not an option. But you can freeze the pita bread to reheat it again. When you take pita bread out of the freezer, preheat the oven and add to it for 15 minutes; your pita bread will be as good as new. When you take the salad out of the fridge after a few days, you can eat it without heating it as there is no need. Just add some extra virgin olive oil and mix it well before eating.

Alternative Ingredients You May Try for Variation

Lebanese Fattoush salad is a versatile recipe, and you can make it by using different types of ingredients, and some of the alternative ingredients include;

Dried mint
Celery
Green or black olives
Jalapenos
Chicken
Fish
Meat
Salmon
Mayo and cream
Cheese
Kabobs

Alternative Recipes

This all-purpose side salad is a simple and flavorful vegan salad, and it is perfect for your dinner table, picnics, and BBQs. If you want to make it more of a meal, you can pair your salad with the following recipes;

You can also serve this salad as part of a Mediterranean cuisine spread with hummus, stuffed grape leaves, baba ghanoush, etc.

FAQs

Can You Make the Salad Ahead of Time?

You can keep the salad in an airtight container for over four days. Having tossed the salad, you must eat and finish it within 24 hours of making it; otherwise, it will become soggy. You can keep the dressing for more than 1 month in the fridge.

Can You Bake the Bread Instead of Frying It?

Season the pita bread with salt, pepper, and olive oil before baking it for 5 to 10 minutes at 425F. Depending on the pita bread’s thickness, you can alter the temperature.

What To Serve with Fattoush Salad?

This Arabic salad combines various side dishes, including fish, beef, poultry, and vegetables. Try it with grilled chicken kabobs, salmon with lemon and honey, chicken with creamy pesto, and vegan creamy tomato pasta.

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