Middle Eastern Salad Recipe (Traditional Fattoush)

Fattoush is a fresh and vibrant Middle Eastern salad made with crisp vegetables, fresh herbs, toasted pita bread, and a zesty lemon-sumac dressing. Popular across Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine, this salad is refreshing, tangy, and the perfect side dish for grilled meats, rice, or mezze spreads.

Ingredients

• 2 pita breads, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 medium cucumbers, diced
• 3 tomatoes, diced
• 1 small head of romaine lettuce, chopped
• 4 radishes, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tsp ground sumac
• 1 tsp pomegranate molasses (optional but authentic)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Toast or pan-fry the pita bread until golden and crispy. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, radishes, parsley, and mint.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, sumac, pomegranate molasses, garlic, salt, and pepper.
4. Toss the vegetables with the dressing until well coated.
5. Just before serving, add the crispy pita pieces on top to keep them crunchy.
6. Garnish with extra sumac and fresh mint.