Fattoush Salad with Mint Dressing (Crisp, Refreshing and Satisfying)

• Food: Fattoush Salad
• Writer: Nicolas Wilson
• Content-Type: Food Blog

Have you ever tried fattoush? You’ll never forget it after you’ve done it! Fattoush salad is a vibrant Lebanese salad full of fresh vegetables, lettuce, and mint. It’s light, crisp, and delicious.

If you have any leftover fresh vegetables (radishes, carrots, tomatoes, cucumber, etc.) and pita bread, fattoush is the salad to create. You can’t go wrong with the proportions in this case.

Simply cut the pita into little pieces and bake it with a little olive oil and salt. You’ll have crisp, toasted Mediterranean croutons as a result.

Fattoush is a Lebanese dish that uses up stale pita bread in the same manner as French toast does. Isn’t it clever?

Fattoush Salad at its Finest

Here’s my take on the classic fattoush salad: I used my fresh mint dressing instead of a standard lemon dressing. The dressing is simple to make in the food processor and adds an even more delightful mint flavor to the salad. It’s impossible to resist!

How to Serve Fattoush?

Fattoush salad is a lovely, light dinner that is ideal for hot summer days. Top it with crispy cooked falafel to give it a more complete dinner.

Serve it with a side of Lebanesebean salad, hummus, or baba ganoush, and toasted pita wedges. It also works well as a side salad for grilled meats.

Salad Fattoush Ingredients

Ingredients to include in a fattoush salad:

• Greens that are still fresh (traditionally purslane but I recommend romaine)
• Pita bread, toasted and ripped
• Mint leaves, fresh
• Dressing in lemon
• Sumac powder (optional, see below)

Fattoush salads can be used in a variety of ways. Combine any of the following ingredients:

• Tomato
• Radish
• Green onions or red onions
• Cucumber
• Carrot
• Cabbage
• pepper (bell)
• Yellow squash or zucchini
• Parsley
• olives with pits
• Cooked chickpeas or lentils can be added to your salad for added protein.

What exactly is sumac?

Sumac is a pinkish-red Middle Eastern spice with a tangy, almost lemon-like flavor. It has a burst of fiery pink color and an interesting flavor that I adore.

It’s also in my Mediterranean sweet potato farro salad and my ultra-creamy hummus recipe.

Sumac is a great component to have on hand, and I’m glad I paid $7 on Amazon for it (affiliate link).

If you don’t want to buy sumac, don’t worry; the salad will still be tasty and flavorful without it! So, in the recipe below, I’ve made sumac optional.

Fattoush with Mint Dressing

This classic fattoush salad dish will quickly become one of your favorites. It’s a versatile salad that’s great for using up random leftover raw vegetables (the amounts are flexible, and you can add/substitute any veggies you choose). This recipe makes 4 large salads or 6 to 8 side salads.

INGREDIENTS

Toasted pita


• 2 whole-grain pitas (7” diameter), torn into bite-sized pieces
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Pinch of fine sea salt

Salad

• ½ batch fresh mint dressing (you’ll need ½ cup, but make the full batch because this dressing is great to have
• on hand)
  8 to 10 ounces fresh romaine lettuce, chopped (about 1 medium head of lettuce)
• 1 large tomato, chopped, or 1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes
• 1 cup quartered and thinly sliced Persian or English cucumber
• ½ cup chopped radish (about 3 medium)
• 1 cup chopped red onion (about 1 small onion)
• ½ cup torn fresh mint leaves
• ½ cup crumbled feta (optional)
• Ground sumac, for sprinkling on top

INSTRUCTIONS

1. To toast the pita: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius). Toss the shredded pita with 2 tablespoons olive oil on a large, rimmed baking sheet until lightly coated. Sprinkle with salt and bake, tossing halfway through, until the pieces are very brown and crispy, 8 to 12 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and set it aside to cool.
2. To make the salad: Prepare the salad dressing according to the package directions and put it aside. Combine the chopped lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, radish, mint, optional parsley, feta, and toasted pita in a large serving bowl.
3. Drizzle up to 1/2 cup of dressing over the salad when it’s time to serve. Gently toss all of the ingredients in the dressing until they are lightly covered. Serve immediately with a large amount of sumac on each serving.
4. Because the dressing will wilt the lettuce and soften the pita over time, it’s better to eat this salad right away. If you’re going to have leftovers, keep the salad separate from the dressing and toss the salads individually before serving. The salad can be kept in this state for up to 4 days if covered and refrigerated.

NOTES

• TO MAKE IT GLUTEN-FREE, use gluten-free pita bread instead.
• TO MAKE IT DAIRY-FREE/VEGAN: Remove the feta cheese. When creating the dressing, vegans can substitute maple syrup for honey.
• CHANGE IT UP: To make the salad a complete meal, add cooked, drained chickpeas or lentils.