Presenting weekday friendly fat salad! That’s how EASY, 1 bowl, 20 minutes This version is our inspired take on the classic Levantine dish. Think crisp, fresh greens tossed in a bright pomegranate dressing with mint leaves, crunchy pita chips, and pomegranate arils (important Mmmm)!
It’s a refreshing side dish to accompany other Mediterranean and Middle Eastern-inspired recipes, or add some chickpeas to make it a light meal on its own. Let us show you how it’s done!
What is fattoush?
Fattoush is a salad from the Levant region, which includes several countries in the eastern Mediterranean. This salad commonly includes fresh vegetables and herbs, toasted or fried flatbread, and a bright spice called sumac. Pomegranate molasses is another common ingredient that adds even more shine.
Next up is our easy, inspired version with bright flavors and similar crunchy textures, plus an option to make it gluten-free!
How to make Fattoush salad
This salad starts with a base of chopped fresh romaine lettuce for its crunchy texture and neutral flavor.
Then we add a variety of fresh and crisp vegetables such as cucumber, tomato and radish. Using tasty seasonal vegetables (especially homegrown!) really makes this salad shine, but you can’t go wrong thanks to the tasty dressing!
He simple dressing without mixes It is combined by mixing the lettuce and vegetables with lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, sumac, salt and pepper. It gives this salad the classic bright, bold, and pleasantly tart flavor of fattoush. The optional maple syrup and olive oil can provide additional balance and be welcome additions depending on the sweetness of the pomegranate molasses.
Then move on to the finishing touches: fresh mint leaves, pita chipsand pomegranate arils. We love keeping the mint leaves whole for a beautiful presentation and hints of herbal flavor. And while we prefer store-bought pita chips for convenience, we’ve included notes for homemade products, which is helpful if you have day-old flatbread or pita bread to use.
We hope you LOVE this fattoush salad! Is:
Crunchy
Bright
Crunchy
Refreshing
bittersweet
Quick and easy
And SO delicious!
When combined with chickpeas, it’s the perfect light meal for hot summer days! It’s also a great accompaniment to Mediterranean and Middle Eastern-inspired main dishes, including our Vegan Fesenjān Lentil Hummus Wraps and Kale Falafel.
Easier and more refreshing salads
If you try this recipe, tell us! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Portions 4 (side dishes // or half for starter portions)
SALAD
- 3 mugs chopped romaine lettuce (or other crisp, neutral-flavored vegetables // 1/2 head lettuce makes ~3 cups or 130 g)
- 2 mugs fresh, crispy chopped vegetables of your choice (we like 1 cup or 150 g cucumber*, 3/4 cup or 150 g chopped tomatoes, and 1/4 cup or 40 g radish)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses (or balsamic vinegar, although not traditional)
- 3/4 teaspoonful ground sumac
- 1 healthy pinch each sea salt and black pepper (and more to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoonful maple syrup (optional // and more to taste, depending on the sweetness of the pomegranate molasses)
- Extra virgin olive oil (optional // ensure high quality and avoid adding too much)
TO SERVE
- 1/3 loose cup fresh mint leaves, removed from stems and left whole (~1 small bunch of mint)
- 1 ½ mugs pita chips, lightly crushed (gluten free as needed // we use Simple Mills Plant Flour Pita Crackers // see homemade notes*)
- 1/4 cup pomegranate arils (find our favorite way to cut a pomegranate here // or slice strawberries when in season, although it’s not traditional)
- 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (optional // include if it serves as a main dish)
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PITA CHIPS: See notes for instructions on how to make homemade pita chips. We like to use store-bought pita chips for added ease!
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SALAD: In a large bowl or serving platter, add lettuce, chopped greens, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, sumac, salt and pepper. Toss to coat the vegetables with the dressing. Taste and adjust as needed, adding maple syrup for sweetness (we used sweetened pomegranate molasses, so we didn’t find it necessary), more lemon juice for brightness, more pomegranate molasses for a rich, tart flavor, or a splash of olive oil for richness (be sure to use high-quality olive oil and avoid adding too much; we found that standard supermarket olive oil adds too much bitterness).
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TO SERVE: When ready to serve, garnish with fresh mint leaves, pita chips, pomegranate arils, and chickpeas (optional). Serve immediately to prevent the pita chips from becoming soggy.
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Better when it’s fresh. Leftovers will keep stored separately for up to 2 or 3 days. Not suitable for freezer.
*Preparation time does not include preparation of pita chips.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate for 4 sides calculated with Simple Mills Pita Crackers and no optional ingredients.
*HOMEMADE PITA CHIPS:
1 ½ cups pita bread (gluten-free as needed // we use BFree stone-baked pita breads)
1 ½ tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (optional)
1/2 teaspoon ground sumac (optional)
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cut the pita bread into small triangles (~1/2 inch x 1/2 inch x 1 inch) and separate the pita layers to make sure all the chips form a single layer.
Place the pita triangles on the parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Drizzle evenly with olive oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle with oregano, sumac, and sea salt and toss to coat evenly.
Arrange the pita triangles in a single layer and bake for 8 to 12 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned and beginning to crisp. Watch closely after 8 minutes because they go from crispy to burnt quickly. The pita may take longer to cook depending on its freshness and thickness.
Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan to make it even crispier before adding to the salad.
Service: 1 lateral portion Calories: 127 Carbohydrates: 21.6 gram Protein: 2.8 gram Fat: 4.1 gram Saturated fats: 0.4 gram Polyunsaturated fats: 0.18 gram Monounsaturated fats: 0.07 gram Trans fats: 0 gram Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 138 mg Potassium: 446 mg Fiber: 4 gram Sugar: 7.5 gram Vitamin A: 562 UI Vitamin C: 14 mg Calcium: 63 mg Iron: 1.8 mg
