Exploring the World of Fattoush Mediterranean Salad: On the dinner table of Middle Eastern countries, you’ll frequently find a dish called fattoush salad. A straightforward chopped salad seasoned with an invigorating lime vinaigrette. Croutons are substituted with homemade pita chips.
Follow along with the video and written instructions below to learn how to make fattoush. The quest for pita that has just come out of the oven is very real in the Middle East; however, this does not mean that any leftover pieces are thrown away.
What exactly is the fattoush?
According to legend, the “bread salad” known as fattoush can be traced back to its namesake region in Northern Lebanon. Farmers in Lebanon would add more flavor to their leftover pita scraps by frying them in a little bit of olive oil.
And in order to construct their fattoush, they would simply toss the pita chips into a bowl with whichever in-season vegetables and herbs they happened to have on hand. The people who live in the Middle East put their pita scraps to use in a variety of inventive ways. In point of fact, day-old pita served as the inspiration for an entire category of food that is now known as “Fatta,” or “Fatteh.”
Leftover pita is given a second chance as a main ingredient in dishes that are classified as fatteh, such as the Lebanese Chicken Fatteh or the fattoush salad. Because of this, the list of ingredients for fattoush can be quite variable. In addition, you can expect to come across numerous variations of fattoush wherever you go in the Middle East.
Ingredient
- 2 loaves pita bread
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt
- 2 tsp sumac, divided, more as needed
- 1 heart of Romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1 English cucumber, cut in half, seeds scraped, then chopped or sliced into half moons
- 5 Roma tomatoes, chopped
- 5 green onions (both white and green parts), chopped
- 5 radishes, stems removed, thinly sliced
- 2 cups chopped fresh parsley leaves, stems removed
- 1 cup chopped fresh mint leaves (optional)
Recipe for a Basic Fattoush
Cucumbers, tomatoes, purslane leaves (or lettuce), radishes, and green onions are the typical ingredients found in a standard fattoush salad, which can be ordered at most local restaurants. Parsley, mint, or both can be used as a fresh herb topping. The distinctively complex flavor of fattoush is achieved by combining a straightforward vinaigrette with a generous helping of sumac spice.
Advice for Preparing the Fattoush
- Like any other type of fresh salad, fattoush is only as good as the sum of its individual components. So, just a few pointers are as follows:
- To begin, select the highest-quality produce that you can find, such as ripe tomatoes and herbs that have just been picked.
- Do not use pita chips that have been purchased from a store; while they have their place, that place is not in fattoush salad. Pita bread should be toasted and fried at home, with careful attention paid to the seasoning throughout the process.
- Please make every effort to consume sumac. It is a unique seasoning made from ground sumac berries, and the flavor that it imparts is extremely difficult to imitate.
- Make use of the extra virgin olive oil of the highest quality that you can locate. The flavor, which has notes of pepper and fruit, is critical in this context. It is important to keep in mind that olive oils that simply carry the label “pure” have typically been subjected to heat treatment and refined using mechanical means, and as a result, they lack character and flavor.
- Last but not least, keep in mind that this is a “basic” recipe for fattoush. You can experiment with your own variation by including vegetables that are in season, such as colorful heirloom tomatoes or even green peppers, if you so desire. To taste, add more herbs or garlic that has been crushed. Enhance the flavor of the vinaigrette by adding one teaspoon of pomegranate molasses if you have access to this ingredient. Have fun!