Salad: Fattoush

I once fell in love with fattoush salad from a gas station.

Mr. Kabob, is located near my old hospital job and is in an actual Sunoco gas station. I know what you’re thinking, but the food is memorable and if you live in the Royal Oak/Berkley and/or surrounding area- you know this place. It’s simply 45 minutes away from where I live now and well, that’s a long way for carry-out. But then there’s also La Marsa; which is 25 minutes away, equally flavor-packed, not in a gas station and where we tend go on most occasions. Typically we order shawarma wraps and either a regular salad or the fattoush. If I’m being honest, the fried pita pieces are extremely hard to pass up on, so 99.9% of the time it’s fattoush for us.

On days that I have zero desire to drive all that way, only to calm my fattoush craving, I make my own. In my version, you’ll find the old-style (and quite possibly non-old-style) fixings you’d typically get in a genuinely good fattoush salad. Things like crisp lettuce, tomato, red onion, radish, cucumber and lots of fresh herbs. And the dressing.

The lemon sumac dressing is what I quite possibly love most about a fattoush salad.

For this Fattoush Salad Set out:

for the fattoush:

• lettuce – I like using both romaine and red leaf lettuce.
• fresh herbs – I like parsley, dill and mint.
• tomatoes – Use what you like; cherry, campari, heirloom.
• red onion
• radish
• cucumber
• green onion
• pita – Kitchen-made or store-bought.
• avocado oil spray

for the lemon sumac dressing:

• sumac (ground)
• kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• lemon juice
• olive oil

Toast The Pita Chips:

Preheat your oven to 400°F or 200°C.

Cut 6 to 8 ounces of pita into pieces and spray or toss with a little oil. Bake on the middle rack for 8 minutes or until crispy and golden brown. Remove and let cool.

Make The Dressing:

Next, in a jar measure and add 1 tablespoon sumac, 1 grated clove of garlic, 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice and 1/2 cup good quality olive oil. Season with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.

Secure a lid and shake well to combine. Set out to shake or stir as the oil and lemon juice will separate.

Build The Salad:

In a large bowl, add in (washed and spun dry) 1 head romaine and 1 head red leaf lettuce, a hand full each of chopped dill, parsley and mint, 1 bunch radish -thinly sliced, 3 sliced small Persian cucumbers, 1-1/2 to 2 cups cherry tomato halves, 1 small thinly sliced red onion and 4 sliced green onions.

Toss to combine.

Then crumble in the crispy pita pieces drizzle with about 1/2 the dressing to start (you can always add more later if needed).

Next toss the salad one last time until all the dressing coats everything nicely.

Pile high into a serving bowl and use salad tongs to serve the fattoush into bowl or on dinner plates.

Fattoush, fattoosh or fattush. No matter which way you spell it, there’s only so many good things going on in this one salad. I’m not sure what A regular here dependable, the dressing, the crisp-yet-starting-to-absorb-the-dressing pita pieces, the herbs. This salad is addictive and will not disappoint.

Additional (Yet Not Old-style) Fattoush Add-ins:

• chicken: Add sliced za’atar grilled chicken thighs or grilled or air-fried chicken shawarma.
• cheese: Not long-used but crumbled feta is memorable in this salad.
• olives: pitted kalamata olives add a flavor-packed briny flavor.
• toum: (aka Lebanese garlic sauce) adds a punch of garlicky goodness.
• hummus: Hummus lends creaminess and earthy flavor.

Enjoy! And if you give this Fattoush Salad recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!