Fattoush Salad

An authentic Lebanese Fattoush salad made with day-old pita bread “croutons,” lettuce, and mixed vegetables, in a bright and tangy-sour dressing. This healthy Lebanese salad is quick, nutritious, and super flavorful!

If you’ve never tried a delicious Lebanese Fattoush salad, you’re in for a treat. This simple bread salad is like the Middle Eastern answer to Panzanella, crossed with a simple garden salad, all wrapped up in a clever solution for breathing new life into stale pita bread (along with fatteh, of course). The result is a fun, fresh, healthy, and delicious spring/summer salad you can enjoy as a side or main!

If there’s one salad in particular that I return to time and time again, it’s this Fattoush recipe. Well, this and tabbouleh, of course. What’s not to love with a combination of crunchy pita croutons, flavorful fresh herbs like mint, crisp fresh veggies, and a tangy but delicious pomegranate-sumac dressing?

This pita salad takes just minutes to prepare, and you can enjoy it immediately or meal prep it for the whole week! And with how versatile the recipe is, you can enjoy it year-round as a “clear out the fridge” option. In fact, this is perfect for serving at potlucks, picnics, BBQs, and more. It is also served every day as a main salad recipe during Ramadan (the holy month).

Jump to:

• What is Fattoush?
• What are the Main Ingredients?
• How to Make Fattoush?
• What to Serve with Fattoush Salad?
• FAQs
• Recipe Tips and Notes
• More Healthy Salads
• Traditional Lebanese Fattoush Salad

What is Fattoush?

Fattoush (also referred to as Fattouche; deriving from “fatteh,” which means crumbs) is a popular Levantine salad made with leftover flatbread. It consists of a mixed greens base combined with veggies like tomatoes, cucumber, and radishes, mixed with fresh herbs, fried leftover pita bread/Khubz, and a tangy, sour olive-oil sumac dressing.

My favorite version is the one I grew up with in Lebanon – Fattoush with pomegranate molasses for an extra tangy, sweet-sour flavor in the dressing. I’ve also lightened it up slightly with methods for broiled, baked, and air-fried pita chips rather than frying them.

It was designed to make use of stale flatbread (similar to fatteh which combines pita with chickpeas and yogurt) and is like the Lebanese equivalent of a garden salad. What does that mean? It’s a staple you’ll find everywhere.

Best of all, this recipe takes just 10 minutes to pull together and a handful of fresh ingredients and pantry staples. This makes it one of my favorite salads alongside this Middle Eastern chickpea salad (balela), Mediterranean/Greek chopped salad, Shirazi salad (with cucumber, onion, and tomato), and roasted pepper salad, among many others.

What are the Main Ingredients?

To make a Lebanese Fattoush salad, you need at least these 5 main ingredients: lettuce, cucumber, tomato, parsley, pita chips, along with the dressing. But I like adding a few extras.

The Chopped Salad

• Lettuce: I recommend using romaine lettuce, though iceberg or other salad greens will also work.
• Tomatoes: Use fleshy ripe tomatoes rather than overly seedy ones (which can make the dish soggy quicker). Use large or grape/cherry tomatoes.  

If your tomatoes are fairly seedy and you plan to meal prep or store this lettuce salad, I recommend scooping out some seeds.

• Cucumber: Use a low-seed variety like English or Persian cucumber. If you only have a thick-skinned cucumber, peel it.
• Herbs: Parsley and fresh mint leaves are welcome additions to many Middle Eastern and Lebanese salad recipes, and for good reason. The combination is absolutely packed with aromatic flavor and freshness. However, omit the mint if preferred.
• Pita bread: Use regular or whole wheat Lebanese pita bread. Lebanese pita differs from thick pita pockets. It is very thin and more like a tortilla in shape.
  You can find it in Mediterranean stores and bakeries. You may also be able to purchase them from a Lebanese takeout place. Grocery store pita pockets will work in a pinch.
• Bell Pepper: (optional) I love the added freshness and crunch of a red, orange, or yellow bell pepper. I find green peppers a little bitter for this.
• Onion: Red onion works best in this veggie salad. If you prefer a mellow flavor, soak the chopped onion in ice water (or lemon juice) for 10-15 minutes before adding it to the Fattoush recipe.
• Radish: I like to use small pink radishes, which are mildly peppery and crunchy.

Fattoush Salad Dressing

This Fattoush dressing is similar to a Mediterranean salad dressing (with lemon, olive oil, and garlic) but with an added Middle Eastern salad twist.

• Olive oil: Use extra virgin olive oil for the best flavor and health benefits.
• Lemon juice: Fresh lemon juice is best.
• Pomegranate molasses: I use homemade pomegranate molasses that is only lightly sweetened. The sugar content will vary between brands vs. homemade.
• Seasoning: You’ll need a combination of ground sumac, salt, and garlic.
• Garlic: Use fresh garlic, finely minced, or garlic powder in a pinch. Adjust the amount to taste.

What is sumac? Sumac is a pink-red spice with a tart, almost lemony flavor, though not as bitter. The flavor is fairly unique. Luckily, this ingredient is widely available in grocery stores and Mediterranean stores.

How to Make Fattoush?

First, rinse and chop all the salad ingredients. I cut strips of lettuce, finely chop the onion, dice the tomato (you can halve or quarter them if using cherry tomatoes), cucumber, and bell pepper, and slice the radish. You can keep the herbs whole or ribbon them if preferred. Transfer them to a large bowl.

You can chop the pink radishes, thinly slice them, or leave them whole. If you are meal prepping or plan on leftovers, I recommend leaving them whole. They can taste a bit “off” a day or two after slicing them).

Then, prepare the dressing by adding all the ingredients to a small food processor or small bowl and whisk/mix well well to emulsify. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Next, prepare the toasted pita bread. Add it to a large baking tray and brush/spray with a thin layer of oil (for extra crispiness, omit if preferred). Broil in the oven in a single layer for 2-3 minutes, or until browned and crispy.

You can also use an air fryer or bake the homemade pita chips in under 10 minutes. Prepare the pita chips in the shape of your choice (strips, squares, or even triangles). You could also cook the entire thing and break It up by hand for uneven pieces.

Keep an eye on it, as it can burn quickly when not watched. To add more flavor, you can brush it with a sumac-olive oil combination or even some of the salad dressing instead.

Then, combine the Fattoush salad and dressing and toss well. Add the crispy pita chips just before serving.

To Create a Salad Jar Version

If I’m planning to meal prep the Fattoush recipe, then making jar salads is the way to go. By carefully layering the ingredients, you can keep the salad fresh for up to 5 days. However, if you just toss everything together and hope for the best, you’ll be highly disappointed with limp and soggy salad within a couple of days.

How to layer the salad:

1. The Fattoush salad dressing will go in first, THEN
2. Chopped cucumber and tomato
3. The red onion and radish (whole for the latter is best)
4. The lettuce

Add the herbs just before serving, along with the baked pita (keep it stored in a separate airtight container in the fridge). Keep some space at the top of the jar to leave space to shake it when needed.

When you’re ready to enjoy the salad, simply shake up the jar to toss the salad, and enjoy!

What to Serve with Fattoush Salad?

This simple and flavorful vegan salad is a great all-purpose side salad for your dinner table as well as at potlucks, picnics, and BBQs.

To make it into more of a meal, you can pair it with:

• Chicken shish tawook
• Lamb kofta
• Falafel (baked falafel, fried rainbow falafel, a falafel burger, or falafel wrap)
• BBQ fare (like skewers, kabobs, and grilled proteins)
• Baked potato or sweet potato
• Pizza (like this Neapolitan pizza, butternut squash pesto pizza, or zucchini pizza bites)

I also enjoy serving this simple green salad as part of a Middle Eastern/Mediterranean cuisine spread alongside all my favorite mezze. For example, hummus, stuffed grape leaves (dolmas), baba ghanoush, etc.

FAQs

Recipe Tips and Notes

• Adjust the texture: Some would argue that all the vegetables should be finely chopped into bite-sized pieces, so you can get a bit of everything in each bite. However, you can make this as fine or chunky as you’d prefer.
• Allow it to “marinate”: Once you’ve tossed the dressing in with the vegetables (minus the pita chips), allow 30-60 minutes to rest. The flavors will meld and marinate, and the dish becomes better overall.
• When to add the pita: The pita chips act as “croutons” in this salad and should only be added when serving. Otherwise, they’ll become mushy/soft.
• Use the best ingredients: When possible, use all fresh, ripe, in-season veggies. For example, during winter, cherry/grape tomatoes often have the best flavor.

More Healthy Salads

• Easy Chopped Greek Salad
• Healthy Rainbow Chopped Veggie Salad
• Simple Healthy Carrot Raisin Salad
• Easy Beet and Carrot Salad
• Simple Arugula Pomegranate Salad with Parmesan
• Lebanese Tabouli Recipe

If you try this Lebanese Fattoush salad recipe, I’d love to hear your thoughts and questions below. Also, I’d appreciate a recipe card rating below, and tag me in your recipe recreations on Instagram @Alphafoodie!