Fattoush Salad
After a delicious salad with a twist? Try out Lebanese Fattoush Salad, a tangy crispy salad topped with yummy pieces of fried flatbread
Ingredients
- 1 large Lebanese pita bread (roughly torn) (NOTE 1)
- vegetable or canola oil to fry
For the salad
- 1 small cos / Romaine lettuce (roughly chopped)
- 2 medium tomatoes (roughly diced)
- 6 Qukes baby cucumbers (or 2 Lebanese/Persian cucumbers, roughly diced) (NOTE 2)
- ½ medium red capsicum (red bell pepper, roughly diced)
- 6 radish (thinly sliced)
- ½ small red onion (roughly diced)
- ⅓ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
For the dressing
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 garlic cloves (minced)
- 1 tsp ground sumac (NOTE 3)
- ¼ tsp ground allspice (NOTE 4)
- 2 tsp pomegranate molasses (NOTE 5)
- ¾ tsp salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- For the dressing - Place all the dressing ingredients in a bowl and whisk together until combined. Have a taste and adjust to your liking by adding more salt and pepper if needed. If the dressing is too sour for your liking, add 1/2 to 1 tsp of sugar (or honey) and whisk until dissolved. Leave the dressing to sit at room temperature to develop flavours whilst preparing the other ingredients.
- Fry the flatbread - Pour a generous amount of oil (2.5 cm or 1 inch) into a small heavy-based saucepan. Heat the oil over medium-high heat. Roughly tear the flatbread into pieces or cut them into squares. Test the oil by placing a piece of bread into the oil. If it sizzles and bubbles around the bread, then it's ready. Working a small batch at a time, fry the bread for 20 seconds or until crisp. Use tongs to a small metal strainer to turn the bread so it colours evenly when frying. Drain the oil from the bread, and transfer them onto a plate lined with a paper towel.
- For the salad - Place all the salad ingredients into a large bowl and use two large spoons to toss the salad to combine. Whisk the dressing again quickly, then pour over the salad, then toss again to coat the vegetables. Top the salad with some fried flatbread, and serve the remaining in a small bowl next to the salad.
Notes
(NOTE 1) Lebanese pita (flatbread) - These are large round flatbreads used to make Lebanese or Turkish kebabs. They're very thin, almost paper-like and hollow inside. Supermarkets usually stock Lebanese pita next to packaged bread, and they're relatively cheap.
(NOTE 2) Lebanese cucumbers - I used baby cucumbers (Qukes) that are mild in flavour and very crisp, but these may be difficult to find. The best substitute for Qukes would be Lebanese/ Persian cucumbers.
(NOTE 3) Ground sumac is a popular seasoning used in the Middle East. It has a brick-red colour with a tangy citrus taste. Supermarkets stock sumac in their spice racks. If you can't find sumac, just omit it.
(NOTE 4) Allspice (Jamaica pepper, myrtle pepper, or pimento) is named 'all spice' because they likened its flavour to a combination of spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Supermarkets stock allspice in racks along with other herbs and spices.
(NOTE 5) Pomegranate molasses is sweet and tangy, with a slight caramel flavour. Supermarkets stock bottles of pomegranate molasses in the international section. If you don't want to buy a bottle, just swap for equal amounts with honey, maple syrup or balsamic glaze or reduction.
I've used a third-party application to calculate the calories and nutritional information, so please use this as an approximate guide only.
Cooking measurements are in Australian standard spoon and cup measurements. For specific details and conversions, visit our Australian Cooking Measurements page.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 ServingCalories: 194kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 2gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.03gSodium: 335mgPotassium: 276mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1400IUVitamin C: 29mgCalcium: 33mgIron: 1mg