Fattoush

Fattoush is Lebanon's quintessential summer salad — a riot of colour and texture built around crisped or toasted pita bread shards tossed with fresh vegetables, abundant herbs, and a punchy sumac-pomegranate dressing. Deeply rooted in the Levantine tradition of zero waste, it transforms stale flatbread into the centrepiece of the table.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

Salad

• 2 large pita breads, torn or cut into bite-sized pieces
• 3 tbsp (45ml) olive oil (for toasting the bread)
• 1 tsp sumac
• 300g (10 oz) ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges
• 1 medium cucumber (about 200g / 7 oz), halved and sliced
• 100g (3.5 oz) radishes, thinly sliced
• 4 spring onions (scallions), sliced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• Large bunch flat-leaf parsley (about 40g / 1.5 oz), roughly chopped
• Large bunch fresh mint (about 20g / 0.75 oz), leaves picked
• Small bunch purslane or rocket, optional

Dressing

• 3 tbsp (45ml) extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp (30ml) fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp (15ml) pomegranate molasses
• 1.5 tsp sumac
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 200°C (390°F). Toss pita pieces with olive oil and 1 tsp sumac. Spread on a baking tray and bake 8–10 minutes until golden and crisp. Set aside to cool — they will crisp further.
2. Whisk all dressing ingredients together in a small bowl. Taste and adjust sumac (it should be tangy and bright) and pomegranate molasses for depth.
3. Combine tomatoes, cucumber, radishes, spring onions, green pepper, parsley, and mint in a large bowl. Season lightly with salt.
4. Pour dressing over the vegetables and toss gently. Taste for seasoning.
5. Add the crispy pita shards just before serving and toss once more so they absorb some dressing but retain their crunch.
6. Serve immediately, spread out on a platter for maximum visual impact.

Cook's Notes: Sumac is non-negotiable here — its fruity, tart flavour defines the dish. Pomegranate molasses adds complexity but a little extra lemon juice works if unavailable. In Lebanon, the pita is sometimes deep-fried in olive oil for extra richness. Purslane (bakli) is the traditional green if you can find it.