Fattoush (Lebanese Toasted Pita Salad)

Fattoush turns leftover pita into crisp croutons tossed with crunchy vegetables and a tangy sumac dressing. It is a Levantine classic and a refreshing counterpart to richer mezze dishes.

Ingredients

For the salad

• 2 pita breads, toasted or fried until crisp, broken into pieces
• 4 Persian cucumbers, diced
• 4 Roma tomatoes, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 5 radishes, thinly sliced
• 4 green onions, sliced
• 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
• 2 cups chopped romaine lettuce

For the dressing

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp sumac, plus more for garnish
• Salt, to taste

Instructions

1. Toast the pita
   Bake or pan-fry the pita pieces until golden and crisp. Set aside.
2. Chop the vegetables
   Combine the cucumbers, tomatoes, pepper, radishes, green onions, parsley, mint, and romaine in a large bowl.
3. Whisk the dressing
   Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, garlic, sumac, and salt.
4. Toss the salad
   Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss well.
5. Add the pita and serve
   Fold in the toasted pita just before serving and sprinkle with extra sumac.

Add the pita right before serving so it stays crisp.