Embrace the heart of the Levant with Fattoush, of the genus Fattat – a family of stale bread salads with toasted or fried pieces of khubz ‘arabi ( pita bread) as the base, combined with seasonal vegetables. Like croutons, the crisp pita shards bring bready substance to the fragrant, herbed salad alongside heirloom tomatoes, cucumber and pungent onions, all laced with an edgy dressing of purple-red sumac, lemon juice and dried mint. If you’re thinking sour, sour, sour, relax…..all that zing zang of the citrus and sumac are tempered by sweet pomegranate molasses. I upped the amount of pom molasses…I’m sweet like that.
What I ♥: the dressing lightly pickles the onions, sweetening and softening them a tad yet keeping their allium flavours intact. The pita crisps react by shedding some stiffness, softening too but still with character. Don’t skip the ‘dress, rest & bloom’ – you will be rewarded. Feeling fancy, like I was? Crumble feta cheese over the top, add more kelly-green chopped coriander leaves and delicately place some black olive rings over the top. Just joking about being gentle with the olives, I didn’t have any to hand but I plan on next time.
Make it. Today. Before the summer runs away. Whatever you do, make it. And enjoy one or many firsts like using the raved about heirloom tomatoes in a recipe, like making fattoush. Sorry, said that already. Like finally opening up the jar of sumac that I’ve had for months……..and never used!
Time saving tips Make the pita crisps up to a week ahead and store in an airtight container. My KIDS ♥ them – they have them instead of potato crisps Double the dressing and make it ahead of time – it will keep for up to a week
Fattoush
I ‘tested’ this recipe by Rivka of Not Derby Pie on food52 and loved it. My additions are in green. Serves 6 as a first course, or 3 as a main, rather generously I might add
Ingredients
3 big heirloom tomatoes of different varieties, rinsed and dried1 pint 8 – 12 cherry tomatoes
3-4 middle eastern cucumbers, halved lengthwise and sliced into chunks
3 spring onions, bulb end removed, sliced
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced (optional)
4 2 pieces good quality round pita bread {it all depends on how your pita bread is}
1/4 cup mint, roughly chopped
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped 1/4 cup coriander leaves, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sumac
Salt and pepper Crumbled feta to garnish
For the dressing
Juice of 1/2 lemon 3 tablespoons pomegranate syrup {I added additional honey to sweeten} 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/2 teaspoon crushed dried mint 1/2 teaspoon sumac Salt and pepperHow to
Preheat the oven to 180 deg C. Cut open the pita bread rounds and place them in a single layer on one or two baking sheets, which I place in the middle and on the rung up from the middle, invariably, the tray on top gets browner a lot faster than the middle….Miss Adventure loves the ‘burnt’ bits so that’s her tray and we others take the second one.
When I bake the pitas ahead, I plain bake them. You could also drizzle them with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, and a sprinkling of salt, pepper and sumac as Rivka suggests for tasty chips. Depending on how fast your oven goes, bake them for 10 – 15 minutes, until crisp ensuring you check often – its not far from crunchy to useless.
Break the pitas into uneven bite-sized pieces then set aside.
Set aside a bowl for making the dressing: when you slice the tomatoes, the juices will run – collect them in the dressing bowl. Rinse and dry large heirloom tomatoes delicately. Halve tomatoes, then slice each into 2-bite wedges, taking care to reserve the collected juice and transfer it into the dressing bowl. Halve cherry tomatoes. Transfer all tomatoes to large, shallow bowl or rimmed serving platter. Add cucumbers, red onions if using, spring onions, chopped mint, parsley and coriander to the salad bowl, and carefully incorporate without smushing tomatoes. (According to Rivka, that’s a technical term.)
Make dressing: combine all ingredients except oil, and whisk to combine. Add oil in slow stream, whisking as you pour to emulsify dressing.
Drizzle dressing over salad, and let sit for 20-30 minutes before serving, tossing every 10 minutes or so to meld flavors.
Have a great weekend and stay blessed. Thank you Rivka for getting me to take the plunge!
Do you like Fattoush? Any secret ingredients to throw in the mix :-)?
[wpurp-searchable-recipe]Heirloom Tomatoes Fattoush – – – [/wpurp-searchable-recipe]
Thanks tasteofbeirut, I’ll have to try the fried chips but my waistline…oh. Will give it a go.
Love your post on fattoush and these delightful photos! I can only admit to one thing: I prefer my pita croutons fried! yes, fried! and plenty of sumac and no molasses.
I have not had it wither in suc a long time…as they say out of sight out of mind. I never get tired of telling your how amazin your fotos are and delish recipes.
OysterCulture, thanks.
Margot, take it easy and take good care, ok. Thanks for thinking of me and wanting to feature me on your blog – I appreciate it. Please go ahead. LOL
Thanks norma
Beautiful recipe Oz, I would love to feature it as recipe of the week on my blog if you don’t mind (just a thumbnail and link to original post).
I will try it very soon… if I get a chance before baby will arrive… only few more days left 🙂
I love the flavors of fattoush, just perfect with the tomatoes, onions, etc. What a treat, and thank you for reminding me it is absolutely a wonderful think to prepare.
wow this looks super tasty love the pic of all the ingredients lined up, hope your well LOL Rebecca
Thanks Kerstin
Celia – always glad to help (thanks for the butterfly cupcakes tips!)
Thanks Anna, Conor, Alta, Cherine
Hi Rebecca, all is well but INCREDIBLY busy. Unbelievable. LOL
My favorite salad… looks so colorful and pretty!
This looks so delicious and pretty.
Just perfect! How can you go wrong with this combination of textures, let alone with the flavours to match?!
I haven’t had fattoush for such a long, long time. Beautiful pictures, it looks stunning.
Oh you are so good to me – I was just asking around for a fattoush recipe last week! Thanks my friend.. 🙂
Mmm, this looks completely addicting!
That looks like a fantastic lunch and what a great suggestion to do the pitta chips in advance. Genius.
Thanks sweetlife, mademoiselle d, Penny, Mimi
Yes Sarah, it pays to make the chips ahead – ever ready snack, for me and the kids…and for fattoush
This looks pretty tatsy to me.
Mimi
That looks gorgeous! Love this dish
Love fattoush. Or any type of salad with bits of bread in it for that matter!
beautiful fattoush, I have tried it nce but never have made it, it looks heavenly and great textures with the pita, amazing pics..
sweetlife
have a great weekend
Oh this looks like an absolutely exciting salad. I like the idea of adding texture with the crisped pita chips. I’ve never tried sumac, and have always wondered what it tasted like. I like the addition of all of the herbs and spices you combined in this salad.
Thanks Lyndsey, Monet, Christine.
Sumac is tart/sour with its own peculiar somewhat lemony flavor. I love the colour
What a wonderful recipe. I tried fattoush when I visited Jordan last year, and I loved it. Thank you so much for sharing such a light and delicious recipe. This will be happening in my house this week.
I’ve never had it before, but it looks really good. I just can’t get good tomatoes around here in Florida like my mom can grow up in Michigan. I’ve made pita chips though. Love your photos as always! Have a fantastic weekend Oz!
Looks wonderful. I love fattoush though I haven’t had it in a while. The only thing I would add (and I don’t know if it is traditional or just my preference) is feta.
I love feta in it too…salty cheesy crumbs, delsih