The first time I had this salad, before I began making it for myself was in a small Lebanese restaurant in the Philippines. It was one of my first weeks in the country and although familiar food was tough to find, I knew what hummus and salad were. But this salad contained an unfamiliar ingredient; sumac and it included the bright flavor of mint. Don’t let sumac scare you. This isn’t the poison sumac that used to scare you in the summer when you were out playing in the woods. The sumac berry, when dried and ground adds a tart, lemony flavor to this salad and it’s dark red color adds interest to fattoush, hummus and even grilled meats and fish.
Just like Italy brings us a bread salad called Panzanella, Fattoush is a bread salad as well, usually with toasted or fried pita pieces being the star ingredient. I’ve adapted this salad to focus on the vegetables with pita as the surprise crunch in most bites and have added a few olives for texture and that briny flavor.
I keep a jar of Za’atar* in my pantry and it’s the perfect spice blend for this salad as well as many other dishes I like to cook. Za’atar* is a spice blend that you can make and keep with your spices, but if you’d rather not, you can find it in specialty or international markets in your area or online.
Fattoush is easy to put together and on warm summer nights it’s the perfect side dish to serve with your favorite grilled food. Serve it with a side of hummus and pita chips and you’ve got a summer dinner that’s tough to beat.
Change it up by adding some good quality, brine packed feta cheese and this salad can become a satisfying lunch-time meal. Just be sure to add points for the cheese. Just 1 point for each 1/4 cup of feta.
I’ve added olives for the texture and salty flavor. Olives or no olives, it’s a salad with many textures and flavors that’s not to be missed. I made this salad last year for an end of summer dinner I invited friends over to share with me and ever since, it’s been the dish I’m most often asked to make when I’m invited for dinner. Maybe that’s because when I cook at their house I ALWAYS — and I mean EVERY SINGLE TIME — screw up the rice? 
| Fattoush; a Lebanese Salad |
- 1 large bunch flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- 4 sprigs fresh Mint, finely chopped — the amount is based on your preference for mint, but the salad should not be without this important flavor
- 2 English Cucumber, sliced in rounds or cut into quarter slices
- 1 medium Onion, very thinly sliced
- 2 pints Cherry Tomatoes, halved
- 1 Yellow or Red Pepper, thinly sliced (optional)
- 20 Black Olives, cut in half, lengthwise
- 3 Toasted Pita rounds, cut into pieces or 4 cups of Stacy’s Simply Naked Pita Chips
- 2 teaspoons Salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly cracked Pepper
- 2 teaspoons dried Oregano
- 1 teaspoons dried Basil
- 1 tablespoons ground dried Thyme
- 1 teaspoons dried Savory
- 1 teaspoons dried Marjoram
- 1-1/2 tablespoons ground Sumac
- 2 Tablespoons cup ground toasted Sesame Seeds (not the black ones)
- 2 tablespoons Za’atar* — See links above in body of post for detail
- 3/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/4 tablespoons Vinegar or Lemon Juice
- In a serving bowl combine the parsley, mint, cucumbers, onions, tomatoes and red pepper and toss.
- Meanwhile, combine the spices in a bowl
- Sprinkle the spice mix (or Za’atar* — See links above in body of the post for detail) over the salad and toss to thoroughly combine
- Pour the vinegar or lemon juice into a separate bowl, slowly pour in olive oil, whisking briskly to combine
- Pour over the salad, toss and let sit for 10 minutes before serving
- Crunch up toasted pita or pita chips, add to the salad, toss and serve
Be judicious when dressing the salad. This is probably too much dressing for the quantity of salad you are preparing, but it will keep for a long time in an air tight container.
The Weight Watchers Points Plus value for this salad is 3.
this looks great and I love the addition of all the herbs. great photos, Fran!
Thanks, Susan! This is an all-time favorite. It has a story behind it which I’ll have to put up over at Frantasticfood. Trying to keep the long, rambling stories at bay over here. 😉