Fattoush (Lebanese Bread Salad with Sumac)
فتوش (سماق والا لبنانی روٹی کا سلاد)
Fattoush is the salad that makes leftover bread exciting. Crunchy lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes and herbs are tossed with pieces of toasted or fried pita and dressed with lemon, olive oil, pomegranate molasses and plenty of tart, lemony sumac. It's crisp, sour and fresh, and it's on almost every Lebanese and Syrian table during Ramadan. It takes 15 minutes and uses whatever salad vegetables you have.
- ⏱ Total: 25 min
- Prep: 15 min
- Cook: 10 min
- Easy
- Serves 4
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
Toss the pita pieces with 2 tbsp olive oil and bake at 200°C for 8–10 minutes, or fry, until golden and crisp.
Whisk the lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, olive oil, sumac, garlic and salt into a dressing.
Combine the lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, pepper, spring onions and herbs in a large bowl.
Just before serving, toss with the dressing and the crisp bread and sprinkle with extra sumac.
Kitchen notes
Add the bread at the very last moment so it stays crunchy.
Purslane (*baqleh*) is a traditional leaf in fattoush; add it if you can find it.
No pomegranate molasses? Use a little more lemon and a pinch of sugar.
A salad for leftover bread
Fattoush comes from fatteh, meaning crumbs or broken bread. Like many great dishes, it was a way to use up yesterday’s flatbread, toasting it and tossing it into a salad of whatever was growing. Today it’s one of the most famous Lebanese salads, especially loved during Ramadan.
Sour and fresh
The dressing is what makes fattoush special: lemon juice for brightness, pomegranate molasses for a sweet-sour depth, and sumac, a deep red berry spice with a lemony tang. It’s sharper than most salads, which is exactly why it goes so well with rich food.
Use what you have
Lettuce, tomato and cucumber are the base, but radishes, green peppers, spring onions, mint and purslane are all traditional. In South Asia, slicing in some mooli works well.
Serving
Serve with shorbat adas at iftar, with grilled meats, or alongside hummus and fatayer for a mezze spread.
Questions people ask
What is sumac?
A tart, deep red spice made from dried berries, with a lemony flavour. It's sold in Middle Eastern shops and many supermarkets.
Why is fattoush popular in Ramadan?
It's fresh, hydrating and light, a perfect balance to soup and heavier dishes after a long fast.
Can I make it ahead?
Chop the vegetables and make the dressing ahead, but combine everything only when serving.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 230
- Protein
- 5 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Carbs
- 21 g
