Fattoush is a classic Lebanese salad made with homemade pita chips, fresh mint, parsley, radishes, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, sumac, and pomegranate seeds topped with a tangy dressing made with lemon, olive oil, and pomegranate molasses.

fatoosh salad with pomegranate in a bowl

Fattoush is derived from the Arabic word fatteh meaning toasted and crumbled bread. The secret to this recipe is actually not toasting the pita, but frying it. You'll thank me later.

The Best Fattoush Salad

The best fattoush recipe has fresh veggies, a tangy-sweet salad dressing, and homemade crunchy fried pita chips (with za'atar!). This fattoush recipe combines all of the secrets handed to me by family and friends including two decades of tweaking. If you’ve never cooked with sumac, za'atar, pita bread, or pomegranate molasses, you should try this flavor bomb salad recipe!

Ingredient Notes

Persian cucumbers or English cucumbers: Use either a Persian or English cucumber because the outer skin is not tough (don't peel the skin).
Radishes, lettuce, and bell peppers: I add radishes to this salad because they are crunchy and add some brightness to the salad. My preference is romaine lettuce and any kind of bell pepper.
Pomegranate seeds (if you have some): Pomegranate seeds are not required, but they are great to add if you have some on hand. Here's how to peel pomegranates without making a big mess.
Fresh mint and Italian parsley: Use fresh mint and fresh parsley. There are two types of parsley: curly and Italian parsley. I prefer using Italian parsley for all of my Lebanese dishes (like tabbouleh with quinoa), however, sometimes curly parsley is the only option at the supermarket. Italian parsley closely resembles cilantro, and how you tell the difference is by the smell.
Fried pita chips with za'atar (or baked): I make fresh pita chips from scratch (using Lebanese pita bread). I personally like to top my pita chips with a little za'atar and sea salt.
Pomegranate molasses (also known as dibz roman): It's sweet, tangy, and really makes this fattoush salad dressing amazing when mixed with lemon, sumac, and some good olive oil.
Sumac spice and za'atar spice are dry ingredients.

How To Make Fattoush Salad

Chop all of the salad ingredients into bite-sized pieces size and add them to a large bowl. Add the ground sumac spice and salt to taste. Keep the romaine lettuce separated. Add the romaine lettuce at the end with the pita chips.

Add the fattoush dressing. Pour the pomegranate syrup, lemon juice, and olive oil into the chopped salad. Mix and coat evenly.

Make the pita chips. Separate the pita bread.

Cut or tear the pita bread into chip-sized pieces.

Fry pita bread pieces in oil on medium high heat until they turn golden brown.

Place the pita chips on a paper towel lined plate. Add a pinch of salt and za'atar spice on top.

Mix the chopped lettuce, chopped salad, and pita chips together immediately prior to serving.

Tips and Tricks

Make your own pita chips from leftover pita bread. Fried pita bread is quick to make, and you can store the extra pita chips in an airtight container. Other great ways to eat pita chips include labneh dip or smoky baba ganoush.
Add za'atar seasoning to the pita chips! Traditional fattoush salad doesn't have za'atar pita chips, but it tastes so good!
The lettuce can get soggy if you keep the salad overnight. If eating this the next day, keep the lettuce, salad dressing, pita chips, and chopped salad separate then mix prior to eating.
Remove seeds from the pomegranate in water, so you don't stain your hands and clothing.
Use high-quality olive oil for the salad.

Substitutions and Variations

Bake the pita chips rather than fry them. Heat the oven to 375 ℉ (190 ℃). Separate the top from the bottom of the pita bread. Coat the outside with some olive oil and sprinkle some salt (and za'atar if desired). Place the pita bread on a baking sheet and toast until golden brown for about 7 to 10 minutes (time may vary depending on the thickness of the pita bread.
Use grape tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, or any other type of ripe tomatoes.
Omit the pomegranate. Many fattoush recipes do not include pomegranate, possibly because it's hard to find out of season in some countries.
Omit the za'atar on the pita chips. The traditional way to make fattoush is with plain baked pita bread.

Fattoush is an excellent salad to serve with grilled meats like grilled lamb chops, chicken thighs, shish tawook, and beef kabobs.

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