Killer Lebanese Fatoush Salad With Pita Chips

This fatoush salad recipe is delicious and authentic, and it just so happens to be my favorite Lebanese salad recipe! The combination of the crunchy bread and vegetables really balance out this salad.

If you’ve never cooked with sumac, zaatar, pita bread, or pomegranate syrup, you should try this recipe! You might need to check out an international grocery store or Amazon for these items.

Sumac and Zaatar are a dry ingredient. Pomegranate syrup comes in a glass bottle and can be stored in the pantry. I usually freeze my pita bread, so I always have some on hand.

Ingredients You’ll Need

There are a lot of ingredients for this salad. If you don’t have one of the ingredients, just skip the missing ingredient. All of the flavors really come together. This fattoush salad recipe has the following:

• Tomatoes: I prefer to use tomatoes on the vine or Roma tomatoes, however, any tomato will do.
• Persian cucumbers or English cucumber: I use either a Persian or English cucumber because the outer skin is not tough. I don’t peel the outer skin for this salad. If you don’t have either of these cucumbers on hand, you can use any type of cucumber as long as you peel the skin.
• Radishes: I add radishes to this salad because they are crunchy and add some brightness to the salad.
• Pomegranate seeds (if you have some): Pomegranate seeds are not required, but they are great to add if you have some on hand.
• Onion: I prefer to use brown onion, sweet onion, or white onion for this fatoosh salad.
• Fresh mint: I prefer fresh mint over dried mint, however, dried mint can be substituted.
• 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.
• Lettuce: I use romaine lettuce.
• Bell pepper: Any type of bell pepper works just fine in this salad.
• Fried pita chips with za’atar (or baked): I make fresh pita chips from scratch either in the oven or fried. I personally like to top my pita chips with a little za’atar and sea salt. I don’t know anyone else who makes pita chips with za’atar, but everyone who has tried it has loved it!

Fatoush Salad Dressing Recipe

This is where the secret is. The fatoush salad dressing is so simple and flavorful, and it’s what makes this salad amazing.

• Sumac: This herb is very common in Middle Eastern cooking, and it has a tangy flavor. To me, this herb and the pomegranate syrup really make fattoush what it is. If you can’t find it anywhere, then you can skip it. It shouldn’t be expensive, and it’s a great seasoning on fried eggs.
• Pomegranate syrup (this is the secret ingredient): Pomegranate syrup is sweet and tangy, and really makes this fattoush salad dressing amazing when mixed with lemon, sumac, and some good olive oil.
• Good quality olive oil: Right now I’m using olive oil from Greece that’s really delicious.
• Lemon juice: I recommend freshly squeezed lemons always. I never use canned lemon juice.
• Salt to taste

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Sumac Substitute

If you can’t get your hands on some sumac, you can substitute lemon zest (about half of a lemon). It will change the taste of the salad slightly, but it gives that extra zing of flavor that you experience with sumac.

Another option is to omit sumac from the recipe. The same goes for pomegranate syrup and za’atar. If you can’t find these ingredients, just omit them.

Tips For Making the Best Ever Fatoush Salad

1. If I’m eating the fatoosh salad the next day, I will keep the pita chips separate. I add the pita chips to the salad right before I eat it.
2. The lettuce can get soggy if you keep the salad overnight. If I’m bringing this for work lunches, I keep the lettuce separate from the salad and just add it in prior to eating.
3. Remove seeds from the pomegranate in water, so you don’t stain your hands and clothing.

Try Some Other Amazing Lebanese Recipes

• Lebanese Vermicelli Rice
• Shish Barak (Video)
• Lebanese Falafel Patties
• Eggplant Fatteh
• The Best Lebanese Toum Sauce
• Delicious Sfiha Meat Pie (Lahmajun)
• Baba Ganoush Recipe (without Tahini)
• Easy Homemade Tahini Sauce Recipe
• Labneh from the Mountains of Lebanon
• Easy Baklava Recipe with Pistachios

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