Epic Fatoosh Salad With Pomegranate

Name: Epic Fatoosh Salad With Pomegranate
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 6 medium tomatoes; 6 Persian cucumbers or 1.5 English cucumbers; 6 radishes; ½ cup of pomegranate seeds (if you have some); 1 large onion; 1 cup fresh mint; 1 cup fresh parsley; 1 head of romaine lettuce; 2 bell peppers; 2 tablespoons of sumac; 4 tablespoons pomegranate syrup (this is the secret ingredient); 6 tablespoons good quality olive oil; lemon juice from 2 large lemons; salt to taste; 2 large pita bread; za'atar dried seasoning (if you have it); salt; olive oil (if baking the pita chips); frying oil (if frying the pita chips)

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Fatoosh is a bright chopped salad made with homemade pita chips, fresh mint, parsley, radishes, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, sumac, and pomegranate topped with a tangy dressing made with lemon, olive oil, and pomegranate molasses. This epic fatoosh salad recipe is the result of two decades of tweaking my family's fatoosh recipe.

fatoosh salad with pomegranate in a bowl

If you’ve never cooked with sumac, za'atar, pita bread, or pomegranate molasses, you should try this recipe!

What I Love About This Recipe

I love the crunchy homemade fried pita chips with za'atar mixed into a tangy-sweet crunchy salad. I'm a sucker for Mediterranean chopped salads (like this Persian shirazi salad or quinoa tabbouleh) because they go so well with grilled meats and kabobs. This fatoosh recipe combines all of the secrets handed to me by family and friends.

Ingredient Notes

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Pita bread to make the pita chips.

How To Make Fatoosh

Chop all of the salad ingredients to the same size and add them to a bowl. Add the sumac spice and salt to taste. Keep the romaine lettuce separated. Add the romaine lettuce at the end with the pita chips.

Add the pomegranate syrup, lemon juice, and olive oil to 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 the pita bread in oil. Place the pita chips on a paper towel lined plate. Sprinkle some salt and za'atar spice on top.

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

Tips and Tricks

Za'atar spice is not normally added to the pita chips, however, I really like the added flavor!
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 rather than tomatoes.
Omit the pomegranate. Many fatoosh 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 fatoosh is with plain baked pita bread.

FAQs

What is fatoosh?

Fattoush is a Lebanese chopped salad made with fresh herbs, chopped vegetables, sumac, lemon juice, olive oil, and pita chips.

Why is it called fattoush?

Fattoush is derived from fatteh meaning "toasted and crumbled bread".

Are za'atar and sumac the same?

Za'atar is different from sumac. Za'atar is a spice blend of thyme, sumac, and sesame seeds. Whereas, sumac is a berry that's dried and ground.

How To Use Za'atar

Recipes With Pomegranate Molasses

Authentic Lebanese Recipes

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