With plenty of crisp veggies, lots of herbs, pita croutons, and a zippy lemon dressing, this fattoush salad is full of fresh flavour!
Fattoush salad is a traditional Middle Eastern salad that combines fresh vegetables like lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers with pieces of toasted or fried pita bread. (Think of it as a Middle Eastern version of panzanella!) While the crunchy pita is probably my favourite part, I also love the bright, lemony dressing, which brings it all together perfectly.
Why You’ll Love This Fattoush Salad Recipe
- Light and refreshing. Fattoush is excellent as a light lunch or dinner, and all those veggies and herbs make it feel vibrant and fresh.
- Easy to make your own. Customise this recipe with your favourite vegetables, add a protein, or switch up the dressing—there’s a lot of room to put your own spin on this dish!
- Versatile. Serve fattoush as a side dish, make it for meal prep lunches, or scale it up to serve it for a party.
Notes on Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
For the pita croutons
- Olive oil
- Pita bread – Although it is not traditional, you can swap in naan if you’d like.
- Salt and pepper
- Sumac – Sumac looks like paprika, but the flavour is completely different, with tart citrus notes.
For the dressing
- Olive oil – A good, high-quality olive oil would be fantastic, but whatever you have on hand is just fine.
- Lemon juice – Fresh lemon juice is best, as it has a more vibrant flavour.
- Pomegranate molasses – If you can’t find this locally, you can substitute a syrupy aged balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze, which has a similar sweet-tart balance.
- Garlic
- Spices – Sumac, cumin, salt and pepper.
Fattoush Salad
- Little gem lettuce – Or another lettuce you like in salads. Romaine would work well in fattoush salad too.
- Parisian cucumber – Persian cucumber or English cucumber would also be fine; if you use a garden cucumber, scoop out the seeds.
- Cherry tomatoes
- Green onions
- Sliced radishes
- Fresh herbs – Parsley and mint add herbaceous flavour.
How to Make Fattoush Salad
- Make the pita croutons. Brush the pita with oil and season with salt, pepper, and sumac. Bake in a 375ºF oven for 10 minutes, flipping halfway through. Tear into pieces.
- Make the dressing. Whisk all of the ingredients in a small bowl or liquid measuring cup and season to taste.
- Assemble. Toss the salad ingredients and pita croutons in a large bowl.
- Dress the salad. Pour the dressing over the fattoush salad and toss again.
Tips and Variations
Serving Suggestions
Pair fattoush salad with other Middle Eastern dishes like beet falafel, vegan kofta, hummus, and baba ghanoush for a well-rounded dinner.
Meal Prep Tips
To keep your fattoush salad fresh and fabulous, I recommend storing the salad, dressing, and pita croutons separately. Mix everything together right before serving to prevent soggy pita chips and wilted greens!
How to Store Leftovers
Once assembled, this salad is best enjoyed immediately. If you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a day.
More Vegan Salad Ideas
Enjoy friends! If you make this fattoush salad, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!
Fattoush Salad
With plenty of crisp veggies, lots of herbs, pita croutons, and a zippy lemon dressing, this fattoush salad is full of fresh flavour!
For the pita croutons
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, 15 ml
- 2 pita breads
- ½ teaspoon salt, 3 grams
- ¼ teaspoon pepper, .6 grams
- ½ teaspoon sumac, 1.4 grams
For the dressing
- ⅓ cup olive oil, 78 ml
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 2 teaspoons pomegranate molasses, 14 grams
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ¾ teaspoon sumac, 2 grams
- ¼ teaspoon cumin, .5 grams
- Salt and pepper to taste
Salad
- 3 heads of little gems lettuce, more if desired
- 1 Parisian cucumber, sliced
- 1 ½ cups halved cherry tomatoes, 248 grams
- 3 green onions, sliced (greens and whites)
- 1 ½ cups thinly sliced radishes, 180 grams
- 2 cups chopped curly parsley, 120 grams
- ¾ cups chopped fresh mint, 56 grams
For the pita croutons
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Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Brush the olive oil over the pita breads and sprinkle them with salt, pepper, and sumac.
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Bake for 10 minutes, flipping halfway through.
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Once cool enough to handle, tear or cut the pita into bite-sized pieces (“croutons”).
For the salad
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Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, garlic, sumac, and cumin. Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired.
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In a large salad bowl, toss together the lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, green onions, radishes, parsley, mint, and pita croutons.
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Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat the ingredients.
Once assembled, this salad is best enjoyed immediately. If you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a day.
Calories: 232kcal, Carbohydrates: 23g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 15g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Sodium: 356mg, Potassium: 656mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 4913IU, Vitamin C: 66mg, Calcium: 107mg, Iron: 4mg
Disclaimer: Although jessicainthekitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Jessicainthekitchen.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.