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    Home » Lebanese Cuisine

    Lebanese Fattoush Salad

    January 22, 2021 by Emily Ackerman 16 Comments

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    This glorious Lebanese fattoush salad is a staple of Lebanese salads and it plays a central part in Middle Eastern cuisine! Complete with pan fried pita chips, this Mediterranean chopped salad is topped with homemade Mediterranean salad dressing of olive oil, lemon, mint and other traditional Lebanese spices.

    Jump to Recipe
    homemade fatoush salad

    This traditional Lebanese and Middle Eastern salad is full of fresh ingredients and fresh vegetables. Growing up in a Lebanese home, for holidays we would always have a spread of Lebanese food. Besides fattoush salad, another popular recipe at most of those meals was Tabbouleh, which is a parsley salad made with cracked wheat or bulgur and a Lebanese salad dressing.

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This post contains affiliate links. The author may receive commission on purchases made through these links at no cost to you.

    I love Mediterranean food because it prides itself in being fresh! And along with fresh ingredients, whole grains and heart healthy oils comes healthy eating! Lebanese food is healthy and the Mediterranean Diet has been labeled as one of the healthiest!

    Want to know more about Lebanese cuisine? Read this article > The Ultimate Guide to Lebanese Food

    Jump to:
    • Origins
    • 🥗 Ingredients
    • 🔪 Instructions
    • FAQ's
    • 🍽 Equipment
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments
    Arabic Salad with homemade fried pita chips also know as fatoosh

    Origins

    What is Fattoush? Fattoush vs. Tabbouleh:

    Fattoush (also spelled Fatoosh), along with Tabbouleh is a classic Arabic salad. The difference between the two Lebanese salads is the grain that is used. Instead of using cracked wheat like tabbouleh does, I make fattoush using thin pita bread and lightly pan fry it in olive oil to be a type of crouton.

    Fattoush is basically the Middle Eastern salad version of a panzanella salad. This has become one of my favorite Mediterranean salads because it is so crisp and full of flavor. Also, making pita chips at home really makes this dish stand out!

    Fatoosh with pita chips and homemade Mediterranean salad dressing

    🥗 Ingredients

    What are the ingredients for this Lebanese Fattoush salad recipe?

    The ingredients for Lebanese Fattoush are:

    • Parsley
    • Head Iceberg Lettuce (or head romaine lettuce)
    • Green Onions (aka scallions)
    • Cucumbers
    • Tomatoes
    • Homemade Fried Pita Chips
    • Lemon Juice
    • Extra Virgin Olive Oil
    • Ground Sumac
    • Garlic Powder
    • Salt
    • Black Pepper
    • Dried Mint leaf, or fresh mint

    🔪 Instructions

    Lets get into how to make fattoush. Wash all of your fresh ingredients before chopping. One thing that is very important is how to wash and prepare the parsley! You MUST soak your parsley in a large bowl of water for several minutes in order to get the dirt and sand off.

    cleaning parsley, for fattoush recipe

    YES, SAND! Parsley is usually grown in sandy soil and there still may be bits of sand stuck to it. If you do not clean it properly you may have a gritty salad, and you don't want that happening!

    Do yourself a favor and get a salad spinner! It will make life much easier! After washing the ingredients, place them in the salad spinner and give it a good fast spin. This will remove all of the excess water from the salad ingredients. I highly recommend using this Cuisinart Salad Spinner. Check it out!

    Cuisinart Salad Spinner
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    Chop the parsley, green onions, tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuce into bite sized pieces and put them into a large salad bowl. I tend to chop my parsley finer than the rest of the ingredients.

    This colorful salad deserves a beautiful serving bowl. Check out these amazing wooden salad bowls from Etsy! Perfect for serving and entertaining!

    Mahogany Salad Bowl
    Mahogany Salad Bowl
    Large Arabia of Finland wooden salad bowl
    Large Birch Salad Bowl

    Making Fried Pita Chips

    First we need to talk pita bread. Normal, traditional Lebanese pita bread is thinner than pita bread that you find at your chain grocery store. I recommend a THIN pita bread for this recipe. The bread that I buy is a very thin pita bread loaf that is about 14 inches in diameter.

    Some people use oven toasted pita rather than frying it, however this can leave the pita to be chewy. I find it best to lightly fry it.

    Cut the bread into small bite sized triangles, it's ok if it falls apart and if the layer separate. You will want about 2 cups of pita pieces.

    Heat 3 Tbls of light olive oil in a non-stick pan. Lightly fry the pita chips, about 7-8 pieces at a time in the oil, for 30 seconds on each side or until it browns and gets a golden color.

    Remove the pita chips onto a paper towel to drain and lightly salt the fresh fried pita chips.

    Can I use store bought pita chips for this Lebanese fattoush salad?

    I am going to say flat out "NO!!!!!"! Store bought pita chips are thick and WAY TOO HARD AND CRUNCHY! Homemade pita chips is the way to go in this salad. I am begging you on my knees to please make your own!

    Fattoush Salad Dressing Recipe:

    Making fattoush dressing is rather easy! Squeeze the lemon into a small dish, making sure to strain out the seeds. Add all of the spices to the lemon juice. Pour the spices and lemon juice over the salad, giving it a few tosses.

    Always add the lemon juice BEFORE the olive oil!

    After the lemon juice is tossed into the salad, add the olive oil and toss again. ALWAYS toss the salad in the lemon juice BEFORE adding the olive oil, otherwise the spices and flavor will not incorporate into the salad.

    I like to add the pita chips to the top of the salad and serve it that way so they don't get soggy. Although you can give it a toss with the pita chips if you want. Just make sure to serve it right away!! Enjoy this tasty and BEAUTIFUL Mediterranean salad!

    FAQ's

    What is sumac?

    Sumac is made from the berries of a wild sumac flower. It is dried and ground into a powder and used in many Lebanese and Middle Eastern recipes.

    Sumac spice is a Middle Eastern spice that is slightly tart in flavor. It is perfect to use in Arabic salad dressing
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    What does Sumac taste like?

    Sumac has a tart and citrus-like flavor and is a good addition to salads, soups and roasted meat.

    Is there a good sumac substitute?

    There are several good options for a substitute for sumac. Sumac can be substituted with lemon zest or lemon juice, which is a more common ingredient in most pantries.

    Where is Fattoush Salad from?

    Fattoush salad is authentically Lebanese. It is very commonly called "bread salad" or "Lebanese bread salad."

    Middle Eastern salad with homemade Mediterranean salad dressing
    Fresh Mediterranean salad recipe
    Lebanese Fattoush with Mediterranean salad dressing recipe
    Pita chip salad called fattoush is a Mediterranean chopped salad

    🍽 Equipment

    Shop Kitchen items and ingredients from this recipe

    Salad Spinner
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    Salad Bowl
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    Salad bowl
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    Sumac
    Sumac
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    Lebanese Olive Oil
    Lebanese Olive Oil
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    Check out these other popular posts from A Pinch Of Adventure!

    • The Ultimate Guide to Lebanese Food
    • Instant Pot Braised Beef Ragu
    • Authentic Lebanese Creamy Hummus
    • Falafel Sauce Recipe
    • Burrata Caprese Salad
    • Lemon Berry Mascarpone Cake

    Like this recipe? Don't forget to rate it below and follow me on Instagram!

    📖 Recipe

    homemade fattoush salad

    Lebanese Fattoush Salad Recipe- Mediterranean Chopped Salad

    Emily Ackerman
    This glorious Lebanese fattoush salad is a staple of Lebanese salads and it plays a central part in Middle Eastern cuisine! Complete with pan fried pita chips, this Mediterranean chopped salad is topped with homemade Mediterranean salad dressing of olive oil, lemon, mint and other traditional Lebanese spices.
    5 from 6 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 30 mins
    Cuisine lebanese, Mediterranean, middle eastern
    Servings 8

    Ingredients
      

    Fattoush Salad

    • 2 bunches Parsley
    • 8 Scallions
    • 1 head Lettuce Iceberg or Romaine
    • 3-4 small tomatoes or 20 cherry tomatoes
    • 1 cucumber
    • 2 cups pita bread cut into bite sized pieces
    • ¼ cup light olive oil for frying

    For the Fattoush Dressing

    • 1 lemon juiced
    • 1 tablespoon dried mint leaf or ¼ cup fresh mint leaves cut up
    • 1 teas garlic powder
    • 1 teas salt
    • ½ teas ground sumac optional
    • ½ teas black pepper
    • ⅓ cup olive oil extra virgin

    Instructions
     

    • Wash, prepare and chop the parsley, green onions, lettuce, cucumbers, and tomatoes and add them to a large salad bowl
    • Cut the pita bread (see post about pita bread, it must be thin) into bite sized pieces. Heat a pan with several tablespoons of olive oil and fry the pita pieces about 6-7 at a time for 30 seconds on each side until golden brown.
    • Remove the fried pita chips and let drain on a paper towel. Lightly salt them while they are warm

    For the Lebanese salad dressing

    • Juice the lemon, straining out any seeds, into a small bowl
    • Add the salt, pepper, mint, garlic powder, and sumac to the lemon juice, whisking it together
    • Pour the lemon juice mixture over the salad and toss together
    • After the lemon juice is incorporated, add the olive oil and toss.
    • Top with pita chips and serve immediately
    Keyword Lebanese Bread salad, fattoush salad, fattoush recipe, Lebanese salad dressing recipe
    This Mediterranean salad recipe is delicious and fresh and made with homemade fried pita chips. It is the perfect chopped salad recipe and healthy as well. Full of fresh ingredients it is a staple of Middle Eastern recipes that leaves you feeling good. Mediterranean recipes are delightful and flavorful. If you are looking for Mediterranean Diet recipes, put this on the list. This is a classic and authentic Lebanese Salad recipe
    This Mediterranean salad recipe is delicious and fresh and made with homemade fried pita chips. It is the perfect chopped salad recipe and healthy as well. Full of fresh ingredients it is a staple of Middle Eastern recipes that leaves you feeling good. Mediterranean recipes are delightful and flavorful. If you are looking for Mediterranean Diet recipes, put this on the list. This is a classic and authentic Lebanese Salad recipe
    This Mediterranean salad recipe is delicious and fresh and made with homemade fried pita chips. It is the perfect chopped salad recipe and healthy as well. Full of fresh ingredients it is a staple of Middle Eastern recipes that leaves you feeling good. Mediterranean recipes are delightful and flavorful. If you are looking for Mediterranean Diet recipes, put this on the list. This is a classic and authentic Lebanese Salad recipe
    This Mediterranean salad recipe is delicious and fresh and made with homemade fried pita chips. It is the perfect chopped salad recipe and healthy as well. Full of fresh ingredients it is a staple of Middle Eastern recipes that leaves you feeling good. Mediterranean recipes are delightful and flavorful. If you are looking for Mediterranean Diet recipes, put this on the list. This is a classic and authentic Lebanese Salad recipe

    More Lebanese Recipes

    • Sumac Onions
    • Shish Tawook (Lebanese Chicken Kebabs)
    • Lebanese Baba Ganoush Recipe
    • Kafta- Lebanese Beef Kafta Kebabs

    Join!

    Learn how to incorporate the Mediterranean Diet into everyday eating

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Cat | Curly's Cooking

      January 23, 2021 at 4:37 pm

      5 stars
      This looks delicious. I especially like the look of the pitta chips!

      Reply
      • Emily Ackerman

        January 25, 2021 at 8:43 am

        Thank you! They are so good and crisp!

        Reply
    2. Morayma

      January 25, 2021 at 7:55 pm

      5 stars
      I love Mediterranean food and this dish sounds so healthy and delicious. I'll be adding it to my meal planning rotation, thanks for sharing!

      Reply
    3. Laura

      January 25, 2021 at 8:26 pm

      I honestly have never tried Lebanese food but this sounds delicious!

      Reply
      • Emily Ackerman

        January 26, 2021 at 1:42 pm

        It is!

        Reply
      • Santana

        January 29, 2021 at 9:25 pm

        This is giving me such a craving for something fresh !! Delish!

        Reply
    4. Megan

      January 25, 2021 at 10:14 pm

      Haha, ok I promise to not buy store-bought pita chips. This looks so fresh and tasty!

      Reply
      • Emily Ackerman

        January 26, 2021 at 1:42 pm

        Ha! Good decision

        Reply
    5. Marianne

      January 26, 2021 at 8:15 am

      This looks fantastic! The pita chips bring this to a whole new level of yum! My kids will love it.

      Reply
    6. Amanda

      January 26, 2021 at 3:37 pm

      5 stars
      This salad looks amazing! I love how you always have such fresh, healthy recipes to share!

      Reply
      • Emily Ackerman

        January 27, 2021 at 8:55 am

        Thank you!

        Reply
    7. Sabrina DeWalt

      January 26, 2021 at 4:57 pm

      I love Mediterranean food. This salad looks easy and delicious.

      Reply
    8. Barbara

      January 26, 2021 at 9:22 pm

      This looks really wonderful! I love interesting salads!

      Reply
    9. Angel

      January 28, 2021 at 12:09 pm

      5 stars
      Yum, gluten-free pita in mine and perfect!

      Reply
    10. Suz | TravelsWithSuz.com

      January 30, 2021 at 1:15 am

      5 stars
      Oooh, I *love* fattoush!! Thankfully, there is a Jordanian family who opened a great restaurant with authentic Middle Eastern food here in Albuquerque, and I really savor their fattoush.
      I have not been able to duplicate the dressing ro my liking - I'll try your directions, and hopefully that will solve my problem! Thank you!!

      Reply
    11. Cindy Moore

      January 31, 2021 at 8:12 pm

      5 stars
      This salad looks amazing! I love chopped salads AND Mediteranean food.

      Reply

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