Introducing weeknight-friendly fattoush salad! This EASY, 1-bowl, 20-minute version is our inspired take on the classic Levantine dish. Think fresh, crunchy veggies tossed in a bright pomegranate dressing with herby mint leaves, crispy pita chips, and pomegranate arils (major YUM)!
It’s a refreshing side to pair with other Mediterranean- and Middle Eastern-inspired recipes, or toss in some chickpeas to make it a light meal on its own. Let us show you how it’s done!
What is Fattoush?
Fattoush is a salad from the Levant region, which includes several countries in the Eastern Mediterranean. This salad commonly includes fresh veggies and herbs, toasted or fried flatbread, and a bright spice called sumac. Pomegranate molasses is another common ingredient that adds even more brightness.
The following is our easy, inspired version with similarly bright flavors and crunchy textures, plus an option to make it gluten-free!
How to Make Fattoush Salad
This salad begins with a base of fresh chopped romaine for its crunchy texture and neutral flavor.
Then we add a variety of fresh, crunchy veggies like cucumber, tomato, and radish. Using seasonal, flavorful veggies (especially homegrown!) really makes this salad shine, but you can’t go wrong thanks to the flavorful dressing!
The simple, no-mix dressing comes together by tossing the lettuce and veggies with lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, sumac, salt, and pepper. It gives this salad the classically bright, bold, pleasantly sour flavor of fattoush. Optional maple syrup and olive oil can provide additional balance and be welcome additions depending on the sweetness of your pomegranate molasses.
Then it’s on to the final touches: fresh mint leaves, pita chips, and pomegranate arils. We love keeping the mint leaves whole for beautiful presentation and pops of herby flavor. And while we prefer store-bought pita chips for ease, we’ve included notes for homemade, which comes in handy if you have day-old flatbread or pita bread to use up.
We hope you LOVE this fattoush salad! It’s:
Crisp
Bright
Crunchy
Refreshing
Tart-sweet
Quick & easy
& SO delicious!
When paired with chickpeas, it makes the perfect light meal for hot summer days! It’s also a great side for Mediterranean- and Middle Eastern-inspired mains including our Vegan Lentil Fesenjān and Kale Falafel Hummus Wraps.
More Easy, Refreshing Salads
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Servings 4 (side servings // or half for entrée servings)
SALAD
- 3 cups chopped romaine lettuce (or other crunchy, neutral-flavored greens // 1/2 head lettuce yields ~3 cups or 130 g)
- 2 cups chopped fresh, crunchy veggies of choice (we like 1 cup or 150 g cucumber*, 3/4 cup or 150 g chopped tomatoes, and 1/4 cup or 40 g radish)
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp pomegranate molasses (or balsamic vinegar, though not traditional)
- 3/4 tsp ground sumac
- 1 healthy pinch each sea salt and black pepper (plus more to taste)
- 1/2 tsp maple syrup (optional // plus more to taste, depending on the sweetness of your pomegranate molasses)
- Extra virgin olive oil (optional // ensure high quality and avoid adding too much)
FOR SERVING
- 1/3 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves, removed from stems and left whole (~1 small bunch mint)
- 1 ½ cups pita chips, slightly crushed (gluten-free as needed // we used Simple Mills Veggie Flour Pita Crackers // see notes for homemade*)
- 1/4 cup pomegranate arils (find our favorite way to cut a pomegranate here // or sub sliced strawberries when in season, though not traditional)
- 1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (optional // include if serving as an entrée)
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PITA CHIPS: See notes for instructions on making homemade pita chips. We like using store-bought pita chips for ease!
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SALAD: To a large mixing bowl or serving platter, add lettuce, chopped veggies, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, sumac, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat veggies with dressing. Taste and adjust as needed, adding maple syrup for sweetness (we used a sweetened pomegranate molasses, so we didn’t find it necessary), more lemon juice for brightness, more pomegranate molasses for a rich, tart flavor, or a drizzle of olive oil for richness (ensure high-quality olive oil and avoid adding too much — we found standard grocery store olive oil added too much bitterness).
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FOR SERVING: When ready to serve, garnish with fresh mint leaves, pita chips, pomegranate arils, and chickpeas (optional). Serve right away to keep the pita chips from getting soggy.
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Best when fresh. Leftovers will keep stored separately for up to 2-3 days. Not freezer friendly.
*Prep time does not include making pita chips.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate for 4 side servings calculated with Simple Mills pita crackers and without optional ingredients.
*HOMEMADE PITA CHIPS:
1 ½ cups pita bread (gluten-free as needed // we used BFree stone-baked pita breads)
1 ½ Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp dried oregano (optional)
1/2 tsp ground sumac (optional)
1/4 tsp sea salt
Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cut pita bread into small triangles (~1/2-inch x 1/2-inch x 1 inch) and separate layers of pita to ensure all the chips are a single layer.
Place the pita triangles on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Drizzle evenly with olive oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle with oregano, sumac, and sea salt and toss to evenly coat.
Arrange pita triangles in a single layer and bake for 8-12 minutes, until lightly browned on the edges and beginning to crisp up. Watch closely after 8 minutes because they go from crisp to burnt quickly. Pita may take longer to cook depending on its freshness and thickness.
Remove from the oven and let cool on the pan to crisp up further before adding to salad.
Serving: 1 side serving Calories: 127 Carbohydrates: 21.6 g Protein: 2.8 g Fat: 4.1 g Saturated Fat: 0.4 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.18 g Monounsaturated Fat: 0.07 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 138 mg Potassium: 446 mg Fiber: 4 g Sugar: 7.5 g Vitamin A: 562 IU Vitamin C: 14 mg Calcium: 63 mg Iron: 1.8 mg