What is fattoush?

This traditional Eastern Mediterranean salad is made from toasted or fried pita bread mixed with summer greens and plenty of fresh herbs. The fruity flavour of ground sumac gives this salad a fruity astringent taste and shouldn’t be missed. This is a simple salad to throw together, and makes a welcome change to a traditional garden salad during the summer months.

What is sumac?

Sumac is the signature spice of a traditional fattoush salad. Made from the fruit of a Middle Eastern and Mediterranean shrub, it is known for its purple colour and sour fruity flavour. Some say it taste like a sour lemon candy, as it has an underlying molasses flavour that adds a sweetness alongside its signature punch. You can either buy the dried berries whole or, more commonly, buy them ground into a powder ready to sprinkle over your salads, add to your spice rubs or whisk into your marinades. Store your sumac in an airtight container in a cool dark place away from direct sunlight.

Can’t find sumac?

Don’t worry, you can still make fattoush. Simply leave the sumac out and add an extra one teaspoon lemon zest and a ¼ tsp of honey in its place.

What you’ll need

For the salad

1 pita bread, or flat Lebanese bread
Olive oil
2 Lebanese cucumber, diced
2 tomatoes, diced
6 radishes, diced
2 spring onions, finely sliced
½ green capsicum, diced
Small handful rocket leaves
Small handful mint leaves
Small handful flat leaf parsley leaves

For the dressing

100 mL extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon, juice and zest
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons sumac
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Step 1

Tear up the pita bread into large chunks. Heat a little olive oil in a pan over a medium heat and fry the bread until crispy. Drain on kitchen paper and set aside to cool. Alternatively, bake the bread in a medium oven for 10 minutes or until crisp. Using your hands, break the bread into small pieces.

Step 2

Place the bread and the remaining salad ingredients in a large salad bowl.

Step 3

To make the dressing, place the oil, lemon juice and zest, garlic and sumac in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then carefully drizzle over the salad. You will probably have too much dressing, so use enough to just coat the leaves and save the rest for another salad. Toss the salad well and serve immediately.