Fattoush that stays crisp until the first bite

COOK IT AT HOME

Fattoush with oven-crisp pita and sumac dressing

Fattoush should offer more than a bowl of lettuce with bread on top. The vegetables contribute juicy, peppery and cool notes, while sumac and lemon sharpen the dressing. Baking the pita separately makes the last-minute assembly easy. This recipe deliberately keeps the bread out of the dressed salad until everyone is ready to eat.

Makes

4 generous side servings

Prep

25 minutes

Cook

10 minutes

Additional time

Cool pita for 10 minutes

A home-kitchen recipe to accompany this guide. Ingredient brands and equipment can change cooking times; use the texture and doneness cues below.

Ingredients

• 2 medium pita breads, about 120 g
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 romaine heart, about 200 g, chopped
• 1 large cucumber, about 250 g, diced
• 2 medium tomatoes, about 300 g, diced
• 4 radishes, thinly sliced
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 15 g parsley, chopped
• 10 g mint leaves, torn
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons ground sumac
• 1 teaspoon pomegranate molasses
• 1 small garlic clove, finely grated
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Step-by-step method

1. Heat the oven to 375°F/190°C. Split the pita layers and cut into bite-size pieces. Toss with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil on a baking sheet, spread in one layer and bake 8–10 minutes, turning once, until crisp and golden. Transfer to a rack and cool completely.
2. Wash and dry the romaine thoroughly. If the cucumber has a watery seed core, scoop it out before dicing. Cut the tomatoes into pieces similar in size to the cucumber so each forkful has a balanced mix.
3. Whisk the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil with lemon juice, sumac, pomegranate molasses, garlic, salt and pepper. Taste a little on a cucumber piece, not just from the spoon, because the vegetables soften its sharpness.
4. Combine romaine, cucumber, tomato, radish, scallion, parsley and mint in a wide bowl. Keep the bowl refrigerated until serving. The separate dressing and pita can wait beside it, with the dressing refrigerated if prepared in advance.
5. Immediately before eating, toss the vegetables with the dressing, lifting from the bottom rather than pressing down. Fold in two-thirds of the pita, scatter the rest over the top and serve at once. For a long meal, bring additional crisp pita to the table rather than mixing it in early.

Helpful tips & substitutions

• Fresh lemon and sumac provide most of the acidity; pomegranate molasses adds depth rather than making the dressing sugary.
• For a softer, more traditional soaked-bread texture, let the dressed pita stand for 3–5 minutes, but do not dress the entire salad hours ahead.
• Use certified gluten-free crisp flatbread if needed and check all seasoning labels; the usual pita contains wheat.

Storage & make-ahead

Refrigerate undressed chopped vegetables and dressing separately for up to 2 days. Keep cooled pita airtight at room temperature for 2 days. Eat dressed salad the same day for the best texture. Keep refrigerated at 40°F/4°C or below; shorten the room-temperature limit to 1 hour when it exceeds 90°F/32°C.

How to serve it

Pair with grilled kafta, chicken skewers, falafel or a simple bowl of lentil soup.