Skip to main content

Fattoush

Fattoush is a rustic country salad of Syria and Lebanon which is on the standard menu of Lebanese restaurants. The old, traditional way was to moisten and soften the toasted bread with water and a little lemon juice before imbibing it further with the dressing, which made it deliciously soggy. Nowadays it is usual to put the bread in crisp, like French croutons.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

1 1/2 Arab or pita breads
1 head romaine lettuce, cut into ribbons
3 medium-sized firm ripe tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 small cucumbers, peeled, cut into thick slices
1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into small slices
1 1/2 mild red or white onions or 9 scallions, chopped
Bunch of rocket leaves, torn
Bunch of purslane leaves or lamb’s lettuce, torn
Small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
A few sprigs of mint, shredded
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon ground sumac

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Cut open the breads and toast them under the broiler until they are crisp, turning them over once. Break them into small pieces in your hands.

    Step 2

    Put all the vegetables in a large bowl with the onions, rocket and purslane leaves or lamb’s lettuce, flat-leaf parsley, and mint.

    Step 3

    For the dressing, mix the olive oil with the lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, and sumac.

    Step 4

    Just before serving, add the toasted bread and toss well with the dressing.

  2. Variation

    Step 5

    For the old-style version, put the broken pieces of toast in a bowl. Moisten and soften with a little cold water or lemon juice before adding them to the salad.

Cover of Claudia Roden's The New Book of Middle Easter Food, featuring a blue filigree bowl filled with Meyer lemons and sprigs of mint.
Reprinted with permission from The New Book of Middle Eastern Food, copyright © 2000 by Claudia Roden, published by Knopf. Buy the full book on Amazon or Bookshop.
Read More
Khao niaow ma muang, or steamed coconut sticky rice with ripe mango, is a classic in Thai cuisine—and you can make it at home.
With just a handful of ingredients, this old-fashioned egg custard is the little black dress of dinner party desserts—simple and effortlessly chic.
With rich chocolate flavor and easy customization, this hot cocoa recipe is just the one you want to get you through winter.
This classic 15-minute sauce is your secret weapon for homemade mac and cheese, chowder, lasagna, and more.
Crunchy and crowd-pleasing, this salad can be prepared in advance and customized to your heart’s content.
Baking meatballs and green beans on two sides of the same sheet pan streamlines the cooking process for this saucy, savory dinner.
Make this versatile caramel at home with our slow-simmered method using milk and sugar—or take one of two sweetened condensed milk shortcuts.
A garlicky pistachio topping takes this sunny summer pasta from good to great.