Fattoush (فتوش) — Levantine Bread Salad

Middle Eastern Fast With Oil Published April 10, 2026

Fattoush is the Levantine bread salad — crispy pieces of fried or toasted pita tossed with fresh vegetables and a bright, tangy sumac dressing. It exists to use up stale pita bread, and like all great peasant dishes born from thrift, it is better than anything designed from scratch. The sumac is essential. Its sour, slightly fruity tang is the defining flavor that separates fattoush from any other salad on earth.

Fattoush is the natural companion to mujaddara, grilled vegetables, or any rich stew. It is fresh where they are heavy, crunchy where they are soft, acidic where they are earthy.

FASTING LEVEL: Fast With Oil (for strict days, bake the pita without oil and dress the salad with lemon juice and sumac only)
SERVINGS: 4-6
TIME: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

- 2 rounds pita bread (day-old is ideal)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 3 medium tomatoes, chopped into irregular pieces
- 1 large cucumber (or 3 Persian cucumbers), chopped
- 1 cup radishes, quartered
- 4-5 green onions, sliced
- 1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, torn
- 1 head romaine or little gem lettuce, torn into pieces
- 1/2 cup purslane (بقلة) if you can find it — traditional but optional

For the dressing:
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
- 2 teaspoons ground sumac, plus extra for finishing
- 1 small clove garlic, crushed to a paste
- Salt and black pepper to taste

METHOD

1. Prepare the pita: split each round into two thin discs. Brush both sides lightly with olive oil and season with a pinch of salt. Bake at 200°C / 400°F for 8-10 minutes until deeply golden and crispy, or fry torn pieces in olive oil until crunchy. Break into rough, bite-sized shards. The pita should be genuinely crispy — soggy pita ruins the salad.

2. While the pita crisps, make the dressing: whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, sumac, garlic, salt, and pepper. Taste — it should be notably tart and bright.

3. Combine the tomatoes, cucumber, radishes, green onions, parsley, mint, lettuce, and purslane (if using) in a large bowl.

4. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss well. Add the crispy pita pieces and toss again gently — you want the pita to start absorbing some dressing while still retaining its crunch.

5. Serve immediately on a platter, sprinkled with an extra dusting of sumac. Fattoush waits for no one — it must be eaten within 15-20 minutes of assembly or the pita softens.

NOTES

- Sumac is non-negotiable. It is available at any Middle Eastern grocery and increasingly at regular supermarkets. There is no substitute that captures the same flavor.
- Pomegranate molasses adds a sweet-sour depth. If you cannot find it, increase the lemon juice slightly and add a tiny pinch of sugar.
- Purslane (بقلة) is the traditional green in fattoush. It has a slightly lemony, peppery flavor and is extraordinarily nutritious. If you find it at a farmers' market, use it.
- The salad itself (without pita and dressing) can be prepped ahead. Add the dressing and pita only at the moment of serving.