Fattoush (Lebanese Tomato and Pita Salad)

Name: Fattoush (Lebanese Tomato and Pita Salad)
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients: 1 pita bread; 1 large tomato, diced, seeds removed; 1/4 red onion, diced; 2 bell peppers, one red, one yellow, pith and seeds removed, cut into long strips; 1 cucumber, peeled and cut in rounds; 5 radishes, sliced; 2 whole scallions, chopped; 1 head of romaine lettuce, purslane or other wild greens; 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint; 1 to 3 teaspoons ground sumac, available in Middle Eastern markets; 1 teaspoon dried mint; 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced (about 2 teaspoons); 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil; Juice of 1/2 lemon; 4 teaspoons pomegranate syrup; 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste; 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper, or to taste

Recipe from Ramzi Osseiran

Adapted by Joan Nathan

Updated May 23, 2024

Fattoush (Lebanese Tomato and Pita Salad) — Linda Spillers for The New York Times

Total Time: 30 minutes
Rating: 5(414)
Notes: Read community notes

For millions of Muslims in the United States, food takes on a new significance during Ramadan. Fasting during this time is one of the five pillars of Islam, along with devotion to Allah, prayer, giving alms and visiting Mecca. Soup or salad, like the fattoush made with tomatoes and pita bread, is a light way to break the fast. —Joan Nathan

Featured in: Breaking Ramadan's Fast With a Family Meal

or to save this recipe.
Subscriber benefit: give recipes to anyone
As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.
Subscribe
Share
Print Options
Include recipe photo

Ingredients

Yield:6 to 8 servings

For the Salad

1pita bread
1large tomato, diced, seeds removed
¼red onion, diced
2bell peppers, one red, one yellow, pith and seeds removed, cut into long strips
1cucumber, peeled and cut in rounds
5radishes, sliced
2whole scallions, chopped
1head of romaine lettuce, purslane or other wild greens
¼cup coarsely chopped fresh mint
1 to 3teaspoons ground sumac, available in Middle Eastern markets
1teaspoon dried mint

For the Dressing

2cloves garlic, peeled and minced (about 2 teaspoons)
⅓cup extra virgin olive oil
Juice of ½ lemon
4teaspoons pomegranate syrup
1teaspoon salt, or to taste
¼teaspoon ground pepper, or to taste

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Separate pita into 2 rounds, and bake on cookie sheet for about 5 minutes, or until very crisp but not browned.
Step 2
Put tomato, red onion, peppers, cucumber, radishes and scallions into large salad bowl. Add romaine or purslane and fresh mint, and sprinkle with sumac and dried mint. Toss.
Step 3
Whisk together garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, pomegranate syrup, and salt and pepper in a small bowl. Just before serving, give dressing another quick whisk and then pour it over vegetables and toss.
Step 4
Break pita into 1-inch pieces and toss with salad, just before taking salad to table. Taste, add seasonings if needed, and serve immediately.

Ratings

5 out of 5

414 user ratings

Have you cooked this?

Private Notes

Leave a Private Note on this recipe and see it here.

Cooking Notes

Connie6 years ago

Ground sumac is a versatile spice with a tangy lemony flavor, although more balanced and less tart than lemon juice. A small sprinkle also adds a beautiful pop of color to any dish.

I would not substitute the spice. You can locate it at Middle Eastern food stores. :)

Lemon Zest: This is the most easily available ingredient that can be used as a sumac substitute. Mix some fresh lemon zest with salt and voila! You have an alternative ready.

cynthia6 years ago

Find the sumac and pomegranate syrup if you are able and you will be rewarded with great success and a super delicious salad! I added cubed feta cheese, and offered crusty bread on the side (rather than crumbled pita). Served this in July as a light summer supper which my family enjoyed.

Stella6 years ago

Made for a Lebanese husband and it made the cut! Not going to beat Mama's recipe, but I'm told it was a very respectable fattoush. Main feedback: More sumac, not enough tomatoes and the peppers were a bit weird. In summer, I might omit them all together and do extra tomatoes.

marineh b6 years ago

I used a tablespoon of pomegranate molasses. Delicious!

Ellen Moore6 years ago

Perhaps I'm just slow, but it took me nearly 1 hour to assemble and wash all the veggies for this salad. Granted, we buy only fresh (not prepackaged), organic (which can be muddy if it's rained lately), and we wash EVERYTHING in vinegar water, then rinse, and dry (to keep greens fresh and not dilute dressing). Then it took me the 30 proscribed minutes to prep and combine veggies and make dressing. Salad was very good, and we definitely will have again.

Sandy Camargo6 years ago

I left off the pita (not eating bread at the moment) and couldn't find ground sumac, but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. Served it to guests as part of a Ramadan meal and it was a great success. People even took seconds.

Judith Paulette6 years ago

This is a lovely recipe, different from most summer salads. I am not a fan of reviews that don't follow the recipe, so forgive the following, I made this very late at night and didn't have cucumber or radish, instead used a whole small sweet onion. It definitely needs the crunch. I also added cubed roasted plain eggplant (1 medium), leftover from another dish and good quality feta. The sumac and pomegranate really make this dish sing. Can't wait to try the original!

rkurk6 years ago

Terrific salad! Served with spice rubbed chicken and Pilaf with dates getting rave reviews around the table! The salad was prepared as written, using romain and wild baby arugula and agree sumac essential. I might add another pita half next time. My husband and I thought the salad would make a good dinner option for us.

Roni Jordan6 years ago

I make Middle Eastern salads all the time, with a lemon/mint/oregano vinaigrette and a sprinkle of sumac or Za'atar. Decided to try this two nights ago to have with some homemade puff pastry knishes and chopped herring on challah. It was a fusion of meal thrown together with Ashkenazi and Middle Eastern flavors and husband and I both loved it. Must do again!

Tena1 year ago

I learned from my Lebanese mother-in-law that if you spray olive oil on raw side of pits before you toast it will not get soggy.

PR4 days ago

Superb! Even without lettuce or red bell pepper: dressing and sumac and mint a marvel.

SLC1 month ago

I don’t like peppers and have had this salad many times in restaurants without them. So I leave them out. I usually add a little bit of feta cheese. Sumac, fresh or dried mint and pomegranate molasses are essential.

maureen2 months ago

Skipped the lettuce as I didn’t have any and loaded up on cucumbers and tomatoes. Fabulous with scallops.

GrumpyInSF2 months ago

Delicious, had to toss in the stock pot because so fluffy. Used 2 pita rounds, brushed w olive oil - don't skip this. Adding feta not a bad idea at all, but family voted it onto the rotation. With a grilled (your favorite meat here) is a big summer meal!

Marjorie4 months ago

What is a good substitute for pomegranate syrup?

Loved!6 months ago

Kept the veggies and lettuce dressed separately so leftovers were possible. We shared the veggies with our friends as the recipe made enough for an entree amount.

EHSMD11 months ago

BEST fattoush recipe. I followed the recipe exactly. Our dinner guests gobbled up every bite. Next time I will triple the dressing, it’s that good.

Shooka1 year ago

Awesome recipe, though I think it needs more tomatoes. They were totally lost. Brushing pitas with olive oil made them very nice and crispy.

Mike1 year ago

Correct me if I am wrong but I have been making this salad from this recipe for awhile now and I think the poster changed it because I do think the original had dates in it. Am I imagining that?

Susan1 year ago

Great recipe with just a few additions. Brushing the pita with some olive oil, sprinkling with salt and sumac and broiling until crispy gives the chips added zing. You can also fry them. Sumac in the dressing also lifts the taste. And if you can't find pomegranate syrup, you can make it with pomegranate juice, sugar, and lemon juice. There's a recipe for it here. You really need it for the dressing.

Tena1 year ago

I learned from my Lebanese mother-in-law that if you spray olive oil on raw side of pits before you toast it will not get soggy.

Lisa1 year ago

Don't they somehow fry the pita before adding to the salad? Every time I've had the salad while traveling, the pita is always crispy, and I imagine fried in olive oil. Any suggestions?

Chris From Canada2 years ago

Made the recipe following pretty close. I only had 1tbsp mint in my garden and none dried, and I think that I missed out- will definitely add the recommended amount next time (subbed parsley, but mint is special). I only used romaine and think mixing other greens would be good- will look for purslane (thanks for the comments!). I made the dressing as written, and found it a bit too tangy/acidic, so added not-quite-a teaspoon of white sugar. Loved this so much, will be eating again this weekend.

cheyt2 years ago

Great recipe. Omitted red pepper since it’s not traditional. I also added dill and parsley chopped to the salad. the herbs really elevate the whole dish. sumac is an absolute must I also added zaatar I found the dressing a little bit too sweet, so added more acid (lemon and some vinegar) next time I will probably use less of the pomegranate

Sara2 years ago

This was great, the sumac and pomegranate syrup really make a huge difference and make it taste authentic. I swapped the bell peppers with more tomato and it was fantastic. Will be making again very soon.

Private notes are only visible to you.