Who else love this time of the year when veggies actually taste better and fresher and you can pick them from your garden or buy them from farmer’s market. I certainly do! I’ve been enjoying mounds of this Fattoush salad for the past few days since I have lettuce and small radish growing in my kitchen garden. If you are a gardener you know that lettuce and radish are the first ones to be harvested in your garden. I just clip leaves from one plant every day and the stumps regenerate to give a second cutting a couple weeks later.
Fattoush is a flavorful bread salad served in the Lebanese and other Arabic cuisines. It was traditionally known as peasant salad because farmers would just throw in various vegetables, leafy greens and herbs into the bowl to build up a substantial salad. It starts like any other chunky raw salad but the zesty vinaigrette with sumac and pomegranate molasses makes this salad unique. If you want to make Fattoush salad in its purest form then you must make a trip to the middle eastern specialty store to buy these two ingredients or order online. They give the salad a distinctively bright and tart flavor combined with complex sweetness.
Making Fattoush salad is a total breeze. It typically combines summer veggies, herbs and fried pita. I air fried the Gf bread in my recipe. It gives the same crunch without the fried taste or the calories. Add the vinaigrette when it’s serving time, just toss everything together, plate it, and serve! The vinaigrette keeps well in the fridge for several days so you might want to make extra!
The salad is fresh, crunchy, tangy, colorful and just simply delicious! I sometimes add mango for the added sweetness. This is a great summer salad to bring to a backyard bbq or summer party. It is low in calories (if you don’t add mango and leave out bread), dairy-free and perfect for an afternoon lunch with grilled meat, poultry or fish.
Ingredients
- 1 head Romaine lettuce, cut or torn into bite size pieces (can use any salad greens)
- 3 Persian or mini cucumbers, sliced
- 1 red onion, sliced
- 1 green bell pepper, cut into 1" pieces
- 6-8 large radishes, quartered
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 handful of parsley, coarsely chopped
- 1 handful of mint, coarsely chopped
- 3 -4 slices gluten free bread
- 2 clove garlic, crushed
- 1/3 cup cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 1/2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
- 1 teaspoon sumac
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 tsp, finely minced mint (optional)
Instructions
- Cut bread slices into 3/4" strips.
- Set air fryer temp to 275 F. Place bread strips in the air fryer basket. Air fry for 20 minutes.
- Add all salad ingredients to a large bowl or platter.
- Make vinaigrette by adding all ingredients to a blender or a jar and whisk ingredients until blended.
- Dress the salad with the vinaigrette and toss lightly.
- Finally, add the crisp bread strips with an extra sprinkle of sumac if you like, and toss one more time.
- Transfer to small serving bowls or plates. Enjoy!
Emma - Bake Then Eat
I adore Middle Eastern food and fattoush salad is one of my favourites. I too never fry the bread, I usually just pop it in the oven until it crisps up, I always keep sumac and pomegranate molasses on hand as this is such a simply tasty dish to make.
angiesrecipes
Very refreshing and tasty! The home grown salads make all the difference, don’t they?
Balvinder
Absolutely Angie!
Monika Dabrowski
Sounds great with all the crunchy refreshing ingredients in it, and I really like the dressing. Plus your lettuce looks gorgeous!
Dolly Aizenman
Lovely salad, dear Bal, and very healthy as well. Thank you for sharing!
Balvinder
You are welcome, Dolly! how are you my dear? Long time hunh..
Maria
Pomegranate molasses is such a lovely addition to this salad! Must pick up the flavours and make each bite a whole lot juicier. Fresh ingredients straight from the garden make all the difference to a salad, right!
Balvinder
Definitely, Maria! The thick and tangy vinaigrette permeates every single bite of the salad.
Liz
I definitely need to pick up some sumac and pomegranate molasses! This looks like my kind of salad (and a good excuse to buy more radishes).
Kelly | Foodtasia
Balvinder, your lettuce is beautiful! I’m so inspired to grow my own now. Fattoush is the perfect way to enjoy the season’s fresh lettuce!
Iryna
How lucky you are to have fresh lettuce growing in your garden! This Fattoush salad looks absolutely delicious and perfect for summer.
Pradipta (FavCounter)
You are blessed with homegrown green. I also grow some veggies in my garden. Growing green is not only good for health but also spending time with nature gives a gardener a healthy stress-free mind
Judee
I’ve seen fattoush salad on menus in restaurants, but I always pass because I am gluten free. I never thought to make my own using gluten free bread. Thanks for an interesting recipe. I am so impressed with how beautiful your lettuce looks.