Lebanese Fattoush Recipes

FATTOUSH (LEBANESE TOMATO AND PITA SALAD)

Steps:

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Break pita into 1-inch pieces and toss with salad, just before taking salad to table. Taste, add seasonings if needed, and serve immediately.

LEBANESE FATTOUSH

Steps:

• Toss together the lettuce, cabbage, radish, cucumber, red bell pepper, carrot, corn, tomato, onion, garlic, parsley, mint, olive oil, pomegranate seeds, and pomegranate syrup in a large bowl.
• Heat oil in a deep-fryer or saucepan to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Fry the pita breads until golden in color. Remove to cool on paper towels. Crush the bread into small pieces; sprinkle over the salad.

LEBANESE FATTOUSH (BREAD SALAD)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place pita bread on a baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the bread is a light brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool, 1 to 2 minutes. Break toasted bread into bite-size pieces.
• Combine lettuce, radishes, cucumber, tomato, garlic, green onions, parsley, mint, and salt and pepper together in a bowl; toss until salad is well mixed.
• Pour lemon juice, olive oil, and sumac into a salad dressing bottle with a lid; cover and shake until blended. Add dressing to salad and toss.
• Garnish salad with toasted pita.

LEBANESE FATTOUSH SALAD

Steps:

• Make the Dressing: Whisk together the lemon juice, garlic, sumac, pomegranate molasses, dried mint, salt and pepper. Slowly stream in olive oil, whisking continuously until emulsified. Set aside.
• Fry the Pita Bread: In a large skillet, heat olive oil on medium heat. Add the pita bread and season with salt and pepper. Cook stirring frequently until the pita break becomes crispy and golden in color, about 5-7 minutes. Set aside.
• Place the lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, radishes, green onions and parsley in a large serving bowl. Pour the dressing on top and toss to combine.
• Add the fried pita bread to the salad immediately before serving.

AUTHENTIC LEBANESE FATTOUSH

Steps:

• Mix the water and cornstarch in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until thickened. Remove from heat, and mix in lemon juice, garlic, sumac, salt, and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• In a large bowl, toss together the lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, green onions, parsley, mint, bell pepper, purslane, and arugula. Toss with the dressing, and serve with pita.

FATTOUSH

Steps:

• The night before, toss together all the salad ingredients except for the pitta bread and sumac. Make up the dressing and season to taste. Leave these separate until the morning.
• The next morning, toast the pitta breads until lightly golden. When cool, tear into pieces and combine with the salad and dressing. Spoon into 2 plastic boxes and sprinkle over the sumac.

LEBANESE MEZZA DISHES: FATTOUSH, HOUMMUS, BABA GHANNOUJ

Steps:

• In a small bowl mix all dressing ingredients well.
• Put all salad ingredients in a large bowl and toss with 1/2 to 1 cup dressing. Serve immediately.
• Drain and dry chick peas. Put garlic in food processor and mince. Add chick peas and mince, scraping down the sides. Add salt, tahini and lemon juice. Mix. Taste. Add enough reserve chick pea juice to make a thick creamy consistency. You should be able to make an indentation in the hummus with a back of a spoon. Check taste again for additional lemon or salt.
• Serve on a platter and garnish with radishes, tomato roses, reserve chick peas, parsley and or cayenne pepper. Serve with olive oil and fresh pita bread.
• Slice eggplant in half lengthwise and put upside down on a greased foil lined pan. Put under a broiler until the outside skin is charred black and the pulp inside is soft (15 to 30 minutes). Scrape out eggplant and put in bowl to cool, preferably in refrigerator for several hours. Pour off extra liquid before using.
• In a food processor, mince garlic, and scrape down sides. Add eggplant, salt, and 1/4 cup tahini. Pulse the food processor to mix. Slowly add lemon juice. Taste. Adjust salt and lemon or tahini.
• Serve on a shallow platter and garnish with chopped parsley, miniature eggplant, tomato or radish roses. Serve with Lebanese pita bread.