This Fattoush Salad is a twist on the traditional Lebanese Dish focusing just on the delicious crunch and colour of all the vegetables and herbs included in this recipe leaving out the fried pita bits to make this salad a little friendlier to the waistline.
Fattoush is usually made with romaine lettuce but who says you can’t make a Fattoush Salad without lettuce? Am I right?
Every year around this time I start to get bored with lettuce salads. Summer is so exciting with all the fresh lettuce from my Mother In Laws garden or the fresh produce from the farmers stands in the area but then…. Ho Hum creeps in!
Does salad always need to be filled with mayo or filled with lettuce? Not this one… just a rainbow of crunchy veggies with a light lemony dressing.
Now I know that Fattoush Salad typically uses Sumac in the dressing and to be honest I am just too lazy to go on the hunt for this ingredient.
I look for recipes that have the things I need when I need them. I mean I am sure Sumac is great and all but who has time to find it? Really who? Out of pure curiosity I may go to a store in downtown called Nations next time I am nearby just to give it a try.
This store is known for having the most curious of ingredients from around the world.
I once saw Blue Chickens on sale there… and they were supposed to be blue not old ones left on the shelf and forgotten about.
For those who already have Sumac in their house or are interested in hunting some down I have included a dressing recipe with sumac and the one I used without.
SO WHAT IS SUMAC ANYWAY?
- Sumac is actually a type of bush that is indigenous to the Middle East and produces dark red berries
- The berries are dried and then crushed into a course powder adds a tartness to dishes similar to when lemons are used… that is why I use lemons (they are at the variety store)
- Has a tangy and lemony flavour but is less tart than lemons
- Since sumac is red so when used it gives a nice pop of colour to dishes and dressings
- Depending on where you live it may be hard to find but it is sold in many Middle Eastern Grocers, Ethnic Food Markets and can be ordered online.
To make this salad lighter and gluten free I chose to leave out the pita bread or middle eastern breads that have been fried or baked with olive oil until crispy like a chip.
If you like the added crunch go for it and add those crunchy bits back in.
FATTOUSH SALAD – GLUTEN FREE AND VEGAN
A colourful and crunchy take on Fattoush Salad with a scrumptious mix of fresh vegetables and herbs dressed with a tangy lemon vinaigrette dressing. A perfect side dish for chicken or fish.
If you like this recipe please give it a 5 star rating.
Fattoush Salad with a twist on the traditional Lebanese Dish focusing just on the delicious crunch and colour of all the vegetables and herbs included in this recipe leaving out the fried pita bits to make this salad a little friendlier to the waistline.
- 1 large English cucumber peeled and chopped into large chunks
- 7 oz radishes trimmed and quartered
- 6 oz cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 small red onion thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup mint leaves coarsely chopped
- 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley finely chopped
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp lemon zest finely grated
- 1 tsp honey
- 1/2 tsp sea salt or to taste
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Placed the cucumber, radishes, tomatoes, red onion, mint and parsley leaves in a medium sized bowl.
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In a smaller bowl add olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, honey and sea salt. Mix well and pour over top of vegetable mixture.
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Just before serving pour dressing over vegetables, toss and serve.
Add diced feta, olives, chopped romaine lettuce and/or crispy pita bread to add some added protein and fat and make a more filling salad for a complete lunch or dinner. Adding feta of course will no longer make this recipe vegan but would count as vegetarian.
Optional Fattoush Dressing with Sumac
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice, or more to taste
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced (or pressed)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground sumac
- (optional: 2-3 teaspoons honey, if you’d like a sweeter dressing)
This great recipe shared from Gimme Me Some Oven.
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This recipe can also be found on Full Plate Thursdays on Miz Helen’s Country Kitchen.
So basically this isn’t a Fatoush salad at all, no the same lettuce dressing and without crunchy pita.
Why call it what it isn’t. Arrogant of you. What you made is just vegetable salad. Very American and boring.
I am sorry you do not agree with my recipe. A Fattoush salad is characterized by a lemony vinaigrette, vegetable and the option of sumac. You are correct that most fattoush salads include fried pita chips but they are not essential the to recipe. I myself avoid gluten where possible and do not eat them on any fattoush salads I get. The fresh herbs and vegetables with the citrus vinaigrette are what make this salad what it is. Anyone is absolutely free to add pita chips to this recipe if they like and I will take your recommendation and include this as an option in this recipe. Thank your for your insight.
I love crunchy food! This is going to be so good!
I love this combination for a delicious summer salad! Hope you are having a wonderful week and thanks so much for posting with Full Plate Thursday!
Miz Helen
Look at this refreshing and vibrant-looking salad. A perfect treat for summer!
This salad looks great and so healthy! I bet it would be great for meal prep too!
I love this salad. It’s always so fresh and crisp. I never thought to enjoy it with fish though, thank you for the recommendation.
I love crunchy veg salad and you are right, lettuce gets boring after a while. I’d be tempted to add in the fried pita bread. That’s the part I like most about fattoush!
This will be perfect to add to my diet, I am trying to become vegan over the next 10 years… hey you got to try somewhere!
I have only had fattoush once. It was in a pita! I have all the ingredients to make this tasty recipe. It is going to be like a million degrees here this weekend. This will be awesome.
Yes, lettuce can definitely get a little boring sometimes. And I love a good tabbouleh so I’m sure I’ll love this fattoush too!
We love cucumber, this salad is perfect and so healthy. On our list to make this weekend. Thank you for this recipe!
My pleasure!
This is the perfect summer salad. I love that it is a healthier option with an optional light dressing.