I so enjoy chatting with Matt Swaim each Thursday morning on the Sonrise Morning Show/Sacred Heart Radio. Today it was all about Fattoush – that Lebanese salad that incorporates toasted pita and sumac in the recipe.

Fattoush, the word, is from the Arabic word “fatt,” meaning “crushed” or “crumbled,” referring to the bread pieces in the salad. It’s actually the root word of fattoush.

It’s an ancient salad. Lebanese farmers would combine their fresh produce harvest with fried leftover pita scraps in a bit of olive oil for extra flavor. And to build their fattoush, they’d simply mix everything up together, including any fresh herbs  on hand.

The ingredients for fattoush can be pretty varied. 

You will certainly find different versions of fattoush throughout the Middle East.The most commonly used vegetables in Fattoush include lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, radishes, and bell peppers. Onions and garlic can also be used for an added flavor punch.

What about the dressing?

The dressing usually includes lemon juice, olive oil, and a Middle Eastern spice called sumac, which lends a tart, lemony flavor to the dish.

FATOUSH PEASANT SALAD WITH PITA

1 head Romaine lettuce, coarsely chopped or other salad greens

1 English cucumber, diced

2-3 large tomatoes, chopped

1 bunch parsley, chopped (you may not need all of it)

2 bunches of mint, chopped – about 1/3 cup chopped

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 bunch green onions, finely sliced (you may not need all)

1 rib celery, sliced thin

1/2 to 1 cup of black or other olives, pitted 

1/2 teaspoon sumac plus extra for dusting onto plate edge

2 pita rounds, brushed with olive oil, toasted until golden brown but still chewy, cut into very small wedges or torn into pieces. 

Dressing:

Whisk together

Juice of 2 lemons or more to taste 

1/2 cup olive oil

Good amount of garlic: start with a nice clove, minced and

salt & pepper to taste 

Garnish:

Feta for sprinkling on top (optional)

Assembly: 

Put salad ingredients together. Sometimes I’ll make the salad and put the pita on a side plate in case there’s someone who can’t eat gluten. Sometimes I’ll mix the bread right in the salad. All depends… You do what you want! Anyway, toss with dressing. Pile onto plate. Sprinkle with Feta. Dust rim with sumac.

Serves 6.

Optional but good: Zaatar dusted pita:

Before toasting, sprinkle with zaatar 

Zaatar is a blend of thyme, oregano, marjoram, sesame seeds and sumac. Sumac comes from a shrub common in the Middle East which can grow up to 33 feet (the age which Jesus died). It has a tart, lemony flavor and the berries, or drupes, are called “bobs” and are dried to produce a red spice.