Recipes

“Fattoush” is a popular salad which originated in Northern Lebanon. The name of the dish comes from the Arabic root word, “fatteh” which means “crumbs.” Fattoush is basically a mix of vegetables, herbs, and a flavourful dressing topped with fried pieces of khubz (Arabic flatbread) and sumac.

Serves: 4 people

INGREDIENTS:

Vegetables:

• 4 medium tomatoes
• 2-3 small Persian cucumbers (or 1 English cucumber)
• 1 medium onion
• Seeds of 1 big pomegranate
• 1 pc. lemon, peeled and diced
• 2 pcs. medium pepper (any 2 colours will do)
• 1 medium head of Romaine lettuce
• 2 tbsps. Sumac
• ½ tsp. Fresh mint leaves, chopped (optional)

Crispy Khubz:

• 2 pcs. Arabic flatbread (khubz)
• 3-4 tbsps. Canola Oil (for frying)

Dressing:

• ½ tsp. ground Himalayan salt
• ? tsp. coarse ground black pepper
• 3 tbsps. Extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 2 tbsps. Pomegranate molasses

Directions:

1. First, in a colander, wash all vegetables thoroughly and drain well.
2. Second, chop all the vegetables: Romaine lettuce, tomatoes, and peppers to 1-1 ½” size or quartered to the same size. Slice the onion and the unpeeled cucumbers thinly. Mix all the veggies altogether in a salad bowl with the pomegranate seeds and the diced lemon. Put in the fridge to chill for 15-30 minutes.
3. In the meantime, prepare the dressing. In a small mixing bowl, blend all the ingredients well using a small whisk. Put it in the fridge also.
4. And then, for the Arabic flatbread, cut it up into 2” squares. In a pan, heat canola oil and fry the flatbread pieces evenly for 2 minutes or until they get crispy (not brown). Place on a plate with paper towel to drain excess oil. Set aside.
   (Or you can bake them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper for 5-10 minutes at 400º).
5. Finally, bring out the chilled vegetable salad. Pour just enough dressing and toss well with two salad forks. Right before serving, spread the fried khubz evenly then sprinkle on top with sumac (and the chopped mint leaves). Enjoy!

Tip: Add the dressing and the fried khubz just before serving to prevent the salad from being soggy. If you don’t use up all the dressing, keep in the fridge for the next batch.