These satisfying salads, like Italian Panzanella or this Middle Eastern fattoush, are made by tossing together leftover bread, colorful vegetables, and a tangy dressing.
What Is Fattoush?
Fattoush is a version of bread salad made throughout the Middle East using leftover pita bread. The pita flatbreads are cut into pieces and either fried or baked before being tossed with fresh vegetables and dressing. I like baking the pita since this avoids the need for a vat of hot oil. Baking also gives you small chips that add a delightful crunch to the salad. The chips are so addictive you’ll find yourself making them often, for all kinds of purposes.
How to Prepare the Pita
Use scissors to snip the pita rounds into small squares and rectangles, then toss them with olive oil and spread onto a baking sheet to bake. Don’t worry about whether they’re in a single layer or clustered together. Stir and flip them a couple of times during baking until they’re golden and crisp.
Ingredients for Fattoush
Assemble the salad with cucumbers, radishes, tomatoes, scallions, and red onion, but wait until just before serving to toss it with the dressing so that everything stays crisp. Be sure to use plenty of mint and lemon juice! All together, you have one of summer’s most refreshing bowls.
Prepare the pita chips up to several days ahead. Keep them in an airtight container (a large canning jar is great for this) at room temperature. If they seem a little soft or stale when you’re ready to make your salad, just pop them back in the oven for a few minutes to crisp up again.Chop all the vegetables—except the tomatoes!—up to a day ahead. Toss the chopped vegetables together in an airtight container and store in the fridge. Wait to cut the tomatoes until just before serving for best flavor and texture.
Make This Salad Your Own
Feel free to swap the veggies for what you have on hand. Just about any ripe summer vegetable would be great in this salad. Likewise, you can make the salad dressing with whatever fresh herbs you have on hand. For an even more authentic Middle Eastern experience, add purslane and a few pinches of sumac to your dressing!
Try These Other Middle Eastern Salads!
Jeweled Rice Salad Tabbouleh Cucumber Salad with Tahini Dressing Mediterranean Chickpea Bowls Orange Blossom Carrot Salad
