Fattoush Salad Recipe

This Lebanese salad, also known as “fattoush salad”, is a simple pita bread salad bursting with crisp veggies and fresh herbs. Infused with the tangy, citrusy flavour of sumac spice, it’s a simple vegan side dish the whole family can enjoy. Light, crunchy, and fresh, we made this recipe extra easy by using our own Farm Boy™ Sea Salt Fattoush Chips and Farm Boy™ Lemon Garlic Dressing. Paired with delicious veggies and traditional seasoning, it’s a quick, refreshing salad recipe perfect for any season.

What Does “Fattoush” Mean?

The word fattoush comes from the Arabic word fatteh, which means “crumbs”, for the leftover pita bread that is used in this traditional Lebanese salad. Thus, “fattoush salad” is essentially a pita bread salad! Farmers would combine the leftover scraps of pita bread, fry them in oil to give them more flavour, and toss them with whatever in-season produce was around, like mixed greens, radishes, and tomatoes.

Authentic Middle Eastern fattoush salad would have you cut up the pita bread, fry it in oil, and add it to your salad, but our recipe makes things a little easier for when you’re short on time. We use our Farm Boy™ Sea Salt Fattoush Chips, which have already been fried in 100% coconut oil for an irresistible crunch that can stand up to the classic lemony dressing.

What’s the Difference Between Fattoush and Tabouleh?

While both fattoush salad and tabouleh salad come from Lebanese and Middle Eastern cuisine, they’re very different. The main component of a fattoush salad is the fried pita chips, while tabouleh salad is mostly made of chopped parsley, bulgur, tomatoes, and mint. Tabouleh is considered an herb salad while fattoush is a bread salad. Both are delicious! If you’d like to try tabouleh, you can pick some up fresh from your favourite Farm Boy store! Learn more about Farm Boy™ Tabouleh here.

What Are the Ingredients in Fattoush Salad?

Lettuce: Romaine lettuce is a crisp, crunchy lettuce that can stand up to the big flavours of this salad, but you can use iceberg or your other favourite salad greens if you’d prefer.

Cucumber: A key ingredient in many Middle Eastern salads, we opted for Lebanese cucumbers. If you only have English cucumbers on hand, those work well, too.

Tomatoes: Juicy, ripe tomatoes add bright flavour. We used grape tomatoes for this recipe, but cherry or Roma tomatoes will also do the trick. Just make sure they’re firm for the best taste (no one likes a watery tomato).

Green Onions: Some recipes call for red onion, but we prefer green. Green onions have a more mellow flavour, so they don’t overpower the salad.

Parsley: Not just a garnish! Parsley adds a delicious brightness and fresh taste without overwhelming the other ingredients.

Fresh Mint: Fresh is best! A full cup of fresh mint leaves is used in this recipe for a delicious, light taste.

Fattoush Chips: The star of our Fattoush Salad: Farm Boy™ Sea Salt Fattoush Chips. These pita chips are cooked using 100% coconut oil for an authentic taste and unparalleled crunch, and were inspired by the salad for which they’re named!

Sumac Spice: Sumac is a seasoning that’s popular in Middle Eastern recipes, and is a vital component of this salad. It has a tangy flavour with an earthy sweetness and notes of floral and citrus. There is really no other seasoning that compares, so we highly recommend picking it up. We use this spice mixed into the salad and sprinkled on top just before serving.

Lemon Dressing: A Farm Boy bestseller, our beloved Lemon Garlic Dressing hits all the right notes. Citrusy, bright, and tangy, it’s made with simple ingredients like lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, vinegar, and garlic, that pair beautifully with this recipe.

Tips for Making Fattoush Salad

1. Use the freshest produce possible. Our buyers are at the markets bright and early every morning to bring you the highest quality fruits and veggies. Look for firm, ripe produce and fresh, green herbs to get the best flavour. If you have any questions, ask a Team Member!
2. Don’t skip the sumac. Sumac spice is a vital part of a fattoush salad. The unique flavour of this seasoning gives it an extra something special to really make the tastes of this vegan salad stand out.
3. Use this recipe as a guide. This basic fattoush salad recipe can be jazzed up to suit your tastes. Add radish, peppers, roasted chickpeas, olives, and even cheese to make this salad your own.

Possible Recipe Variations

This salad recipe is meant to serve as a guide, so feel free to go wild when it comes to creating your own variations. A few of our suggestions:

Add radish: Many classic fattoush salads use radish as an ingredient. Be sure to slice them extra thinly for added crunch and a peppery flavour.

Add peppers: Looking to up your veggie intake? Green peppers are a fresh-tasting option that won’t overpower the salad and still keeps that all-important crunch.

Add roasted chickpeas: For an extra dose of protein, try roasting some chickpeas! Toss them with a bit of salt, pepper, and lemon juice, bake them, and enjoy!

Add olives: The briny, salty flavour of olives would be delicious in this salad, and adds a bit of Mediterranean inspiration. Our Farm Boy™ Castelvetrano Olives, Farm Boy™ Cerignola Giant Olives, and Farm Boy™ Kalamata Olives would all be excellent options.

Add cheese: The tang of crumbled goat or feta cheese would add a nice creaminess to this salad. We like our Farm Boy™ Barrel Aged Feta or Farm Boy™ Original Goat Cheese for this.

Add seasoned fattoush chips: Our line of fattoush chips has four different flavours: BBQ, Herb & Garlic, Salt & Vinegar, and Sea Salt. We kept things classic with our Sea Salt flavour, but our Farm Boy™ Herb & Garlic Fattoush Chips would be delicious in this salad.

Add lemon zest: Embrace the citrusy flavour of the sumac spice by adding a touch of fresh lemon zest with the other seasonings.

Add pomegranate molasses: Sweet and tart, a drizzle of pomegranate molasses is often used in Middle Eastern cuisine. Try adding a little Farm Boy™ Pomegranate Molasses to finish your fattoush salad for some extra dimension.