• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Plant Based Folk
  • Recipes
  • Lebanese
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Lebanese
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Lebanese
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
×

Home » Salads

Fattoush Salad (My Family's Recipe - الفتوش)

Published: Mar 25, 2021 · Modified: Dec 8, 2022 by Janelle Hama

368 shares
Jump to Recipe

This fattoush recipe is unchanged from my childhood, passed down from my mother from hers and so forth. Fattoush is Lebanon’s version of a garden salad with sour dressing and toasted pita bread for extra crunch.

fattoush lebanese salad in a brown plate
Fresh, crunchy and sour fattoush salad

This website receives a commission/fee for each purchase bought through the affiliate links on this website

Jump to:
  • What is Fattoush Salad?
  • 😋Why you’ll love this recipe
  • 🥬Ingredients You’ll Need
  • 🔪How To Make Fattoush Salad
  • 💡What to serve with?
  • 🌟Pro Tips
  • 🥗Variations
  • 🥗Related Recipes
  • Fattoush Salad (My Family's Recipe - الفتوش)

What is Fattoush Salad?

Fattoush (الفتوش), pronounced as "faht-toosh" in Arabic and sometimes written as Fatoush, Fatoosh or Fatush in English.

It is one of the national salads of Lebanon; it's made with a variety of chopped vegetables and fried pita bread pieces tossed through a sour dressing, which is served almost always with lunch or dinner. 

Nowadays, there are variations where the bread (typically Lebanese flat bread) is baked until golden or omitted altogether.

😋Why you’ll love this recipe

  • It’s refreshing easy to make, and packed with fresh vegetables and herbs
  • It pairs with so many foods
  • It's dietary friendly, naturally vegan, corn free, soy free, nut free and can be made gluten free

🥬Ingredients You’ll Need

fatush ingredients

Note - Lebanese cucumber is also known as Persian cucumber.

Fattoush dressing ingredients

Notes on some of the ingredients, the full list of ingredients and their measurements can be found in the recipe card below.

Cos Lettuce (Romaine) is the best lettuce for this salad, however, Iceberg lettuce can be used also, as they are very similar.

Purslane is a wonderful green that is usually found growing in your backyard. It can be found at a Middle Eastern grocer. Personally, fattoush isn't complete without it.

Purslane can be consumed both raw or cooked, try my purslane puff pastry pockets. If you can’t get your hands on purslane, just leave it out. Here's a quick list of purslane recipes.

Lebanese pita bread (affiliate link) - can be found at your local supermarket or online. You can use either white or brown varieties.

If you prefer to opt-out of bread, you replace it with red cabbage for some crunch.

Fattoush Salad Dressing

Sumac (affiliate link) - a widely used red spice (from the sumac berries) across the Middle East.

Sumac has a wonderful sour taste and is a key flavor in fatoush salad dressing. Sumac can be found in your local supermarket or online (affiliate link). Skipping this ingredient is not recommended.

Pomegranate Molasses (affiliate link) - another key flavor of fattoush which again has a light sour taste and a slight sweetness. Available at your local supermarket or purchased online - my go-to brand is Cortas. Skipping this ingredient is not recommended.

Fresh lemon juice is best as it elevates the sourness.

Try and only use extra virgin olive oil which is a key ingredient in the dressing. If you are on an oil-free diet, just leave it out.

Mint - my family loves using the combination of fresh and dried mint. It really does boost the flavor. It is best to mix this up with the dressing.

fatush salad top down view

🔪How To Make Fattoush Salad

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1 - Bake Lebanese flatbread in a preheated oven at 180C (356F) until golden brown. Approx. 5 minutes. Set aside.

Step 2 -  Whisk all fattoush salad dressing ingredients together, set aside

Step 3 - In a large bowl, combine all vegetables and herbs and toss through the fattoush dressing.

Place fattoush on a serving plate and crush baked Lebanese bread into bite-sized pieces on top. Serve immediately

💡What to serve with?

Fattoush salad is generally served with all types of mishwe (Arabic word for bbq), try the tastiest vegan tofu skewers based on the flavors of shish tawook.

Or enjoy it with dishes such as vegan Lebanese kibbeh (a burghul type of loaf), Mujadara (lentils and rice), Mujadara Hamra (lentils and bulgur), or any of the types of mujadara.

Vegetable rice (mixed veggies with toasted nuts) or try the delicious bulgur pilav in a base of fresh tomatoes.

It is also delicious with maklouba, an extravagant dish of upside-down rice and vegetables.

Fatoush salad in a white bowl

🌟Pro Tips

All cups are loosely filled

Adjusting the dressing - Pomegranate molasses (affiliate link) will darken this salad considerably if too much is added.

If you are wanting to increase the amount of sumac, I recommend doing this little amount at a time as it can be too strong for some people. 

For a crunchy fatoush, add the dressing just before serving and don’t mix the bread through or serve it on the side.

For a juicy fattoush - add the dressing 30 minutes prior to serving. All the ingredients would’ve had the time to soak in the juices, then add the broken pita pieces on top just before serving

🥗Variations

Traditionally Fattoush uses fried Lebanese pita bread, baking the bread is a healthier alternative.

Garlic - a couple of cloves of garlic can be crushed into the dressing if desired.

On rare occasions, I do this (add garlic), though it is not traditionally used in my family’s fatoush salad recipe.

🥗Related Recipes

Try Lebanon's other national salad called taboule (you might want to learn about tabbouleh vs fattoush, and what is the difference) or this common Arabic salad.

Here are a few other's to try, a refreshing cucumber and yogurt salad, quinoa taboula, or my go-to when I am short on time but want something filling is balela.

Rocca Salad is much simpler, made with arugula as the main leafy green. Or one made of cabbage called Malfouf Salad.

Otherwise, for something more starchy, tuck into Lebanese potato salad.

I've also put together a list of Lebanese salads.

I recommend checking out my glass noodle salad, it's refreshingly good, albeit not Lebanese.

  • a collage of four different salads in bowls
    Delicious Lebanese Salads
  • a bowl of chopped mushroom salad
    Easy Raw Mushroom Salad With Balsamic Vinegar
  • Best Lebanese Tahini Salad
  • a white plate with chopsticks filled with cucumber and chilli flakes dressing
    Smacked Spicy Cucumber Salad Without Soy Sauce

Did you enjoy making this recipe? I would love to hear from you, leave me a comment below and give me a ★★★★★ rating. If you love sharing your vegan food pics, join the PBF community group

fatoush salad top down view

Fattoush Salad (My Family's Recipe - الفتوش)

This fattoush recipe is unchanged from my childhood, passed down from my mother from hers and so forth. Fattoush is Lebanon’s version of a garden salad with sour dressing and toasted pita bread for extra crunch.
Print Pin Rate Save Recipe Saved Recipe
Course: Salad, side
Cuisine: Lebanese, Middle Eastern
Diet: Vegan
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Author: Janelle Hama

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Tomato chopped, bite sized
  • 2 cups Cos Lettuce (Romaine) chopped
  • 2 cups Lebanese cucumber chopped, bite-sized
  • 1 cup Capsicum (Bell pepper) chopped, bite-sized
  • ¾ cup White Onion chopped, bite-sized
  • ½ cup Radish sliced
  • ½ cup Purslane roughly chopped, take hard parts of stalk off
  • ¼ cup Fresh mint chiffonade (thinly sliced)
  • ¼ cup Fresh parsley roughly chopped, take hard parts of stalk off
  • 1 piece Lebanese pita bread

Fattoush Dressing

  • ¼ cup Lemon juice freshly squeezed
  • ⅓ cup Olive oil extra virgin
  • 1 teaspoon Salt or to taste
  • ½ teaspoon Sumac heaped
  • ½ teaspoon Pomegranate Molasses
  • ½ teaspoon Dried mint
Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

  • Bake Lebanese flatbread in a preheated oven 180C (356F) until golden brown. Approx. 5 minutes. Set aside.
    1 piece Lebanese pita bread
  • Whisk all fattoush salad dressing ingredients together, set aside
    ¼ cup Lemon juice, 1 teaspoon Salt, ½ teaspoon Sumac, ½ teaspoon Pomegranate Molasses, ½ teaspoon Dried mint, ⅓ cup Olive oil
  • In a large salad bowl, combine all vegetables and herbs and toss through the fattoush dressing. Place fattoush in a serving plate and crush baked Lebanese bread into bite sized pieces on top. Serve immediately
    2 cups Tomato, 2 cups Cos Lettuce, 2 cups Lebanese cucumber, 1 cup Capsicum, ¾ cup White Onion, ½ cup Radish, ½ cup Purslane, ¼ cup Fresh mint, ¼ cup Fresh parsley

Notes

The fattoush dressing can be made ahead and stored in the fridge. Adjusting the dressing - pomegranate molasses will darken this salad considerably if too much is added. 
All cups are loosely filled
For a crunchy fatoush salad, add the dressing just before serving and don’t mix the bread through or serve it on the side.
For a juicy fattoush - add the dressing (except pita bread) 30 minutes prior to serving. All the ingredients would’ve had the time to soak in the juices, then place the broken bread pieces on top.
Traditionally Fattoush uses fried Lebanese pita bread, baking the bread is a healthier alternative.
What to serve with?
Fattoush is one of Lebanon’s national salads (the other is quinoa taboula).  It is served generally with all types of mishwe (Arabic word for bbq) or with dishes such as vegan kibbeh, Mujaddara, Mujadara hamra, vegetable rice.
 
Another Lebanese salad to check out is my Rocca Salad. It's a much simpler salad made with arugula as the main leafy green.
 
 

Equipment

Bowl
baking sheet

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 115kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 850mg | Potassium: 542mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 4370IU | Vitamin C: 76mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 1mg

N.B., nutrition info is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. This will vary based on the specific ingredients you use.


Tried this recipe?Mention @Plantbasedfolk or tag #plantbasedfolk

More Salads

  • a bowl of colourful chopped salad
    Easy Arabic Salad سلطة
  • a white bowl with silver cutlery and chopped cucumbers shredded carrot salad
    Easy Carrot Cucumber Salad With Tahini Dressing
  • a white plate filled with sliced tomato onion salad with specks of green herbs
    Easy Tomato and Onion Salad with Sumac
  • a ceramic bowl filled with white beans in green herbs and red chili
    Lebanese Butter Bean Salad

Reader Interactions

Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




  1. Natalie

    April 01, 2023 at 7:29 am

    5 stars
    I tried another recipe before this and it wasn't quite right from what I'm used to having at restaurants. This recipe however is SPOT ON. Absolutely delicious as it is and is good for the days after I make it. I've recently started adding a small amount of lemon zest (like a 1/4 teaspoon give or take) to bring out the lemon flavor and it sings (and lasts longer flavor wise) beautifully. Thank you for sharing!
    -Natalie

    Reply
  2. Tabbie

    April 27, 2022 at 9:14 am

    5 stars
    love a good fattoush salad! this one is super tasty

    Reply
  3. Fay

    February 07, 2022 at 3:39 pm

    5 stars
    Your fattoush salad is now my new favorite salad. Please keep sharing your vegan Lebanese food. Can you share a vegan kafta recipe?

    Reply
  4. Tina

    February 06, 2022 at 2:34 pm

    5 stars
    Lovely fresh and sour salad.

    Reply
  5. Jules

    January 22, 2022 at 4:48 pm

    5 stars
    beautiful salad, beautiful ingredient. SO FRESH. I just pinned this. : )

    Reply
« Older Comments

Primary Sidebar

A female brunette dressed in black and an apron juggling lemons

Hello, I'm Janelle, a culinary enthusiast with over two decades of cooking experience and a keen interest in creating delicious vegan Lebanese recipes.

Let's cook together!

More about me →

Recipes Not to Miss

  • a red casserole pot with okra stew
    Bamia (Okra Stew)
  • a close up of fattoush in a brown plate
    Fattoush Salad (My Family's Recipe - الفتوش)
  • Warak Enab (Lebanese Grape Leaves)
  • a stack of three rice cakes topped with chocolate, peanut butter and nuts
    Rice Cake with Peanut Butter and Chocolate
a yellow cup of coffee with text reading buy me a coffee

Find me on social media.


PBF COOKBOOK MOCKUP

As Featured On

various logos where Plant Based Folk has been featured

Footer

^ back to top

About

Accessibility Policy
Blog
Contact
Cookies Policy
Disclosure
Privacy Policy
Privacy Policy (GDPR)
Storefront
Terms of Use

Newsletter

Sign Up! for emails and updates

Contact

Work with me
Social media
Advertise

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2023 Plant Based Folk