This fattoush salad is light, refreshing, and loaded with Middle Eastern flavors. Tossed with toasted pita bread and a bright, citrusy dressing, this recipe makes for the perfect lunch or side salad for any get together!
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So...what even is a fattoush salad? It’s a Middle Eastern chopped vegetable salad made with thinly sliced cucumbers, radishes, tomato, toasted pita chips, and tons of fresh mint and parsley. The veggies and herbs are coarsely chopped or sliced, making it a super quick and easy salad to throw together. I definitely put my own twist on this recipe but it is still very much inspired by it's Lebanese origin.
I love the flavors in this salad so much! I find I eat it the most in the summer or early fall, as it's super fresh and loaded with nice, crunchy textures. This salad is healthy, easy to make & customize, vegan, plant-based, and can be made gluten-free. Alright, enough chatting, let's make the best fattoush salad ever.
Key Ingredients
This salad is made with fresh herbs and veggies, which gives it a nice variety of flavor and textures that work really well together:
- Chickpeas: this isn't traditionally in a fattoush salad, but I always like to throw in some plant-based protein when I can!
- Mini Cucumbers: these bring so much freshness to the salad!
- Radishes: I love radishes in salads! They add such a nice peppery crunch.
- Red Onion: to add some flavor and crunch. If red onion is too strong for you, feel free to use a shallot for something a bit milder.
- Cherry Tomatoes: a sweet burst of flavor that helps to balance out the other peppery/tangy flavors throughout the salad.
- Vegan Feta Cheese: this is another ingredient that's not traditionally in a fattoush salad but I NEED it in this salad. It adds some creaminess and a bit of tang. Plus, feta pairs so well with all of the other ingredients in here.
- Herbs: mint and parsley are the stars of the show here! They really elevate this salad and add a ton of freshness.
- Pita Bread: toasted pita bread acts as our croutons. The pita bread adds such a nice crunch and since they're nice and crunchy, they don't get soggy or soak up too much dressing.
- Sumac: Okay, I know sumac isn't really a traditional household spice, but trust me, you need it. It's such a key ingredient even though we're only sprinkling it on top. I promise after having it in this salad, you'll want to put it on everything.
- Lemon Vinaigrette: A citrusy vinaigrette is a classic fattoush salad dressing. Our lemon vinaigrette is made from olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and sumac.
Instructions
Salads are so great not only because they're so customizable but because they're so quick and easy to make! This recipe is no different:
- Toast the pita bread until it's hard. Keep an eye on it, as you don't want it to burn. I toasted mine in a convection oven for a total of 8 minutes, flipping it half way through. It should be toasted enough that you can snap it in half and crumble it, rather than tearing it apart because it's soft.
- While the pita bread is toasting, toss together chickpeas, sliced cucumbers, sliced radishes, diced red onion, chopped cherry tomatoes, and herbs.
- In a small bowl or mason jar, whisk together the salad dressing.
- When you're ready to serve, add the salad dressing and toss. Crumble the pita bread into the salad and toss to combine. Add in the feta, sprinkle with sumac, and enjoy!
Recipe Variations/Substitutions
I love this recipe as is, but like any salad, this one is totally customizable. Here are a few suggestions that work well:
Leave out the chickpeas. A traditional fattoush salad doesn't have them, so totally okay if you want to skip them!
Make this fattoush salad gluten free by using gluten-free pita bread.
Change up the dressing! You can use any vegan dressing for this. I suggest a lime vinaigrette, a fresh mint dressing, or a vegan yogurt dressing.
Expert Tips
- Let the veggies and dressing rest for a few minutes before adding the pita. This will the veggies times to really soak up all those flavors.
- Toast the pita bread until it's hard. Seriously, you should need to crack it by hand or put it in a bag and smash it on the counter rather than gently pulling it apart like you can before it's toasted. It might seem unappealing on its own, but the pita will slowly soften once it mixes with the dressing. It adds the perfect crunch!
- Don't skip the sumac! It might seem silly, it's just a spice and one that isn't so common, but I promise it's worth picking up. Such a little amount adds so much unique flavor.
- Meal prep this salad/make it ahead of time by keeping the dressing stored in a separate container and only adding it once you're ready to serve!
FAQ
Fattoush salad will stay fresh in the fridge for up to 4 days. I highly recommend storing the salad and the dressing separately, if possible. Otherwise, the salad will get incredibly soggy.
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📖 Recipe
Fattoush Salad
Ingredients
Fattoush Salad
- 2 pita breads toasted and crumbled
- 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 5 mini cucumbers sliced
- 8 radishes sliced
- ½ red onion diced
- ½ pint cherry tomatoes chopped
- 1 oz mint
- ½ bunch of flat leaf parsley
- 6 ounces vegan feta cheese crumbled
- ½ teaspoon sumac
Lemon Vinaigrette
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ¼ freshly-squeezed lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon sumac
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Toast the pita bread until it's hard. Keep an eye on it, as you don't want it to burn. It should be toasted enough that you can snap it in half and crumble it, rather than tearing it apart because it's soft.2 pita breads
- While the pita bread is toasting, toss together chickpeas, sliced cucumbers, sliced radishes, diced red onion, chopped cherry tomatoes, vegan feta cheese and herbs & sumac.1 can chickpeas, 5 mini cucumbers, 8 radishes, ½ red onion, ½ pint cherry tomatoes, 1 oz mint, ½ bunch of flat leaf parsley
- In a small bowl or mason jar, whisk together the salad dressing.⅓ cup olive oil, ¼ freshly-squeezed lemon juice, 1 clove garlic, salt and pepper, 1 teaspoon sumac
- When you're ready to serve, add the salad dressing and toss. Crumble the pita bread into the salad and toss gently to combine. Add in the feta, sprinkle with sumac, and enjoy!6 ounces vegan feta cheese, ½ teaspoon sumac
Lauren
Love this salad so much! The pita in it is so perfect