Recipe courtesy of Jeanette and the League of Kitchens

One of the more popular salads from Lebanon, fattoush belongs to a group of recipes that utilize flatbread as a main ingredient as it stales easily and requires creative uses before it goes to waste. The salad takes very well to most any greens or vegetables – Jeanette loves to add purslane when she finds it in the market. To serve, some people toss the pita chips in with the salad but she prefers to keep them separate so they remain crispy longer. The traditional way to eat? Grab some salad with your fingers, including a crispy pita, and enjoy.

Heat the canola oil in a large pot over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the pita, in batches, and stir until they turn golden brown and crispy, 2 to 4 minutes per batch. Remove to a plate.

Pita Chips:
1 cup canola oil
Two 9-inch round thin pita breads, halved, cut into 1 ½ inch pieces
 
Fattoush:
1 head romaine, cored, thinly sliced
4 Persian cucumbers, halved lengthways, cut into 1/4inch slices
4 large plum tomatoes, halved and cut into 3/4-inch slices
3 radishes, thinly sliced
1/2 small onion, thinly sliced
1/2 a small red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 a small yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/4 of small green pepper, thinly sliced
1 very large bunch scallions, greens only, sliced
1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems, chopped
1 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
3 tablespoons picked fresh thyme leaves
2 large cloves garlic
1 tablespoon dried mint
1 tablespoon sumac (see Cook’s Notes)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (see Cook’s Notes)
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon za’atar (see Cook’s Notes)

Layer the lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, radishes, onion, bell peppers, scallion greens, parsley, mint, and thyme in a large serving bowl. Grate the garlic over top. Sprinkle the dried mint, sumac, salt, Aleppo pepper, and allspice over the vegetables. Pour the olive oil, lemon juice, and vinegar over the salad. Toss to combine. Sprinkle the za’atar across the top.
 
To serve, mound the pita chips in the middle of the salad.

Makes 4 to 6 servings
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 5 minutes

Cook’s Notes: Sumac is a spice that has a bright lemony flavor. It’s a deep red powder that comes from grinding up the fruit of the sumac plant. Sumac is used in many Middle Eastern dishes and can be found in Middle Eastern markets and specialty stores.
 
Aleppo pepper is milder than crushed red chili peppers and has a subtle sweetness. Jeanette uses Aleppo pepper instead of paprika in her dishes.
 
The spice blend za’atar is widely used in Middle Eastern cooking. Variations abound, but usually it includes dried wild thyme or oregano, sumac, sesame seeds, and salt.

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