Fattoush

View from Old Yafo

(ingredients for two): 

I am not of Arabic descent, nor do I claim to be an expert in Arabic cuisine. I do, however, enjoy replicating delicious dishes that I enjoy around the world. This specific recipe comes from a fabulous Fattoush salad that I enjoyed at the Balloons Pizza Restaurant in Bethlehem. Tried and tested, my recipe tastes *almost* as good as theirs.

Enjoy my recipe for this simple, refreshing, Mediterranean salad.

For the Salad:

3 cups chopped green leafy lettuce (preferably the green tops of romaine)

1 medium tomato (or a handful of cherry tomatoes)

2 small Persian cucumbers 

1 small purple onion

Optional:

1/2 Bell Pepper 

1/2 cup fresh mint 

1/4 cup sliced red raddishes 

For the Croutons:

1 small whole wheat (or any) pita

Sumac (pictured)

Zaatar (pictured)

olive oil 

Sumac (Red) and Zaatar (Green)

For the Dressing: 

Juice of one and one half lemon 

Olive Oil

Salt

Sumac

Zaatar (Hyssop) 

Instructions:

1. Wash all of your vegetables. 

 2. Chop all of your vegetables and thow into a big mixing bowl

 3. Add Sumac (about 1 tablespoon) , Zaatar (1-2 tablespoons), and salt (to taste) to your salad

 5.  Add Olive Oil (I just drizzle for a few seconds) and freshly squeezed Lemon Juice.


Side Note:  For whatever reason, no matter how hard I tried, my salads were always lacking something. So I once asked a friend of mine how to make authentic Arabic salad, and invited him to make it for me so that I could learn. First, he was not afraid to drizzle as much olive oil as needed in order to dress the salad. Second, he added salt (When you think you've added enough, add more!). Third, he said, "God gave us two hands for a reason", and proceeded to toss the salad with his hands, making sure that every last piece of beautifully diced vegetable was coated with perfect amounts of seasoning, lemon juice and olive oil. Bottom line, when you cook never be afraid to "infuse" your dishes with your uniqueness!

Making the Croutons:

 1. Prepare your ingredients.

2. Cut Pita bread into thin strips. I like using a food scissors because it gives me control and precision when cutting the pita in strips.

 3. Season bread strips with Sumac, Zaatar, and Kosher Salt. Drizzle with enough olive oil to coat the strips, and toss.

 4. Bake the strips at 150 degrees Celsius (or 300 degrees Fahrenheit). Make sure that you pay close attention to the pita strips. Olive oil has a much lower burning temperature than other oils, which could cause your pita chips to burn fast. It is always better to bake the chips at a lower temperature for longer than to blast them at a high temerature. If you decide to bake at a high temperature, make sure you keep your eyes on the chips at all times, removing them immediately if they begin to burn.

Transfer your salad to a serving bowl, and top with pita chips

My Fattoush Salad

Enjoy!