Fattoush with Toasted Pitta and Sumac
A bright, herb-filled bread salad with crisp vegetables, lemon–sumac dressing and golden toasted pitta. Add the cooled bread just before serving so it keeps some crunch.
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Servings
Originally developed for 4 servings.
Ingredient checklist
Method
- No timer needed
Heat the oven to 200°C conventional / 180°C fan, with a shelf in the middle. Split the pitta pockets into thin sheets and tear into roughly 3 cm pieces. Toss with 15 ml olive oil and 0.5 g salt, then spread in one loose layer on the baking tray. Avoid substantial overlap so the bread crisps rather than steams.
- 05:00
Once the oven is hot, bake the pitta for 7–12 minutes, turning after 5 minutes and checking from 7 minutes. It should be golden at the edges and dry and crisp, not dark brown; remove thinner pieces early if needed. Transfer to a plate or rack and cool uncovered for at least 5 minutes. While the oven heats and the bread bakes, prepare the salad and dressing below, pausing to turn and remove the bread.
- No timer needed
Wash the vegetables and herbs under running water, then dry thoroughly using a salad spinner or clean tea towel. Cut the lettuce into 3 cm pieces, tomatoes into 2 cm pieces and cucumber into 1.5 cm pieces; thinly slice the radishes. Roughly chop the parsley and tear the mint. Put everything in the large mixing bowl, leaving any large puddle of tomato juice on the chopping board. Do not salt the vegetables in advance.
- No timer needed
During the oven preheat, pause the vegetable preparation to finely grate the garlic into a small bowl. Whisk in 35 ml lemon juice, the sumac and 2.5 g salt. Leave for at least 5 minutes to moisten the sumac while you finish the vegetables, then whisk in the remaining 30 ml olive oil. Taste on a cucumber piece: add the extra lemon juice a teaspoon at a time only if needed. If particularly sharp or salty, start by using three-quarters of the dressing and reassess after tossing.
- No timer needed
When the pitta is completely cool and you are ready to serve, whisk the dressing again and toss it with the vegetables and herbs, adding it gradually to taste. Fold in two-thirds of the pitta, transfer to the platter and scatter the remaining third over the top. Serve straight away, ideally within 5 minutes of adding the bread.
Chef tips
- If the pitta is pale and flexible, return it to the oven for 1–3 minutes, then cool uncovered. Discard burnt pieces, which will make the salad bitter.
- A 30 × 40 cm tray should hold the split pitta in one loose layer. If yours is smaller, use two trays, swap their positions when turning the bread and check each independently.
- Avoid a watery salad by drying the produce thoroughly, leaving excess tomato juice behind and dressing only at serving time.
- Do not cover warm toasted pitta: trapped steam softens it. Reserve one-third for the top to preserve extra crunch.
Equipment check
- Oven
- Large baking tray, approximately 30 × 40 cm
- Chopping board and sharp knife
- Salad spinner or clean tea towel
- Small bowl and whisk
- Large mixing bowl, approximately 4 litres
- Plate or cooling rack
- Broad serving platter
Tags
Behind the dish.
Overview
This fattoush makes four generous side servings. Lemon and sumac give it a fruity sharpness, balanced by olive oil and fresh herbs. Split the pitta into thin sheets before toasting, dry the vegetables thoroughly and combine everything at the last moment for juicy vegetables and bread that still has crunch.
Ingredient notes
Use plain ground sumac rather than a salted seasoning blend; if yours contains salt, reduce the dressing salt. Little gem can replace romaine by trimmed weight. For a very watery cucumber, remove the loose seed core before weighing. Thin vegan flatbread can replace pitta but may toast faster. Extra lemon can replace some acidity if sumac is unavailable, but not its distinctive flavour.
Choose vegan pitta: some flatbreads contain milk. Standard pitta contains wheat/gluten and may contain sesame; check bread and spice labels. A gluten-free version requires suitable gluten-free bread and checked seasonings.
Serving & storage
Serve immediately as a side dish. For advance preparation, refrigerate the dried vegetables, herbs and dressing separately at 5°C or colder for up to 24 hours. Keep completely cooled pitta airtight at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Refrigerate dressed leftovers promptly, within 2 hours, at 5°C or colder and use within 48 hours. The bread will soften and the leaves will wilt. Freezing is not recommended.
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