Fattoush is one of the most well-known of Arabic salads and a standard dish on the mezza table. It’s a colorful tossed salad with a lemony garlic dressing, and if you’ve never made a single Arabic dish, this is a delicious and healthy place to start.

Like most Arabic dishes, the ingredients and proportions can vary. However, all cooks agree that the one essential ingredient to this rustic salad is its crispy pieces of Arabic bread which serve as a kind of Middle Eastern croutons. Claudia Rodin refers to fattoush as “Bread Salad.”

Optional Specialty Ingredients

A few optional ingredients can give fattoush a more authentic flavor. First, sumac, a deep red spice, adds a pleasant lemony taste and an extra layer of zest. Next, pomegranate syrup, one of my favorite Middle Eastern ingredients, provides a lovely sweet-and-sour tang. Finally, some insist that fattoush must include purslane, a pale green herb with pear-shaped leaves. If you can’t get your hands on these ingredients, don’t despair. You can still make a terrific fattoush salad without them.

Below is my recipe for fattoush. It contains the basic ingredients, plus a few optional add-ons. With this method, you can make the salad an hour or two in advance and toss it together just before serving. Always use the freshest ingredients possible.

FATTOUSH SALAD

Serves 6

Ingredients

3 Arabic flat breads

3 medium firm ripe tomatoes, chopped

2-3 small cucumbers, quartered lengthwise and sliced

1 green pepper, seeded and chopped into small pieces

5 small radishes, sliced thinly

6 green onions (scallions), sliced thinly

1 small bunch of fresh mint, leaves only, chopped finely (about ¼ cup)

1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped finely (about ¼ cup)

1 small bunch purslane, tender leaves only (optional)

6 large leaves romaine lettuce, chopped into bite-sized pieces

Dressing:

1/3 cup lemon juice

1/3 cup olive oil

1-2 cloves garlic, pressed or chopped

½ teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper

1-2 teaspoons pomegranate syrup (optional)

1 teaspoon sumac, or more to taste (optional)

Method

1. Toast the bread. Traditionally, the pieces of Arabic bread are fried. As a healthier option, cut each round of Arabic bread into two and split into two layers. Brush lightly with olive oil or skip the oil entirely. Place bread on baking sheet and bake in a moderate oven 350° F/180° C for 5 minutes. Turn and repeat until crisp and lightly toasted. (The thinner the bread, the quicker it toasts.) Break the bread into bite-sized “croutons.”
2. In the bottom of a large salad bowl, place ingredients in this order: tomatoes, cucumber, green pepper, radishes, green onion, chopped herbs and finally, the chopped lettuce. Leave ingredients layered in the bowl until ready to serve.
3. Prepare the dressing. In a small measuring cup, add the olive oil and lemon juice. Wisk in the garlic, salt, pepper, as well as sumac and pomegranate syrup, if using.
4. Just before serving, gently toss the salad to mix the layers. Add the dressing, just enough to lightly coat the salad.
5. Garnish the top of the salad with toasted pieces of Arabic bread and an extra sprinkle of sumac, if desired. Serve with extra dressing and “croutons” on the side.

Question: How do you like to prepare Fattoush Salad?

I’ve fallen in love with this salad. If you have yet to eat grilled halloumi cheese, you have something delicious to discover. I’m making this salad almost every … well, it’s a little embarrassing how often I’m making this salad. I will say though that it’s adapted from a green salad in Suzanne Husseini’s cookbook When Suzanne Cooks. However, I have simplified the recipe greatly, reducing it to the most essential ingredients and cutting back slightly on the fat. If you wish to experience the original recipe, the real-deal, you’ll have to get your hands on Husseini’s cookbook.

Some of the ingredients might be unfamiliar to you. Halloumi cheese, for example, is a salty, white, rubbery cheese that’s originally from Cyprus and used widely in Middle Eastern cooking. Right out of the package, it tastes quite plain. However, pan-fried it in a little clarified butter, this cheese transforms into a heavenly treat.

As for clarified butter, it’s simply butterfat with the milk solids removed. To make: melt butter in a saucepan. Skim the white foam off the top and discard. Allow to cool and the remaining milk solids will settle to the bottom. Skim the golden butterfat from the top, strain and store in a glass container. It can be kept in the refrigerator for months. For more details, David Lebovitz illustrates these steps and explains the many uses of clarified butter.

Meanwhile, pomegranate molasses is the key ingredient to this salad and gives it a tangy kick. Also called pomegranate syrup or grenadine molasses, it’s used in Middle Eastern dressings, marinates and meat dishes. This reddish-brown molasses is made from pomegranate juice that is boiled and reduced to thick, dark syrup. In the US, it’s available at Middle Eastern grocery stores and gourmet supermarkets. You can read more about this ingredient in the New York Times.

Grilled Halloumi Salad with Pomegranate

Serves: 2 as a main salad, 4-6 as a side salad

400 g mixed greens (approx. 8-10 cups)

Seeds from one pomegranate (½ cup or more)

1 cup seedless green grapes (cut in half)

Small bunch fresh thyme, washed, dried and stems removed 

225 g halloumi cheese (low fat, if available)

1 Tablespoon clarified butter (or less)

Dressing:

3 Tablespoons olive oil

2 Tablespoons pomegranate molasses

2 teaspoons sugar

Juice from one lemon

2 cloves garlic, crushed

Method

1. Whisk together the ingredients for the dressing and set aside.
2. In a large salad bowl, toss the greens with the fresh thyme, grapes and half the pomegranate seeds.
3. Blot the halloumi cheese with paper towel to remove excess moisture. Heat the clarified butter in a large nonstick skillet. Slice the cheese into bite-size pieces. Fry the cheese until golden. Turn and continue cooking until golden on both sides. Remove from pan and drain on paper towel. Toss the warm cheese into the salad.
4. Drizzle dressing over salad. Toss gently to coat. Garnish with remaining pomegranate seeds and serve immediately.

How do YOU cook with pomegranate molasses and halloumi cheese?