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This Middle Eastern Salad is not only vibrant and bursting with fresh flavor, it's also healthy!
See the little bowl next to the salad? This might be another new word if you're not very familiar with Middle Eastern cuisine. It's a combination of spices (usually thyme, oregano, sumac and sesame seeds) called za'atar which is wildly popular in Israel, Jordan, Armenia, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Libya, Tunisia, Turkey - well let's just say every time you turn around in the Middle East, you're probably going to see someone who's consuming za'atar either for breakfast, lunch or dinner. They sprinkle it on vegetables, meats, oatmeal, yogurt, popcorn, hummus, meatballs, kabobs and believe it or not, it's often consumed on its own, as a snack!
Za'atar is also commonly mixed with olive oil and used as a dip for fresh pita bread. There are many legends involving záatar; one commonly held belief in Lebanon is that it gives strength and helps one to have a clear mind. So on testing days, children are encouraged to eat a slice of bread with za'atar and a drizzle of olive oil. Do you get the feeling that we're missing out on something here in the States?
Well, if you've never had fattoush you are missing out on something delicious, fresh and quite addictive. I find myself craving these vibrant flavors quite frequently. And though I'm usually not crazy about tomatoes in the middle of winter, the deep red tomatoes-on-the-vine that you find year-round at most larger markets, do quite well with fattoush. And that makes me smile, happy to know that it's not relegated to one short season of the year. Try it, I think it will make you smile too with its burst of bright, fresh flavor!
P.S. Here in the Carolinas, Spring pokes her lovely head out towards the end of March which means we begin to pull out the warmer weather clothes. I have a feeling that I'll be needing to eat a lot of fattuoush over the next month. That's the reason I substitute flatbread crackers instead of the traditional fried pita in this salad. It's not totally authentic, but it's delicious - and that's what counts, right?
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Fattoush Salad - A Middle Eastern Culinary Delight!
Ingredients
- Ingredients for dressing:
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- zest of 1 lemon, organic
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Ingredients for salad:
- 1 large English, seedless cucumbers, halved and cut crosswise into thin slices
- 3 cups chopped tomatoes (I used a combination of cherry, I used the tomatoes-on-the-vine along with some grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 medium red bell pepper, sliced in bite size pieces
- 1 medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 1 small bunch green onions, root end removed and sliced on the diagonal in ½ inch slices
- ½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- ½ cup chopped fresh basil
- ¼ cup chopped fresh mint
- about 2 tablespoons za'atar
- flat bread crackers or pitas, I used my Chili Oil Rubbed Flatbread Crackers, but any flatbread crackers would work well as would toasted pitas
Instructions
- Combine all dressing ingredients in a glass jar and shake very well.
- Wash, prepare, and chop all veggies into bite-sized pieces.
- Wash, spin-dry herbs and chop. Place in a large bowl and add chopped veggies.
- Pour enough dressing over the salad to moisten all ingredients. Toss with a tongs or two forks and sprinkle generously with za'atar. Crumble the flat bread or pitas over the top and stir into salad. Pass extra dressing at the table.
- Serves 4-6
Adapted from Raw Food Recipes
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Arab flat bread, especially barbari is super simple to make. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with zatar before baking. The zatar at the local middle-eastern market is inexpensive and very good. TRY IT with a good hummus or babaganoush and fattoush salad for a complete meal.
Oh, gosh, your first comment made me smile. I had never quite read fatuous that way but you're so right! Love this salad and like Patty, I've never made it myself at home. Will be changing this soon, too. 🙂
I love za'atar and sprinkle it on my yogurt cheese with olive oil. I've never tired it on a salad, so maybe I am missing out on something...Thanks for the beautiful recipe.
Love the punny name but it really does look delicious. The bread with the dip sounds like something I'd love to snack on every day 🙂
My mother in law would make pita bread. Then she would drizzle olive oil on the bread, then put a sprinkle of zatar on the top. Put it under the broiler for a few seconds....and wow. Delicious
My mother in law would make pita bread. Then she would drizzle olive oil on the bread, then put a sprinkle of zatar on the top. Put it under the broiler for a few seconds....and wow. Delicious
Mmmm, love this salad, I'll sometimes get this at my local Lebanese place along with some kofta kebabs!! Yumm.
This salad look absolutely beautiful!!
Such a great salad! I always buy this at a great Lebanese restaurant up the street form me but I would love to make my own.
Your puns are pretty hilarious, Chris! I need to eat lots of fattoush to slim down my fat tush! Hehehe. I love zaatar since having a taste of it in Israel. It is a pretty nice spice for anything! Thanks for sharing this lovely and fresh recipe.
I have a feeling that if I tried this recipe, I'd crave it too. It sounds wonderful!
I've had za'atar, but not fattoush (at least I don't remember having it, and certainly have never made it). Looks terrific - such a great combo of ingredients and flavors. Good stuff - thanks.
What a lovely salad! The flavors are an explosion for your senses! Delish.
This is GORGEOUS! We have a local Middle Eastern restaurant that serves oven-fired pita with olive oil and za'atar. It's is SO good that we often have that + a simple salad when we go out. I love it and always ask for an extra small container of the spices to bring home!
i'm new to both fattoush and za'atar but i do love the sound of the mint and the cilantro..a very beautiful salad, chris!
What a beautiful salad. I love your description of the flavors and the pronunciation!
You did a great job with this salad. It really looks appealing and I know it is delicious. I hope you have a great day. Blessings...Mary
One of my favorite salads! I never make it at home-will have to change that:-)
Beautifully presented
Beautiful!
Funny enough, I had a fattoush salad with chicken yesterday for lunch 🙂 But I insist on adding that your version looks alot nicer 🙂 I'll have to try this. Flavors that I love. Have a great week-end 😉
Fattoush is such a fun word to say and this salad would be a delight to eat.
Wow, this is the most beautiful salad I've seen this season! What a gorgeous dish to brighten up the winter!
I want to gobble that whole plate up---I love how crisp the mint leaves are, just gorgeous!
Lovely salad, I actually have heard of this salad but I can't say that I've tried it yet. Your photos make me feel like it's Spring time, so inviting.
Fantástica ensalada, me quedo como fan de tu blog.
Un saludo
La Tauleta
That looks so good. I love salad too and like to make many different kinds, this will be on my list! Pictures are great as always 🙂
This salad is completely new to me, but it sounds delightful (and refreshing!).
Jolies couleurs gourmandes ...
My husband loves this salad and eats it at least once a week for lunch at a little restaurant he goes to. It is a favorite of mine as well.
It looks beautiful and delicious.
I love this salad. So delicious.
This looks so healthy and full of wonderful flavors, Chris. I even saw some decent tomatoes in the market recently. I have everything on the list but za'atar. Hope I can find it.
A beautiful salad indeed, and just what we need to help keep spirits up in gray February and behinds in check. (I'm trying to believe that the groundhog was right; I remain skeptical.) I need to learn more about za'atar.
Feels like summer around here with this beautiful fattoush salad! Love love your version, looks so fresh and yummy!
I love fatuous! Your salad is so vibrant, this is what I want for lunch today :).
Thanks for the great recipe, beautiful photos, lesson and inspiration! Sounds wonderful and looks amazing. Have a lovely pre-spring weekend! Some of our trees have buds here in Virginia. Going to be an early spring if you ask me 🙂
wow This is one pretty and enticing salad! Refreshing spring colours.
What a healthy, color and wonderful salad!! I just love salads! Reminds me, I better make mine for work! I'm running late! Have a great weekend!!
Delicious! When I was growing up my mum would make flatbread, brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with these spices before baking - mmmmmm
It look like a lovely spring salad ... which I want to eat in the winter. (Today was cold in Chicago.)
Fondly,
Glenda
This looks exotic and beautiful.