Easy Lebanese Fattoush Salad (oil-free)

Name: Easy Lebanese Fattoush Salad Recipe (Oil-Free)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: Lebanese
Ingredients: 3-4 pita bread slices; 4 cups chopped iceberg or romaine lettuce; 3 cups diced cherry tomatoes; 1 medium cucumber, deseeded and diced (about 2 cups); 1 cup sliced green onions (scallions); 1 cup sliced radishes; 1 bell pepper, red or green chopped; 1 pomegranate (the seeds); 1 cup chopped fresh mint; 1 fresh lemon, juiced (1/2 cup juice); 1 -2 teaspoons pomegranate molasses; 1 teaspoon maple syrup; 1 clove garlic crushed; 2 teaspoons sumac; ½ teaspoon black pepper

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Easy Lebanese Fattoush salad is a fresh and crispy delight packed with veggies and pomegranate seeds, with a zesty, oil-free dressing and toasted pita chips.

Lebanese Fattoush salad in a bowl with pomegranate seeds.

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⭐ Why You'll Love this Recipe
📋 Key Ingredients & substitutions
🔪 Pro tips & notes
💬 Frequently Asked Questions
🥗 Serving Suggestions
🌡️ Storage
🍴 What to Serve with Fattoush Salad

⭐ Why You'll Love this Recipe

Fattoush salad, also known as Fatoosh, Fattaush, Fatush, or Fattouche, is a crispy green salad at heart. It's a chopped Mediterranean salad. With main ingredients of lettuce, bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, green onion, and cucumber – it could be anything from a quick side salad to a Greek salad.

The difference? Fattoush has the distinctive flavors of the Middle East and, for this recipe, Lebanon. We're talking pomegranate seeds, lemon, sumac, and pomegranate molasses. How to temper that tart flavor? Homemade crispy pita chips to replace croutons.

This tasty salad is so easy, you can make it anytime, but the vibrant colors and textures make it the perfect side dish for special meals. For many of us, holidays and ruby red pomegranates spell holiday meals – this is your garden salad all dressed up for the occasion.

The main difference between this fattoush recipe and more traditional fattoush salad recipes is the omission of oil. It isn't used in the dressing or for baked pita chips.

The ingredients for Fattoush salad are gathered in bowls. — Fattoush salad ingredients

📋 Key Ingredients & substitutions

Pita bread. Pita chips are as simple as cutting a few pita slices into small pieces and baking them. If you order an authentic Lebanese Fattoush salad, the pita chips are likely fried, but we skip the oil and bake them. Want healthy, oil-free, whole-wheat pita? Here's the recipe!

Pomegranate seeds. The extra crunch and sour flavor of pomegranate seeds are a must-have. Even if you don't love fresh vegetables, a few pomegranate seeds improve things!

Green onions. Sliced scallions add subtle notes of oniony flavor. Red onions are also used in Fattoush and make a good substitute.

Cucumber. Persian cucumbers are traditional for Fattoush, but you can use a regular salad or English cucumber.

Bell pepper. Use a green or red bell pepper or a mix of tiny peppers. Red pepper is sweeter, with raw green pepper adding a more distinctive and slightly bitter flavor.

Cherry tomatoes. A fresh salad stays crispier for longer if you use cherry or ‘grape’ tomatoes because they have less water content than dicing larger tomatoes.

Sumac. Sumac is a spice from a flowering plant. That explains the dark reddish color that always makes me think it should be spicy. Surprise – sumac has a lemony tart flavor with no heat whatsoever. Sumac is the primary ingredient in Za’atar seasoning, so it that’s all you have, it would be a good alternative in a pinch.

Pomegranate molasses. Pomegranate molasses or pomegranate syrup should be stocked in every pantry. Great for salad dressings or, heck ya, in lentil Fesenjan.

Fresh mint. Refreshing mint can be mixed with the Fattoush dressing or combined with the salad ingredients (my preference). Mint leaves are hearty, so you can chop or tear them without fear of them browning. Toss in other fresh herbs such as parsley – another green thing always welcome in this kind of salad.

Fresh lemon juice. Even more tart flavor comes with zesty lemon juice. Fresh lemons are the best for a tangy flavor, but you can always use the prepared kind.

Maple syrup. I like adding a little maple syrup or date paste to balance the tangy dressing. If you use granulated sugar like date or coconut sugar, stir it well to dissolve it.

🔪 Pro tips & notes

Fattoush salad is a great way to use stale pita bread, but no worries if that isn't an option. Homemade pita chips are ridiculously easy. Dice or tear 2-3 slices of pita bread into small pieces, then bake them in the oven.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F, then toss the pita cubes in a single layer onto a baking sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes, tossing them a few times, so they don't burn. They should be crispy but not burned. Let them cook to room temperature before adding them to the salad.

Add the lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, garlic, black pepper, and sumac to a small bowl or jar with a lid to make the dressing. Mix or shake the ingredients. Adjust the ingredients if necessary.

Veggie prep tips for crispy salads

For crispy lettuce, separate the leaves, wash, and carefully dry them. If you have time, lay the leaves between a few paper towels, and let them chill in the refrigerator for a few hours.

As mentioned, bite-sized tomatoes such as cherry or grape tomatoes are best for salads because they stay firm. After dicing larger tomatoes, they can get mushy, and deseeding tomatoes is a pain best saved for Pico de Gallo.

Before slicing cucumbers, cut them lengthwise and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and gooey middle. This makes a big difference in their freshness. Besides, cucumber seeds and the soft center are the leading cause of cucumber indigestion.

Start with dry peppers, onions, and radishes before cutting them. And note, mainly to me, start with a dry cutting board.

💬 Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I find pomegranate molasses?

Pomegranate molasses (pomegranate syrup) is found at many grocery stores. You can also find it at specialty stores with various Middle Eastern or Mediterranean foods. Depending on how it is stocked, it can be shelved with salad dressings, regular molasses, or syrup. Look for pomegranate molasses that is concentrated, pure juice with no sugar added.

How do you keep Fattoush from getting soggy?

Use crispy, dry lettuce and veggies, including deseeded cucumbers and cherry tomatoes. Once you dress the salad and add the pita chips, Fattoush can get soggy over time. If you plan to serve this salad later, add the dressing and chips immediately before serving. You can also serve salad dressing and chips on the side.

Is Fattoush salad the same as tabbouleh?

Fattoush is a crisp veggie salad with pita chips. Tabbouleh contains bulgur or another grain. Because the veggies are the star of Fattoush, they are usually bite-sized, whereas, for tabbouleh, the veggies are finely chopped, so the texture matches the cooked bulgur wheat.

🥗 Serving Suggestions

Fattoush is a side salad to accompany soup or a main dish. Still, you could dress it up with chickpeas or crispy baked tofu and turn it into a light dinner or tasty lunch.

🌡️ Storage

Store leftover salad in an airtight container for one day if pita chips are mixed in. The best way to ensure a crispy leftover salad is to add the dressing and pita chips as you eat it.