Lebanese Fattoush: The Sumac Bread Salad Worth Making at Home

Fattoush is one of the great salads of the world. TasteAtlas ranks it eighth in its top 100, and few dishes have inspired more writing. The idea is simple: a big bowl of chopped vegetables and herbs, a garlic and lemon dressing, and toasted bread on top for crunch.

What turns it from a chopped salad into fattoush is sumac. Make it once at home and you will see why.

At a glance

• Serves: 6
• Prep: 25 minutes
• Toast: 5 minutes
• Key spice: Sumac, tossed through the salad and dusted over the bread before it toasts

Why sumac matters

Sumac is a deep red, tart and citrusy spice. In fattoush it is the sour note, not the lemon. It coats the vegetables, seasons the bread and gives the whole bowl its signature tang. It also works beyond the salad: half a teaspoon dusted over labneh cuts the richness of the yogurt.

If the salad tastes flat, add more sumac, not more lemon.

Ingredients

Salad

• Tomatoes, chopped
• Cucumbers, chopped
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 1 bunch radishes, cut into cubes
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 box fresh mint, leaves chopped
• 1 head leaf lettuce, chopped
• 2 tbsp sumac

Dressing

• Garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tbsp salt
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Olive oil

To finish

• 1 or 2 Lebanese breads, toasted with a dusting of sumac (or a bag of store-bought pita chips)
• 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses

Method

1. Toast the bread. Tear or cut the Lebanese bread into pieces, dust with sumac, and toast in a hot oven or dry skillet until crisp and browned at the edges. Set aside to cool so it stays crunchy.
2. Prep the vegetables. Chop everything for the salad and put it in a large bowl. Add the sumac and toss so it coats the vegetables.
3. Dress. Add the crushed garlic, salt, lemon juice and olive oil directly to the bowl and toss well.
4. Finish and serve. Scatter the toasted bread over the top and drizzle with pomegranate molasses. Do not mix the bread in. It stays on top so it stays crunchy.

Tips for the best fattoush

• Chop everything about the same size. Fattoush is eaten with a spoon as much as a fork, so small, even pieces make it better.
• Bread goes on at the table, never before. If you are making the salad ahead, keep the toasted bread in a sealed container and add it when you serve.
• Sour comes from sumac. Reach for the sumac jar before the lemon.
• Want heat? Add a pinch of Aleppo pepper over the top for mild, fruity warmth.

Pantry companions

Fattoush is a gateway into the Lebanese spice cupboard. Za'atar, Aleppo pepper, baharat (seven spices) and a flaky finishing salt all earn their place next to the sumac.