What makes any green salad fattoush is pita bread, as "fattah" means bread or crush, and "fattoush" means bread crumbs. So go wild and make it with your favorite herbs and veggies, and as long as you make its signature dressing along with the tossed pita, you have made fattoush!
Ingredients
For the salad
1 eight-inch whole wheat pita bread
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
1-2 bunch purslane aka verdolagas, خرفه, kulapha, dandoor, andraklí
1-2 bunch flat-leaf parsley
3 cups romaine heart, chopped
2 Persian cucumbers, chopped
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
4 scallion, chopped
For the dressing
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1-2 cloves garlic, minced to paste
1 tbsp sumac
1 tbsp dried mint
1 tsp Aleppo pepper
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Instruction
1. Rub one tsp of olive oil on both sides of the pita bread. Sprinkle both sides with kosher salt and bake the bread in the oven at 250 F for 20 to 30 minutes until crispy.
2. In a small bowl, add the lemon juice, minced garlic, sumac, dried mint leaves, Aleppo pepper, and kosher salt and mix to combine. Next, drizzle the olive oil slowly and whisk until the dressing emulsifies.
3. Wash the purslane and dry it over a clean kitchen towel. Pluck and save the succulent leaves and discard the lower stems.
4. Wash the parsley and dry it over a clean kitchen towel. Bunching them together over a cutting board, cut off the end stems, and chop the leaves very finely.
5. Chop lettuce, cucumbers, and tomatoes into bite-size pieces. Slice scallions thinly.
6. In a large bowl, mix the purslane, parsley, lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, and scallions. Add the dressing and toss to combine.
7. Break the toasted bread into bite-size pieces, add to your salad, and toss one last time.