Fattoush salad

April 29th, 2019

Fattoush is a Syrian or Lebanese bread salad made from toasted, baked or fried pieces of khubz (Khubz which is also known as Arabic bread, Lebanese bread, or Syrian bread, is a round leavened Middle Eastern flatbread, that forms a staple of the local diet from the Arabian Peninsula to Morocco) combined with mixed greens and other vegetables, such as radishes and tomatoes. Fattoush belongs to the family of dishes known as fattat, which use stale flatbread as a base.

This salad is so simple and easy to make, great for sharing with family and friends and takes minutes to make. Whenever I make a salad like this it always reminds me

of my travels through the Mediterranean as a young lad and aspiring chef. Eating new and wonderful food and making new friends through the breaking and sharing of bread. The world is full of cultures and traditions that we need to embrace and learn from. That's why I think food is so important to break down barriers, remove hatred and misconceived ideas of other counties and their beliefs and lifestyles. That's why I've devoted most of my life to the pursuit of amazing food and education which to me go hand in hand in making this world a much better place to live in.

Let's break bread and start a great conversation around the kitchen table with the sharing of food, drink and good humor.
Enjoy your greens!

Fattoush salad
Serves 4

Ingredients:
3 whole meal pitta breads, tear into bite-sized pieces
Extra virgin olive oil spray
Small handful of fresh mint leaves
Small handful of fresh parsley leaves
1 cup radishes, cut into quarters
2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut into halves
2 little gem lettuces, roughly chop
½ cucumber, roughly chop
½ cup red onions, peeled and thinly sliced

For the dressing:
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon sumac
1 tablespoon finely chopped chives

Pre-heat oven to 385'F

How to make:
Place the pita pieces onto a baking sheet and lightly spray with oil. Pop the tray into the oven to bake the pita pieces, cook for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Roughly tear the mint and parsley leaves and place into a large salad bowl, add the radishes, tomatoes, lettuce, cucumber and red onions.
Whisk together all the dressing ingredients and pour over the salad and lightly toss to coat. Add the warm pita pieces and serve.

Enjoy,
Chef Mark .