Once you start making Lebanese Fattoush Salad, it will be a go-to favorite salad! My Fattoush recipe is an authentic Lebanese salad made with fresh vegetables, an addictive tangy Fattoush dressing, and pita chips.

There are a few traditional Lebanese salads that belong in most every cook’s rotation: tabbouleh salad, Lebanese salata, and the darling of my own table and plate, authentic Lebanese Fattoush salad; an essential in Mediterranean cuisine.

This Mediterranean salad is made with a wonderful variety–lettuce plus fresh vegetables and herbs. Dress Fattoush with a unique dressing that is sweet-and-sour, bright with sumac spice, pomegranate molasses, and lemon. Total upgrade from a traditional lemon vinaigrette. Finish Fattoush with a crush of crisp homemade pita chips and a shower of fresh herbs.

Fattoush is so addictive for me that I will, in the face of enormous, epic Lebanese feasts of my own making, edge out the other goodness so I can fill my plate half with Fattoush. It’s the first thing in my order at Lebanese restaurants. The rest is just a supporting cast!! With a little chicken or kofta skewer alongside, I have all I need to feast and feast well.

Here’s how to make the best Fattoush salad with dressing we can’t get enough of!

What is Fattoush?

Also known as fatoush or fatoosh, the word Fattoush comes from the Arabic word “fatteh,” which refers to little “crumbs.” Both Fattoush salad and fatteh (a Lebanese dish with pita chips, yogurt and trimmings) are made with pita chips. They are among that class of dishes most every culture devises to make delicious use of stale bread (try my pita chips recipe). Cooking with economy!

We don’t, however, wait for dry pita bread to make Fattoush or to make the pita chips that are so essential to a Fattoush recipe. The pita chips in Fattoush are traditionally fried for superior flavor and crunch.

What is the difference between tabbouleh and Fattoush?

Big difference. Huge difference!

Tabbouleh salad is an herb salad of finely chopped parsley and mint that includes a touch of tomato and bulgur. Tabbouleh salad dressing is a simple, lemony dressing, and also makes a frequent appearance on my plate. Fattoush is a lettuce and vegetable salad, crunchy and full bodied, with pita chips. Fattoush dressing includes pomegranate molasses, sumac, and lemon.

Ingredients for Fattoush salad

Fattoush is certainly flexible in its salad components. Here is a list of ingredients to use as a guideline. Have other favorites, such as bell peppers, cucumbers, or baby lettuces? Go for it!

Romaine lettuce. So important. Main ingredient. Romaine is the most popular choice because it has what it takes to stand up under Fattoush salad dressing and all of the vegetables and pita chips. Iceberg lettuce works too, if that’s what you have on hand!

Cherry or grape tomatoes. Why do I specify these? They hold together much better than slices of big, juicy summer tomatoes. Plus, we make Fattoush year round (you will too!). Cherry or grape tomatoes taste sooo much better than roma or other big tomatoes from the grocery store in the off-season.

Red onion. Slice it thin. Love the flavor, love the pop of color. You can also add green onions for an extra punch!

Radishes. Slice these thin, too. The bracing flavor and crunch of radishes are a thing of beauty in Fattoush.

Fresh mint. Don’t miss this special ingredient to make your vibrant salad. Oh the freshness! The authentic Lebanese flavor! Use spearmint, which is the typical garden mint and the fresh mint sold in grocery stores.

Pita Chips. Do what works best for your time here: purchased pita chips will suffice, but most offerings are lackluster. Homemade toasted pita chips are so good. Try them! Instructions are below.

Note that the traditional Fattoush salad in Lebanon, and for many who love this flavor there, purslane (a flavorful, delicate green) is an important Fattoush ingredient. In my Lebanese-American making and eating of Fattoush, purslane isn’t in it! But do know this and try it if you like.

Ingredients for Fattoush Salad Dressing

I call this the Ultimate Lebanese Salad Dressing because I make a big jar, then use it on lots of salads, not just Fattoush. Here’s what you need, some are unique salad ingredients (which can be found in The Fattoush Salad Kit in my shop!):

Pomegranate Molasses. Have you tried this fabulous flavor maker? Pomegranate molasses for Fattoush is as important as the pita chips to imparting the unique taste that is Fattoush. This syrup is simply reduced pomegranate juice and it is readily available. Find pure Lebanese pomegranate molasses in my shop.

Fresh lemon juice. Your road to that very important citrus acidic flavor is here. Use fresh! One lemon will do for a big salad, using lemon zest will offer extra flavor too. Lime juice works well here as an alternative to lemon.

Fresh garlic. A small clove, minced. I like to grate my garlic clove on a microplane zester. So fast! Just watch your knuckles so that they don’t get caught in the shuffle…

Spices. Ground sumac spice is a citrus-like flavor, deep red in color, and a Fattoush must-have! We also include dried mint to level up the mint flavor that is a hallmark Lebanese taste. Find both of these spices, fresh, in my shop.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil. The good stuff will make your Fattoush salad dressing sing, pure extra virgin.

Salt and pepper

How to Make Fattoush Salad

Here is a step-by-step guide to making the very best Lebanese Fattoush salad:

Step 1. Are you making your own pita chips? If so, get those made right away. I like to make them and keep them on hand at-the-ready for Fattoush anytime. See below for two methods, baked or fried. P.S. purchased pita chips are alright too!

Step 2. Prep the vegetables. Clean, dry, and chop or tear the romaine into 1- to 2-inch pieces. Slice the cherry tomatoes in half. Thinly slice the radishes. Cut the red onion in thin slices. Finely chop the mint. Combine everything in a large bowl.

Step 3. Dress the salad (see how to make the Fattoush dressing below). Add the pita chips just before serving and toss with the salad. Finish with more crushed pita chips on top and a dusting of sumac and fresh mint.

How to make Fattoush salad dressing.

This is such an easy Fattoush dressing, yet packed with so many essential flavors:

In a small bowl, whisk the pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, garlic, sumac, dried mint, olive oil, salt and pepper. Taste, looking for balanced sweet-tart flavor. Adjust as needed. Take care not to overdo it with the pomegranate molasses, to balance that sweetness with the other flavors. 

How to make pita chips for Fattoush?

You can fry the pita chips, or you can bake them–both are delicious.

How to fry pita chips

Step 1. Cut the pita into 1- to 2-inch pieces, or use a whole pita here and break into pieces after frying (if your pita is of the thinner variety). 

Step 2. Heat neutral oil (such as expeller-pressed avocado oil, safflower oil, or canola because these handle high fry temps without burning easily) in a large skillet on medium heat. 

Step 3. Fry the chips quickly, taking care to remove the pita immediately when it starts to turn golden brown. Use paper towels to blot off excess oil if necessary. If salting, do that right away so the salt will adhere and absorb. 

How to make baked pita chips

All you’ll need is a couple tablespoons of neutral oil, the pitas, and sea salt to taste. 

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. 

Step 2. Open the pitas and pull the halves apart along the seams, using kitchen shears to cut 1-inch strips. Then cut each strip into two pieces.

Step 3. Toss the bread in a large bowl with 3 tablespoons of neutral oil and salt.

Step 4. Spread the small pieces of pita bread onto the sheet pan in a single layer and bake until light golden brown. For best results, stir a few times and rotate the pan. This should take 10-15 minutes depending on the thickness of your pita croutons.

Important Tips for making the best Lebanese Fattoush salad.

1. Use the freshest lettuce and vegetables you can find. The crisp fresh flavor of quality vegetables will make your salad that much better.
2. Keep and serve the salad cold. I like to combine the lettuce and vegetables in a big zip lock bag or in the salad bowl covered with plastic wrap, and keep this in the refrigerator until just before serving.
3. Add the pita chips just before serving. This way they will stay crisp without soaking too much dressing before serving.
4. Toss some pita chips in the salad, then garnish with more on top. Pretty!
5. Do everything in your power to get a bottle of pure pomegranate molasses. This flavor is a key ingredient for a great Fattoush salad recipe! I promise you will use the bottle again and again (it won’t sit unused in the pantry like some specialty ingredients do). Then, don’t use too much pomegranate molasses! A balance of the essential sweetness here (not too much) is best.
6. Store in an airtight container to enjoy next time, good for a day in the refrigerator if storing the salad already dressed, though expect a more wilted salad (something members of my family fight over, they love leftover salad so much!).

What to serve with Fattoush

The possibilities are many. To eat Fattoush salad as a main dish, slice some chicken on top, add some chickpeas, or chopped chicken shawarma (oh yes). Bam, easy good protein!

We Fattoush for the holidays (any and all) around here, so consider Fattoush for those menus too (Memorial Day, 4th of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas, you name it). And yes, Fattoush is both a noun and a verb in our house. As in, “want to Fattoush tonight? Yes, let’s!” It’s our main staple, at any time of year. 

Your Fattoush salad menu (because we build the menu around the Fattoush!), try:

Chicken Shish Tawook (chicken skewers)

Lamb or Beef Kofta Skewers

Kibbeh any and all ways

Fatayer, little savory hand pies filled with spinach or meat

Chicken Shawarma or Roasted Cauliflower Shawarma with Lebanese Vermicelli Rice

Frequently Asked Questions

More Lebanese Recipes to Try:

Authentic Lebanese Mujadara

Lebanese Salata

Tabbouleh Salad

Easy Lebanese Cabbage Salad with garlic and lemon

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