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What is Fattoush Salad, you ask? It’s a light, refreshing, and crunchy salad that’s perfect for summer. It’s also a delicious way to use up any vegetables you have kicking around in your fridge. Plus, this fun and filling twist on a simple salad is ready in just 15 minutes!
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Why You’ll Love this Fattoush Salad Recipe!
If you’re ready to switch up the salad game, give this fresh and flavorful Fattoush salad a try! It’s a simplified version of Fattoush salad that’s seasoned with lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper to let the flavors of the fresh vegetables shine through.
It’s perfect for summer with it’s light and fruity flavors, especially since I’ve added some nectarine to this Fattoush salad recipe! That’s not traditional, but it adds a refreshing bite of summertime sweetness. The colorful and nutrient-rich combination of fruits, veggies, and healthy fat, plus the traditional crispy bread (great for using up leftover pita or naan!), will have you feeling satisfied and energized.
If you want more salads to rotate in your meal plan, try this Greek millet salad and this tasty vegan sweet potato salad.
What is Fattoush?
Fattoush is a salad of chopped seasonal vegetables and toasted stale bread. It is similar in some ways to Panzanella salad.
The vegetables may vary depending on the season, but often include tomatoes, cucumber, and radishes with chopped lettuce. It’s often flavored with herbs and a light dressing.
My recipe is inspired by the flavors of the Lebanese Fattoush salad with a few changes from the authentic recipe. The results are a salad with the perfect balance of herbs and sweet and savory flavors.
Ingredients for Fattoush Salad
This simple summer salad requires a handful of fresh ingredients along with some pantry staples.
- Veggies: Cucumber, tomato, and red onion! Traditional components in fattoush salad.
- Nectarine: A peach works too!
- Lemon juice: Definitely use fresh for the best flavor.
- Olive oil: The bright and light flavor of olive oil works the best for this salad.
- Herbs: A handful of parsley and fresh mint add fresh flavor to finish off the salad.
- Bread: Pita or naan bread are traditional though you can use thinly-sliced sandwich bread in a pinch. It’s even better if it’s a little stale.
How To Make Fattoush Salad
Step 1: Combine the chopped cucumber, tomato, nectarine, and onion in a medium bowl.
Step 2: Drizzle with the lemon juice and olive oil. Then toss to combine.
Step 3: Next, add the parsley and mint and mix everything together well. Meanwhile, set aside until ready to serve.
Step 4: Immediately before serving, toast the bread until it’s dry and crunchy. Break it up into irregular bite-sized pieces, and toss with the salad. Finally, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve immediately!
Toni’s Recipe Tips
- Prevent sogginess. Make sure to add the toasted bread right before you serve the salad. If you let it sit too long, the bread will get mushy and start to dissolve.
- Chop the veggies. In similar-sized pieces.
- Change up the ingredients. Feel free to use other veggies or add in more to make your fattoush salad. Radish, bell pepper, crisp lettuce such as romaine, and green onions are sometimes used. But really, there are so many variations so feel free to use whatever vegetables you want! Also, if you don’t have pita or naan, feel free to use any crusty bread!
FAQs for Fattoush Salad
You can chop the vegetables and mix up the dressing up to 24 hours in advance. But toasting the bread and mixing everything together should be done right before serving.
Yes, based on the simple ingredients of vegetables, fruit, olive oil, and simple bread, this recipe is healthy. It offers many health benefits without excess calories, sugars, or processed ingredients. Cucumber is effective at lowering blood sugar, while the antioxidant content in tomatoes can reduce risk of cancers! Nectarines can promote longevity and the herbs are known to aid digestion and boost immunity. So what are you waiting for? Eat up!
What to Serve with Fattoush Salad?
For vegans, you can pair Fattoush with a wide range of dishes!
- Soups: Like this roasted red pepper soup or curried butternut squash soup.
- Sides: Falafels work well, as do other dishes commonly served in the same region as Fattoush.
- Sandwich: Pair with a tofu and pesto sandwich, mushroom sandwich, or a vegan bagel sandwich.
- Mains: Make the meal heartier with your favorite meat alternative, like crispy tofu, vegan kabobs, or sticky tempeh strips.
More Interesting Salad Options to Try…
Vegan Lunches
Vegan Tofu Larb Salad
Vegan Lunches
Mediterranean Farro Salad
Vegan Lunches
Vegan Broccoli Salad
Vegan Dinners
Soba Noodle Salad
If you tried this Fattoush salad recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks!
Photos by Alfonso Revilla
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Fattoush Salad
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Ingredients
- 1 medium cucumber diced
- 1 medium tomato diced
- 1 medium nectarine diced (a peach will work)
- ½ of a red onion diced
- juice of ½ lemon
- 2 teaspoons of olive oil
- small handful parsley chopped
- small handful mint chopped
- 1 ½ ounces of bread (pita, naan, thinly-sliced sandwich bread – whatever you have on hand), preferably a little stale
- kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Mix the cucumber, tomato, nectarine, and onion in a medium bowl. Add the lemon juice and olive oil and toss to combine. Add the parsley and mint, mix well, and set aside until ready to serve.
- Just before serving, toast the bread until dry and crunchy. Break into irregular bite-sized pieces, and toss with the salad. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.
Notes
- Prevent sogginess. Make sure to add the toasted bread right before you serve the salad. If you let it sit too long, the bread will get mushy and sort of dissolve.
- Chop the veggies. In similar-sized pieces.
- Change up the ingredients. Feel free to use other veggies or add in more to make your fattoush salad. Radish, bell pepper, crisp lettuce such as romaine, and green onions are sometimes used. But really, there are so many variations so feel free to use whatever vegetables you want!
This sounds amazing! Do you have any suggestions for making it oil-free?
You can try using veggie broth as a sub 🙂
This salad looks super delicious
My favorite is all the colors and textures!
I had never tried this type of salad before, SO good!
It’s definitely one of a kind!
I love the idea of adding nectarine and bread cubes to this salad! It’s brilliant! Cool and crunchy.
Agreed! Loved the variety of flavors!
So nutritious and tasty! And looks beautiful, too, with all that colors!
This fatoush is sooooo good! Thanks for this awesome recipe.
Agreed! It’s so refreshing and full of yummy flavors!
so healthy and nutritious! love it!