Made from stale or crisped pita pieces, fresh vegetables and plenty of olive oil, fattoush is a delightful meal-sized salad that is perfect for the 5:30 Challenge treatment. And while it is fantastic made with peak summer tomatoes and cucumbers, it’s also great when prepared with standard grocery store produce — you’ll just need to be particular with the varieties you choose.
First, the tomatoes. It is no secret that hot house tomatoes aren’t the most flavorful, but by eschewing full-sized ‘maters and picking up cherry or grape tomatoes, you can add sweetness and a pop of juicy texture to the salad. They’ll only get better as the weather continues to warm.
Next, the cucumber. An English cucumber, the variety that usually comes shrink-wrapped to protect its delicate skin, is the best choice for this salad (and just about all others). There are very few seeds in the center — no need to scrape them out — and the flesh is crisp, with a light vegetal sweetness.
Finally, to prepare the pita bread, I prefer to lightly toast wedges that have been coated in olive oil, rather than using stale bread. You get the opportunity to build more flavor this way, and you have greater control over the final texture. While many fattoush recipes have you let the dressed salad rest for at least 30 minutes before serving, we don’t have that kind of time here. By only lightly toasting the bread, we can achieve a crisp-chewy texture after only a five-minute soak in the dressing. (But if you’ve got the time, by all means let the salad sit for an extra 30 minutes or so.) Right before serving, stir in a generous amount of chopped fresh mint for color and a bright flavor that complements but doesn’t outshine the vegetables.
Credit: Chris Hunt
Credit: Chris Hunt
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