Vegetables
- 3 firm tomatoes
- 1 cucumber
- 6 radishes
- 1 romaine heart
Seasonal, firm and well dried.
Le Cèdre journal · Recipe
Lebanese fattoush recipe : the toasted-bread and sumac salad, step by step
The crunchy, tangy counterpart to tabbouleh: chunky vegetables, fresh herbs, a sumac and pomegranate molasses dressing, and bread that stays crisp.
In short
Fattoush is a Lebanese salad of raw vegetables and herbs, dressed with olive oil, lemon, sumac and pomegranate molasses, then topped with toasted or fried Lebanese bread. The one rule: add the bread at the very last moment so it stays crisp. Allow about 30 minutes for 4 people. It is vegetarian and, without cheese, fully plant-based.
In Lebanon, fattoush is the everyday salad, born so that yesterday's bread would not go to waste.
At Le Cèdre we see it as the crunchy, tangy counterpart to tabbouleh. Here is a version that holds up on the table.
Origins
What is fattoush?
A peasant dish from the Levant, made to use up stale flatbread.
The name comes from the Arabic fatt, to crumble bread.
It sits among the cold mezze, next to hummus, moutabal and tabbouleh.
Comparison
Fattoush or tabbouleh: what's the difference?
Both share parsley, tomato, lemon and olive oil, yet their logic is opposite.
Tabbouleh is an herb salad with a little bulgur; fattoush is a chunky vegetable salad with bread, sumac and pomegranate molasses.
| Fattoush | Tabbouleh | |
|---|---|---|
| Base | Chunky raw vegetables | Finely chopped parsley |
| Starch | Toasted or fried bread | Fine bulgur |
| Acidity | Lemon, sumac, pomegranate molasses | Lemon |
For the herb version, follow our Lebanese tabbouleh recipe.
The market
Ingredients (serves 4)
Fresh, dry produce in four groups: vegetables, herbs, bread and dressing.
Serves 4 · about 30 min · no cooking except the bread
Herbs
- 1 bunch flat parsley
- ½ bunch mint
- 1 handful purslane
No purslane? Use lamb's lettuce, baby spinach or watercress.
Bread
- 2 thin Lebanese breads, ideally a day old
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Oven-toasted is lighter; fried resists the dressing best.
Dressing
- 6 tbsp olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp sumac
- 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
- 1 small garlic clove
Sumac and pomegranate molasses are the signature of fattoush.
Step by step
Step-by-step recipe
Bread first, assembly last, right before serving.
Toast the bread
Split, cut into squares, toss with oil and bake at 200 °C for 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool.
Wash and dry
Dry vegetables and herbs thoroughly.
Cut chunky
Bite-size pieces, never a fine dice.
Make the dressing
Whisk garlic, salt, lemon, molasses, sumac and olive oil.
Assemble at the last minute
Dress the vegetables, add the bread, sprinkle sumac and serve at once.
Avoid
Mistakes that ruin fattoush
A failed fattoush is almost always a soggy one.
Bread added too early
Keep it aside until serving.
Too much dressing
Coat, don't drown.
Wet vegetables
Dry everything carefully.
The pantry
Where to find sumac and pomegranate molasses
In Middle Eastern grocery stores, world-food aisles and online spice shops.
Choose a molasses made only from reduced pomegranate juice, and a fresh, deep-red sumac.
Purslane is found at summer markets.
At the table
What to serve with fattoush
On a mezze platter next to hummus and baba ganoush, or as a fresh counterpoint to grilled meat.
See how to arrange a mezze platter and our must-try mezze.
To make the rest yourself, start with our Lebanese hummus recipe.
The right balance
A spoonful of creamy, a bite of crunch: fattoush is made to be shared among other mezze.
Through the seasons
Variations: winter, bread-free, with halloumi
Three variations that keep the spirit of the dish.
Winter fattoush
Cherry tomatoes, white cabbage and pomegranate seeds.
Bread-free
Roasted sumac chickpeas for crunch.
With halloumi
Pan-seared halloumi added at the last minute.
Classic fattoush is vegetarian and fully plant-based without cheese. See our vegetarian dishes.
Le Cèdre, rue Kervegan
Want to taste it without making it?
Nantes' first Lebanese restaurant, rue Kervegan since 1988, almost everything homemade. Fattoush is among our cold starters.
Come and share it with our other homemade cold mezze.
FAQ
Fattoush questions
Can fattoush be made ahead?
Prepare vegetables, dressing and bread separately; assemble at serving time.
How do you store fattoush?
Keep components apart; once dressed with bread it goes soggy quickly.
What can replace sumac?
Grated lemon zest with a little juice, as a stopgap.
Is fattoush vegan?
Yes, the classic recipe is fully plant-based.
Is fattoush high in calories?
It is a light salad; oil quantity and fried bread make the difference.
Go further