Fattoush is a Mediterranean chopped salad with loads of fresh herbs and pita chips for croutons. I first encountered it at Zou Zou’s in New York City (it was love at first bite!), and was thrilled when I found it published in People Magazine. It is hearty and simply and only needs a light protein accompaniment to complete the meal. Because cabbage is the main ingredient and won’t wilt, it can be made ahead of time and dressed (follow directions through step #3). Add the pita and a few reserved herbs right before serving. The ideal party salad with a beautiful presentation, it easily scales up to accommodate a crowd.
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 (6-in.) pita rounds, split into 4 thin rounds
- ½ cup plus ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ¼ cup champagne vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
- 2 teaspoons pomegranate molasses
- 2 teaspoons sumac, plus more for garnish
- 1 small garlic clove, grated or roughly chopped
- ½ cup roughly chopped or torn mixed fresh herbs (cilantro, parsley, mint and/or basil)
- 4 cups thinly sliced red cabbage
- ¾ cup matchstick-cut Honeycrisp apple (from 1 apple)
- ¾ cup matchstick-cut jicama
- ¾ cup dried apricots, cut into thin strips
- ½ cup walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
- ¼ cup sliced red onion
- ¼ cup labneh (can be found in the cheese sections at Piedmont Grocery, Village Market, etc; Greek yogurt also works well)
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat oven to 350°. Brush pita rounds with ¼ cup of the oil, and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of the salt. Place pita on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Toast in preheated oven until crisp and golden, 11 to 13 minutes, flipping halfway through. Remove from oven; set aside to cool.
- While pita is toasting, whisk together vinegar, lemon juice, molasses, sumac, garlic, remaining ½ cup oil and 1 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl.
- Reserve about 1 tablespoon herbs for serving. Toss remaining herbs, cabbage, apple, jicama, apricots, walnuts and onion together in a large bowl. Add ¼ cup of the sumac vinaigrette; toss to coat. Save remaining dressing for another use.
- Spoon labneh into serving bowl, and spread into a circle; add salad to serving bowl. Break pita crisps into large pieces; add to salad, and toss to incorporate. Drizzle with olive oil; sprinkle with a pinch of sumac and reserved herbs.