Jeddo's Fattoush
The salad that started every Sunday lunch
Ingredients
- 1 headRomaine lettuce
- 3 mediumTomatoes
- 2 mediumCucumber
- 5 piecesRadishes
- 4 stalksGreen onions
- 1/2 cupFresh mint
- 1/2 cupFlat-leaf parsley
- 2 roundsPita bread
- 2 tbspSumac
- 1 tbspPomegranate molasses
- 3 tbspLemon juice
- 4 tbspOlive oil
- 1 tspSalt
Steps
- 01
Make the dressing first. Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, sumac, and salt. Let it sit for at least 30 minutes.
- 02
Tear the lettuce into bite-sized pieces by hand. Never cut it.
- 03
Dice tomatoes and cucumbers into rough 2cm cubes. Slice radishes thin.
- 04
Toast or fry the pita until golden and crispy. Break into rough shards.
- 05
Combine all vegetables. Pour dressing. Add pita LAST. Eat immediately.
Every family in Lebanon has their fattoush recipe, and every family thinks theirs is the best. Jeddo was no different. His secret wasn't a secret ingredient — it was timing.
"Soggy bread is a crime," he'd say. "The crunch is the whole point."
This recipe serves 4-6 as a side, or 2-3 as a main with extra bread.
Jeddo's rules:
- Tear the lettuce, never cut it
- The tomatoes must be room temperature
- Sumac is not optional
- Eat it immediately
A note on tomatoes: reach for tomato jabali when you can find it — Lebanon's heirloom mountain variety holds its shape and flavor at room temperature better than anything imported.