Fattoush is a rustic country salad of Syria and Lebanon which is on the standard menu of Lebanese restaurants. The old, traditional way was to moisten and soften the toasted bread with water and a little lemon juice before imbibing it further with the dressing, which made it deliciously soggy. Nowadays it is usual to put the bread in crisp, like French croutons.

　　

Ingredients

serves 6 to 8

　　1 1/2 Arab or pita breads

　　1 head romaine lettuce, cut into ribbons

　　3 medium-sized firm ripe tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

　　3 small cucumbers, peeled, cut into thick slices

　　1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into small slices

　　1 1/2 mild red or white onions or 9 scallions, chopped

　　Bunch of rocket leaves, torn

　　Bunch of purslane leaves or lamb’s lettuce, torn

　　Small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, chopped

　　A few sprigs of mint, shredded

　　5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

　　Juice of 1 lemon

　　2 cloves garlic, crushed

　　Salt and pepper

　　1 tablespoon ground sumac

　　

Step 1

Cut open the breads and toast them under the broiler until they are crisp, turning them over once. Break them into small pieces in your hands.

　　

Step 2

Put all the vegetables in a large bowl with the onions, rocket and purslane leaves or lamb’s lettuce, flat-leaf parsley, and mint.

　　

Step 3

For the dressing, mix the olive oil with the lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, and sumac.

　　

Step 4

Just before serving, add the toasted bread and toss well with the dressing.

　　

Variation

Step 5

For the old-style version, put the broken pieces of toast in a bowl. Moisten and soften with a little cold water or lemon juice before adding them to the salad.

　　The New Book of Middle Eastern Food Copyright © 2000Knopf