Easy Lebanese Fattoush Salad with Pomegranate

Easy Lebanese Fattoush Salad with Pomegranate - If you’ve ever wondered what sunshine on a plate tastes like, this vibrant, Northern Lebanese Fattoush Salad is exactly that. Fresh, vibrant, zesty, and full of crunch, it’s one of those recipes that makes healthy eating feel joyful and not at all like a chore. This is a very popular recipe that is enjoyed all over the Middle East. 

Jump to:

• What is Fattoush?
• Why You’ll Love This Fattoush Salad
• What you need to make Fattoush
• Step-by-Step Instructions
• Variations & Tips
• Storage
• What to Serve with Fattoush Salad
• Easy Lebanese Fattoush Salad with Pomegranate

What is Fattoush?

Fattoush is a traditional Middle Eastern bread salad that originated in Lebanon. The word itself comes from “Fatteh,” which refers to dishes that repurpose leftover bread like in these Aubergine Fatteh or Fatteh Makdous recipes.

Instead of throwing away pita scraps, people would fry or toast them, then mix them with whatever seasonal vegetables and herbs were on hand. The result? A delicious salad with the perfect balance of freshness and crunch.

As delicious as Taboule or Shirazi, this Salad is one that I make over and over again.

Think crisp cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, peppery radish, and crunchy lettuce or you can use purslane if you can find it, all tossed together with shards of toasted or fried pita and a zingy lemon, pomegranate molasses and sumac dressing.

Once you’ve nailed the base version for this famous bread salad, play with your own favourite herbs or add-ins. Make it for lunch and serve it alongside Chicken Shawarma, Mujadara or Lebanese Chicken Traybake.

Every family and region makes fattoush a little differently, but the essentials are always the same: crispy pita bread, fresh vegetables, and a tangy dressing made with lemon juice and sumac.

Why You’ll Love This Fattoush Salad

• A brilliant way to use up leftover pita.
• Light, fresh, and colourful – a true summer staple.
• Pairs beautifully with grilled meats, falafel, or even a simple chickpea dish.
• Bright and Fresh: A rainbow of crisp veggies and herby notes that wake up your taste buds.
• Minimal Cook Time: Essentially no cooking, just quick prep and toss.
• Talk-worthy: Sumac, pomegranate, crispy pita—simple ingredients, unforgettable flavour.

What you need to make Fattoush

There are so many variations for Fattoush. Here is how we make it:

For the Salad

Lettuce – I use Romaine lettuce here for it’s crisp texture and mild flavour that pairs well with the sharpness of the radishes and the tang of the molasses. Cos Lettuce and Little Gem also work great.
Radish - Adds a sharp peppery flavour as well as texture.
Tomatoes – You can use any tomatoes here - Roma, Baby Plum tomatoes, Cherry Tomatoes or Grape Tomatoes.
Cucumber - Use mini Lebanese Cucumbers if you can or you can use a standard English Cucumber. Just be sure to remove the seeds first.
Red Onion - Or some sliced Spring Onions
Mint and Parsley –For some flavour. You can use fresh or dry Mint. Fresh in better but I do often add dry instead.
Pomegrante Aerils - I LOVE Pomegrante seeds in any salad. They add a pop of colour, texture and flavour.

The Dressing

Lemon Juice, Pomegrante Molasses, Sumac (read more about Sumac in this post for Turkish Tomato, Onion and Parsley Salad), a good quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Fresh Garlic, Salt and Pepper

The Topping

Use fried or toasted Lebanese bread or Pita bread. Slice or cut into squares or strips. Any Middle Eastern flatbread that you can find will work well here.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Fry the Pitta

Separate Middle Eastern Bread or Pita into sheets and the cut into small squares. Lightly shallow fry broken pita until crisp and golden. Alternatively bake with a drizzle of olive oil at 200 c/Gas Mark 6, 390 f for 5 - 6 minutes.

Step 2: Cut the Veg and mix together

In a large bowl, gently toss together lettuce, radish, cucumber, tomatoes, onion, mint, and parsley.

Step 3: Make the Dressing


In a small bowl, whisk olive oil, lemon juice, sumac, pomegranate molasses, garlic and salt and pepper together.

Step 4: Assemble

Drizzle the dressing over the salad, sprinkle over more sumac, top with fried pita and toss the salad together.

Variations & Tips

• Bread - If you can’t find any Middle Eastern Naan/Flatbread or Bread, use Pitta.
• Make it a meal - Add cubed Feta, griddles Halloumi, oven roasted Chickpeas.
• Assemble it differently -Place most of the Salad ingredients in a large bowl. Add half the dressing, then toss together. Add remaining Salad ingredients, the remaing dressing and the crispy Pitta chips.
• Add other Veg - I often add some Red Pepper as can be seen in the video above. You can add Broccoli or any Veg you like really.
• Add Fruit - As unusual as it sounds, a handful of strawberries works really well here. As do peaches especially if they are grilled first
• Add Zataar - A sprinkling of Zataar works really well here as does a pinch of Cinnamon or All Spice or both!

Storage

This salad is best eaten fresh. However it you are serving it later in the day, keep the fried bread separate so it does not soften. Add it on top just before serving.

Make Ahead

If you wish to make it up to a day ahead, store the salad, dressing and pitta chips separately and add the dressing and pitta to the salad before serving. 

What to Serve with Fattoush Salad

This Salad goes well with a whole array of dishes such as Lebanese Chicken Traybake, Mujadara, Air Fried Chicken Breast, Chicken Cheese Kebab, Koobideh Kebab or Joojeh Kebab.

More Lebanese Recipes:

Lebanese Potato and Chicken Traybake with Lemon, Garlic Sauce - Djej w Batata


Mujadara - Lebanese Rice and Lentils with Caramelised Onions

Lebanese Chicken Shawarma

Lebanese Ful Medames (Foul Mudammas - Fava Beans Stew)

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