The Ultimate Fattoush Salad with Feta
A fattoush salad is a Middle Eastern salad built on a base of chopped romaine lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers. The dressing is sharp and vibrant, and the addition of pita chips adds an irresistible crunch. Fresh, zesty, and full of texture, a fattoush salad is both light and satisfying.
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Tips for Making The Ultimate Fattoush Salad
Cut first, wash later
I used to rinse and dry my romaine before cutting. But, I’ve found it’s far easier to cut the romaine first, then rinse and dry it with a salad spinner (like this one). Once it’s cut, I can fit all of the romaine in the salad spinner at once instead of having to spin separate batches or dry leaves one at a time.
why is did you add feta to this?
Simply because I love feta. If you’re not a fan of feta (or you want a more traditional fattoush experience), feel free to leave it out. If you skip the feta, you may need to add more salt to make up for it.
Optional flavor Additions
You can easily layer some additional flavors into this salad. For instance, using lemon juice instead of vinegar adds a little extra freshness to the dressing. Try adding fresh chopped parsley or mint for an herbal lift. For a little extra bite, add some sliced radishes. Or to give it a hint of sweetness, and add a few slices of pickled or roasted beets.
Add some protien
You can switch this simple salad from side dish to main course by adding grilled chicken (or another protien of your choice). With added protien, it’s a perfect summer dinner option. Light and refreshing, yet filling.
It’s a Crowd favorite
This salad is a MONSTER HIT at parties. I’ve doubled (or tripled) the recipe and always come home with an empty bowl. It’s also easy to prep ahead of time. Simply mix up the dry spices and store in an airtight container until you need them. Cut and wash the romaine, cucumbers, and onion and store them separately in the fridge for a few hours before you need to assemble the salad. I don’t prep the tomatoes ahead of time or they get watery.
The Ultimate Fattoush Salad with Feta
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 2 hearts of romaine
- 1 cup cucumbers sliced and quartered
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes (See Notes) cut in half
- 1 cup red onion sliced into half moons
For the Dressing
- 1 cup olive oil
- ⅓ cup distilled white vinegar or red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp za'atar
- 2 tbsp sumac
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1½ tsp sea salt
- 1½ tsp ground black pepper
For the Toppings
- 8 oz Feta crumbled
- 2 cups unflavored pita chips broken into small pieces
Instructions
- Chop the romaine, rinse in cold water, and dry using a salad spinner. If you don’t have a salad spinner, rinse and dry the romaine before cutting. Place the romaine in a large mixing bowl. You should have about 8 cups of chopped romaine.2 hearts of romaine
- Add the remaining salad ingredients to the mixing bowl.1 cup cucumbers, 2 cups cherry tomatoes (See Notes), 1 cup red onion
- Add all the dressing ingredients to the salad. Gently mix the salad until evenly coated in dressing.1 cup olive oil, 2 tbsp za'atar, 2 tbsp sumac, 1 tbsp garlic powder, 1½ tsp sea salt, 1½ tsp ground black pepper, ⅓ cup distilled white vinegar
- Add the Feta and pita chips to the salad. Gently mix until the toppings are evenly distributed.8 oz Feta, 2 cups unflavored pita chips
One of my favorite salads!