> Skip to content

Recipe  •  6 August 2025

 

Fridge-raid Fattoush

This version of Fattoush is close to the classic salad we all know and love, but differs slightly from the one my mother used to make.

This version of Fattoush is close to the classic salad we all know and love, but differs slightly from the one my mother used to make. Na'ama's Fattoush, published in Jerusalem and Falastin, is still made by my family today and it brings me much comfort knowing her legacy lives on.

In this version, the salad uses toasted bread and is dressed with lemon and pomegranate molasses, whereas my mother's version includes a homemade buttermilk dressing and uses untoasted bread. Both are equally vibrant, crunchy, tangy and packed with fresh herbs.

Who could resist such a salad, especially when summer-ripe tomatoes, cool cucumbers and chunks of bread are brought together on one big plate.

Play around with the ingredients based on what’s available in season or in your fridge. Thinly sliced red or white cabbage, kale, raw courgette and asparagus all make great additions to this versatile dish.

 

INGREDIENTS

  • 2–3 stale wholemeal pita breads 
  • 350g mixed-colour tomatoes
  • 1 large cucumber (300g)
  • 1 red pepper (150g)
  • 1 large garlic clove, crushed
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 ½ tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 1 ½ tbsp pomegranate molasses
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • ½ tsp cumin seeds, toasted and coarsely crushed
  • ¾ tsp coriander seeds, toasted and coarsely crushed
  • 1 tbsp sumac, plus more for sprinkling
  • salt
  • 120g radishes, thinly sliced
  • 1 large banana shallot, thinly sliced (70g)
  • 3-4 spring onions, thinly sliced
  • 20g fresh parsley, roughly chopped
  • 15g fresh mint, finely shredded
  • 10g fresh coriander, roughly chopped

 

METHOD

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan.
  2. Split open the pita and arrange them on an oven tray, making sure they are not overlapping. Toast for 10–12 minutes, or until they are golden. Set aside to cool, then break into bite-size pieces.
  3. Cut the large tomatoes into 1cm wedges and the small ones in half, and put them into a large mixing bowl. Deseed the cucumber and cut into 1cm cubes, then do the same with the red pepper.
  4. Add the rest of the ingredients, apart from the bread, along with ¾ teaspoon salt, and give everything a good mix, making sure all the vegetables are coated with the dressing.
  5. Before serving the fattoush, add the toasted bread and give the salad another good mix. Sprinkle with sumac and serve at once.

 

Extracted from Boustany by Sami Tamimi (Ebury Press, $65.00). Photography by Ola O. Smit.

Feature Title

Boustany
Vegetarian recipes celebrating the food of Palestine, from the co-author of Falastin, Jerusalem and Ottolenghi: The Cookbook.
Read more

More features

See all recipes
Recipe
Aubergine & Fava Beans with Eggs

Bitinjan w Ful ma’ Beyd.

Recipe
Recipe
Smoky chickpeas with coriander tahini

Hummus Hab bil Tahinia w al Kuzbara

Recipe
Labneh cheesecake with roasted apricots, honey and cardamom

A cheesecake recipe that is sweet, of course, but at the same time punchy and totally distinct.

Recipe
Roasted cod with a coriander crust

A fish dish that can be on the table less than fifteen minutes after you’ve started making it.

Recipe
Chicken musakhan

One of Palestine’s national dishes, where chicken is cooked and served with layers of olive-oil-drenched flatbread.

Q&A
Falastin Q&A

Falastin authors Tara Wigley and Sami Tamimi lift the lid on Palestinian cooking.

Recipe
Bangers and tomato rice

This one-pot tomato rice dish is topped with crispy bite-sized pieces of sausage, toasted rice and shallots cooked in the rendered sausage fat.

Recipe
Spicy Garlic Butter Udon with Smashed Cucumber

There’s a love affair to be explored with spice and dairy, and this is the showcase for it!

Recipe
Crispy Smashed Potato Salad

When I posted my Crispy Smashed Potato Salad recipe in October 2023, it went viral, and everyone and their grandmas started making it.

Recipe
Roasted Apricots, Cardamom Cream and Pistachio Brittle

Make the most of the short apricot season with this quick summery dessert. The apricots are roasted with honey and orange juice and served with a smooth cardamom cream and a crunchy pistachio brittle. It's the perfect laid-back dessert to serve at the end of dinner party.

Recipe
Overnight Protein Porridge with Cinnamon, Turmeric and Cacao

Packed with 36g of protein, Dr Rupy's overnight protein porridge is brimming with nuts, seeds, spices and fruit. The perfect balanced start to the day.

Looking for more recipes?

See all recipes