Lebanese Fattoush Salad

This healthy salad is made with seasonal vegetables and tossed in a zesty sumac Mediterranean dressing. Traditionally served with fried pita bread chips. Serve with a cooked protein of your choice (such as chicken, fish, steak, or lamb) for a complete meal.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

Salad:

1 large head of romaine lettuce, chopped
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered
2 Persian cucumbers or 1 English cucumbe,r seeded, quartere,d and diced
1/2 large yellow or orange bell pepper, diced
5 radishes diced
2 green onions chopped
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley

Dressing:

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 garlic clove minced/grated or 1/4 tsp. granulated garlic/1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1 teaspoon sumac
1 teaspoon pomegranate molasses
1 teaspoon dried mint or 1 tablespoon fresh chopped mint added to salad ingredients
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Freshly cracked black pepper to taste

Crispy Chips Options:

1 large double-ply BFree GF pita or your favorite GF pita bread, cut into tiny triangles.
For Paleo/Grain-Free/Keto, use the small pieces from the bottom of a bag of Terra Classic vegetable chips and skip the frying part.
3 tablespoons avocado oil for frying
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Make the Dressing: Whisk together the lemon juice, garlic, sumac, pomegranate molasses, dried mint, salt, and pepper. Slowly stream in the olive oil, whisking continuously until the mixture is emulsified. Set aside.
Fry the Pita Bread: In a large skillet, heat oil on medium heat. Add the pita bread and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the pita bread becomes crispy and golden in color, about 5-7 minutes. Set aside.
Place the lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, yellow bell peppers, radishes, green onions, and parsley in a large serving bowl. Pour the dressing on top and toss to combine.
Add the fried pita bread or chips to the salad immediately before serving.

Enjoy!