Fattoush: The Classic Lebanese Bread Salad

This fattoush recipe is the crunchy, tangy Lebanese bread salad that steals the show at any mezze. Where tabbouleh is all herbs, fattoush is all texture — crisp vegetables and shards of toasted flatbread in a bright sumac and pomegranate dressing. It's fresh, addictive, and the perfect way to use up day-old bread.

Why you'll love this fattoush

• Big on crunch and tang — that signature sumac and pomegranate hit.
• Uses up stale bread — zero waste, maximum flavour.
• Vegan and quick — on the table in 20 minutes.
• Endlessly flexible — use whatever salad vegetables you have.

What is fattoush?

Fattoush is a Levantine fattah — a dish that repurposes stale flatbread. The name comes from the Arabic fatt, “to crush” or “to break up.” It began as a thrifty peasant salad in the mountains of Lebanon and Syria, a way to use leftover khubz rather than waste it, tossed with whatever garden vegetables and herbs were to hand.

What makes fattoush unmistakably itself is sumac — the tangy, ruby-red ground berry that gives the salad its lemony bite — and, in many versions, a splash of pomegranate molasses for depth. Today it's a fixture of the mezze table and a Ramadan favourite, valued for its freshness against richer dishes.

Ingredients you'll need

• Salad vegetables — cos lettuce, tomato, cucumber, radish and spring onion, all chopped.
• Lebanese or pita bread — toasted or fried until crisp.
• Sumac — the essential tangy seasoning, in the dressing and over the top.
• Pomegranate molasses — for that sweet-sour depth.
• Dried mint, olive oil, lemon and garlic — the rest of the dressing.

How to make fattoush, step by step

1. Crisp the bread. Tear the bread and toast in a dry pan or oven (or shallow-fry) until golden and crunchy. Cool.
2. Make the dressing. Whisk the olive oil, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, garlic, sumac and dried mint with a pinch of salt.
3. Chop and toss. Combine the lettuce, tomato, cucumber, radish and spring onion, then dress and toss.
4. Finish. Add the crisp bread just before serving so it stays crunchy, and dust with extra sumac.

Tips for the best fattoush

• Add the bread at the last minute — it softens fast once it hits the dressing.
• Don't skip the pomegranate molasses — it's the signature tang.
• Toast, don't just tear — proper crunch is the whole point.

Variations

Add purslane (the traditional herb), capsicum, or a handful of parsley and mint. Crumble over feta, or make it heartier with chickpeas. No pomegranate molasses? Use extra lemon and a pinch of sugar.

Make ahead & storage

Prep the vegetables, dressing and toasted bread separately up to a day ahead, and assemble just before serving. Once dressed, fattoush is best eaten straight away.

What to serve with fattoush

Serve alongside hummus, tabbouleh, grilled meats, kebabs or falafel for a classic Lebanese spread.

Fattoush FAQ

What's the difference between fattoush and tabbouleh? Tabbouleh is a herb salad based on parsley and burghul; fattoush is a vegetable salad with crisp toasted bread and sumac.

What does sumac taste like? Tangy and lemony, with a fruity, slightly astringent edge — it does the job of lemon in dry form.

Can I make fattoush ahead? Prep the parts ahead, but dress and add the bread just before serving.

Is fattoush healthy? Yes — it's mostly fresh vegetables and herbs with a light olive oil dressing.

Shop the ingredients

Find sumac, pomegranate molasses, olive oil and fresh Lebanese bread — in Artarmon or online.

Hero photo: public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.