Fattoush Crunch Salad (Printable)

Crisp greens, fresh vegetables, and crunchy pita chips dressed in tangy sumac vinaigrette.

# What You'll Need:

→ Salad

01 - 4 cups mixed greens (romaine, arugula, or spinach)
02 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
03 - 1 cucumber, diced
04 - 1 bell pepper (red or yellow), diced
05 - 4 radishes, thinly sliced
06 - 3 green onions, sliced
07 - 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
08 - 1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped

→ Pita Chips

09 - 2 pita breads, cut into bite-sized pieces
10 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
11 - 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
12 - 1/2 teaspoon ground sumac

→ Sumac Dressing

13 - 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
14 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
15 - 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
16 - 1 teaspoon ground sumac
17 - 1 garlic clove, minced
18 - 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
19 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

# Method:

01 - Preheat the oven to 375°F.
02 - Toss pita bread pieces with olive oil, sea salt, and sumac. Spread on a baking sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, turning once, until golden and crispy. Remove and let cool.
03 - Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, ground sumac, minced garlic, sea salt, and black pepper until combined.
04 - In a large bowl, combine mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, radishes, green onions, parsley, and mint.
05 - Drizzle the salad with the sumac dressing and toss gently to coat all ingredients evenly.
06 - Top the dressed salad with the cooled pita chips just before serving to maintain their crunch.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The pita chips stay crunchy even as the dressing mingles with the greens—timing it right is the secret nobody tells you.
  • Sumac gives you that signature tangy pop without needing to add more acid, so every bite feels balanced and bright.
  • You can prep everything an hour ahead except for the final toss, making it perfect for entertaining when you'd rather not be stuck in the kitchen.
02 -
  • The pita chips are the difference between a salad and a *salad*—if you add them too early they'll get soggy and chewy, and the whole thing falls apart (I learned this the hard way).
  • Mincing your garlic finely and letting it sit in the dressing for even just five minutes before tossing brings out a sweetness that mellows the raw edge.
03 -
  • Toss your pita chips gently into the salad at the very end—this is where patience pays off and the crunch stays alive until it hits someone's teeth.
  • If you know you won't be eating immediately, keep your dressing and chips separate and do the final assembly five minutes before serving, which is how restaurants keep salads from becoming sad mush.
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