I'm a little late to the salad game this year, but better late than never, right? Inspired by the Mediterranean fattoush salad, I created a version that is substantial and oh so delicious. This, my friends, is not your everyday fattoush salad. It's loaded with crispy sumac chickpeas, homemade sesame pita chips, egg, feta, fresh tomatoes and cucumbers, all the herbs, roasted radish, and a bright preserved lemon vinaigrette. Sure there's a lot of ingredients, but they all work together to create one amazing salad!
Not Your Everyday Fattoush Salad
Ingredients
Preserved lemon vinaigrette
- ½ preserved lemon finely chopped
- ¼ cup parsley chopped
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon tahini
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- salt and pepper
Crispy sumac chickpeas
- 1 14-ounce can chickpeas rinsed and drained
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sumac
Roasted radish
- 8 radish cut into wedges
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon dried parsley
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Sesame pita chips
- 1 pita bread cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 teaspoon sesame seeds
- ½ teaspoon salt
Remaining ingredients
- 4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
- 2 boiled eggs sliced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 small cucumber chopped
- ¼ cup crumbled feta
- ¼ cup parsley chopped
- ¼ cup scallions chopped
- 2 tablespoon mint
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Prepare the vinaigrette. Blend together the preserved lemon with parsley, lemon, honey, tahini, and mustard. Slowly add the oil while the blender is on, blending until smooth. Season the dressing with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Dry the rinsed and drained chickpeas with clean towels. Toss the chickpeas with olive oil and salt and spread evenly on a baking sheet. Roast for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Sprinkle sumac on the chickpeas, tossing to coat.
- Toss the radish wedges with olive oil, dried parsley, salt, and pepper and spread evenly on a baking sheet. Roast for 20-25 minutes or until charred and softened.
- Toss the cut pita bread with olive oil and sesame oil. Spread on a baking sheet and sprinkle sesame seeds and salt on top. Toast for 5-7 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
- Prepare the remaining salad ingredients. Portion the lettuce into two bowls and top with the sliced egg, halved cherry tomatoes, chopped cucumber, crumbled feta, chopped parsley, scallions, mint, crispy sumac chickpeas, roasted radish, and sesame pita chips. Serve with the preserved lemon vinaigrette.
**Helpful tips and common mistakes
Don't you hate it when you make a salad for lunch only to be hungry a couple of hours later? When I make salads, I want them to be hearty and keep me satisfied for hours. This fattoush salad is exactly that. There are so many different toppings that you'll actually be full!
To make this loaded fattoush salad, start by making the preserved lemon vinaigrette. What are preserved lemons, you ask? It's when you take fresh lemons, season them with a good amount of salt, and let them sit in their own juices. Think of them as pickled lemons. Preserved lemons are a wonderful condiment because the lemon flavor intensifies as it pickles.
If you can't find preserved lemons, you can always make your own - it's easy, I promise! You can also use just lemon juice instead but the dressing won't be the same. If you're going to stick with just lemon juice, I recommend adding a teaspoon of lemon zest to the dressing.
Next, prepare all of the cooked components including the chickpeas, pita chips, and radish. I highly recommend making your own pita chips. They taste infinitely better than storebought ones.
To make the chips, first, cut pita bread into small chunks. Then, toss the pita bread with olive oil and a touch of sesame. Spread the chips on a baking sheet and sprinkle sesame seeds and salt on top. Bake the pita chips for about 5-7 minutes or until golden brown and toasted.
For the chickpeas, make sure to drain and dry the beans before you bake them. This will ensure that they are ultra crispy. You can also pop them in the air fryer if you prefer.
While those are baking in the oven, prepare the remaining ingredients. Halve the cherry tomatoes and chop the cucumber, lettuce, and fresh herbs. Boil a couple of eggs and crumble feta cheese and you're all set to go.
Toss all of the salad ingredients together, drizzle a good amount of the preserved lemon vinaigrette, and lunch is served!
I loved this fattoush salad so much that I've been adding it to the menu every day. There are just so many exciting and different flavors and textures going on in one bowl! Who said salads have to be boring?
For more salad inspiration check out this loaded Greek chicken salad!
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