With plenty of crisp veggies, lots of herbs, pita croutons, and a zippy lemon dressing, this fattoush salad is full of fresh flavour!
Fattoush salad is a traditional Middle Eastern salad that combines fresh vegetables like lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers with pieces of toasted or fried pita bread. (Think of it as a Middle Eastern version of panzanella !) While the crunchy pita is probably my favourite part, I also love the bright, lemony dressing, which brings it all together perfectly.
Why You’ll Love This Fattoush Salad Recipe
- Light and refreshing . Fattoush is excellent as a light lunch or dinner, and all those veggies and herbs make it feel vibrant and fresh.
- Easy to make your own . Customise this recipe with your favourite vegetables, add a protein, or switch up the dressing—there’s a lot of room to put your own spin on this dish!
- Versatile . Serve fattoush as a side dish, make it for meal prep lunches, or scale it up to serve it for a party.
Notes on Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
For the pita croutons
- Olive oil
- Pita bread – Although it is not traditional, you can swap in naan if you’d like.
- Salt and pepper
- Sumac – Sumac looks like paprika, but the flavour is completely different, with tart citrus notes.
For the dressing
- Olive oil – A good, high-quality olive oil would be fantastic, but whatever you have on hand is just fine.
- Lemon juice – Fresh lemon juice is best, as it has a more vibrant flavour.
- Pomegranate molasses – If you can’t find this locally, you can substitute a syrupy aged balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze , which has a similar sweet-tart balance.
- Garlic
- Spices – Sumac, cumin, salt and pepper.
Fattoush Salad
- Little gem lettuce – Or another lettuce you like in salads. Romaine would work well in fattoush salad too.
- Parisian cucumber – Persian cucumber or English cucumber would also be fine; if you use a garden cucumber, scoop out the seeds.
- Cherry tomatoes
- Green onions
- Sliced radishes
- Fresh herbs – Parsley and mint add herbaceous flavour.
How to Make Fattoush Salad
- Make the pita croutons . Brush the pita with oil and season with salt, pepper, and sumac. Bake in a 375ºF oven for 10 minutes, flipping halfway through. Tear into pieces.
- Make the dressing. Whisk all of the ingredients in a small bowl or liquid measuring cup and season to taste.
- Assemble. Toss the salad ingredients and pita croutons in a large bowl.
- Dress the salad. Pour the dressing over the fattoush salad and toss again.
Tips and Variations
- Swap in another dressing . Tahini dressing is also delicious with this fattoush salad.
- Add protein . Crispy chickpeas or falafel can be added to make this salad a more substantial meal.
- Use store-bought pita chips . Or homemade pita chips if you happen to have them on hand!
- Get creative with the ingredients . Try adding olives, roasted red peppers, pickled red onions , or vegan feta .
Serving Suggestions
Pair fattoush salad with other Middle Eastern dishes like beet falafel , vegan kofta , hummus , and baba ghanoush for a well-rounded dinner.
Meal Prep Tips
To keep your fattoush salad fresh and fabulous, I recommend storing the salad, dressing, and pita croutons separately. Mix everything together right before serving to prevent soggy pita chips and wilted greens!
How to Store Leftovers
Once assembled, this salad is best enjoyed immediately. If you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a day.
More Vegan Salad Ideas
- Loaded Potato Salad
- Vegan Cobb Salad
- Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
- Easy Vegan Caesar Salad
- Vegan Watermelon Feta Salad with Balsamic Reduction
Ingredients
For the pita croutons
- 1 tablespoon olive oil , 15 ml
- 2 pita breads
- ½ teaspoon salt , 3 grams
- ¼ teaspoon pepper , .6 grams
- ½ teaspoon sumac , 1.4 grams
For the dressing
- ⅓ cup olive oil , 78 ml
- 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons pomegranate molasses , 14 grams
- 1 clove garlic , minced
- ¾ teaspoon sumac , 2 grams
- ¼ teaspoon cumin , .5 grams
- Salt and pepper to taste
Salad
- 3 heads of little gems lettuce , more if desired
- 1 Parisian cucumber , sliced
- 1 ½ cups halved cherry tomatoes , 248 grams
- 3 green onions , sliced (greens and whites)
- 1 ½ cups thinly sliced radishes , 180 grams
- 2 cups chopped curly parsley , 120 grams
- ¾ cups chopped fresh mint , 56 grams
Instructions
For the pita croutons
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Brush the olive oil over the pita breads and sprinkle them with salt, pepper, and sumac.
- Bake for 10 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- Once cool enough to handle, tear or cut the pita into bite-sized pieces (“croutons”).
For the salad
- Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, garlic, sumac, and cumin. Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired.
- In a large salad bowl, toss together the lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, green onions, radishes, parsley, mint, and pita croutons.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat the ingredients.
Notes
Fattoush Salad
Ingredients
For the pita croutons
- 1 tablespoon olive oil 15 ml
- 2 pita breads
- ½ teaspoon salt 3 grams
- ¼ teaspoon pepper .6 grams
- ½ teaspoon sumac 1.4 grams
For the dressing
- ⅓ cup olive oil 78 ml
- 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons pomegranate molasses 14 grams
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ¾ teaspoon sumac 2 grams
- ¼ teaspoon cumin .5 grams
- Salt and pepper to taste
Salad
- 3 heads of little gems lettuce more if desired
- 1 Parisian cucumber sliced
- 1 ½ cups halved cherry tomatoes 248 grams
- 3 green onions sliced (greens and whites)
- 1 ½ cups thinly sliced radishes 180 grams
- 2 cups chopped curly parsley 120 grams
- ¾ cups chopped fresh mint 56 grams
Instructions
For the pita croutons
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Brush the olive oil over the pita breads and sprinkle them with salt, pepper, and sumac.
- Bake for 10 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- Once cool enough to handle, tear or cut the pita into bite-sized pieces (“croutons”).
For the salad
- Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, garlic, sumac, and cumin. Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired.
- In a large salad bowl, toss together the lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, green onions, radishes, parsley, mint, and pita croutons.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat the ingredients.
Notes
Nutrition
Fattoush Salad https://jessicainthekitchen.com/fattoush-salad/ July 22, 2024
This Fruit Pizza Recipe is a fun dessert that’s as pretty as it is delicious! A sugar cookie crust and fluffy cream cheese frosting are topped with a rainbow of fresh fruit.
I’m always down for a pizza dinner, whether it’s vegan naan pizza or quinoa pizza bites . And when it comes time for dessert, there’s really only one appropriate option: this fruit pizza recipe!
Unlike savoury pizzas, the base of fruit pizza consists of a soft, chewy sugar cookie crust. Spread over the cookie crust is a thick layer of creamy, tangy cream cheese frosting , which creates the “sauce” in this equation. (And I guess the cheese too!) The finishing touch of any pizza is the toppings, of course, and here we have an array of vibrant fresh fruits in a rainbow of colors.
Why You’ll Love This Fruit Pizza Recipe
- Fun and colourful . Kids love helping decorate fruit pizzas, making it the perfect opportunity to get them involved in the kitchen. It’s also a great way to work some extra fruit into their diets!
- Easy to customise . You can use any combination of fruits you like on top of your fruit pizza, which means endless variations.
- Great for potlucks and parties . Fruit pizza is a crowd-pleasing dessert that can easily be made in advance and taken with you to get-togethers!
Notes on Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
Sugar Cookie Crust:
- Flour – I used all-purpose flour, but a measure-for-measure gluten-free flour would also work.
- Cornstarch – This helps the crust of this fruit pizza recipe be thick and chewy.
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Vegan butter – Store-bought or homemade vegan butter .
- Sugar – Granulated sugar and brown sugar.
- Plant milk – Make sure it’s unflavoured and unsweetened.
- Vanilla extract
Frosting:
- Vegan cream cheese – You can use homemade vegan cream cheese , or just pick it up at the grocery store.
- Vegan butter
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla extract
Fruit Topping:
- Strawberries
- Peaches – Or nectarines. You can blanch and peel them or just leave the skin on.
- Kiwis
- Blueberries
- Grapes – I used green grapes.
How to Make Fruit Pizza
- Combine the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
- Combine the wet ingredients. Beat the vegan butter and sugars in a large mixing bowl, then beat in the plant milk and vanilla.
- Finish the dough. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix.
- Bake. Press the dough in an even layer into the bottom of the pan and bake for 15 minutes in a 360ºF oven.
- Cool. Remove the cookie crust from the oven. Cool completely.
- Make the frosting. Beat the vegan cream cheese and vegan butter until fluffy. Mix in half of the powdered sugar, followed by the vanilla and the remaining powdered sugar.
- Assemble. Transfer the crust to a serving plate. Spread the frosting over the top and arrange the fruit onto the frosting.
Tips and Variations
- Soften the butter . Make sure to use softened butter for the cookie crust and frosting so it mixes in smoothly.
- Don’t overmix the dough . Overmixing can result in a tougher crust, so mix until just combined.
- Dry the fruit completely . If it’s still damp, it can make the frosting runny and the crust could get soggy.
- Let the crust cool completely . This will prevent the frosting from melting when you spread it on top.
- Try another frosting . If you’re not a fan of cream cheese frosting, you can use whipped coconut cream , vegan yogurt , whipped cashew cream , or vanilla frosting .
How to Store
Since the fruit and cream cheese frosting need to be chilled, it’s best to store your fruit pizza in the fridge. Cover it loosely with plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container to prevent it from drying out or absorbing other odors from the fridge. I recommend making it no more than 24 hours before you plan on serving it.
If you have leftover fruit pizza, it should be consumed within 2-3 days; the exact timeline depends on the freshness of the fruit you use.
More Vegan Dessert Ideas
- Chocolate Chia Pudding
- No-Bake Peanut Butter Pie
- Vegan Pumpkin Cupcakes
- Vegan Banana Pudding
- Vegan Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
Sugar cookie crust
- 1 ¾ cup flour , 210 grams
- 1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch , 3 grams
- 1 teaspoon baking powder , 5 grams
- ½ teaspoon salt , 3 grams
- ½ cup vegan butter , 113 grams
- ½ cup granulated sugar , 100 grams
- ⅓ cup brown sugar , 63 grams
- ¼ cup plant milk , 59 ml
- 1 teaspoon vanilla , 5 ml
Frosting
- 1 ½ cups vegan cream cheese , 338 grams
- ¼ cup vegan butter , softened at room temperature 56 grams
- 1 ¼ cup powdered sugar , 150 grams
- 1 teaspoon vanilla , 5 ml
Fruit topping
- 2 cup sliced strawberries , 336 grams
- 1 ½ cup sliced peaches , 234 grams
- 2 sliced kiwis
- ½ cup blueberries , 83 grams
- ¼ cup halved grapes , 24 grams
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 360°F (182°C) and grease a 12-inch cake pan.
- Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the vegan butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Mix in the plant milk and vanilla.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Press the dough in an even layer into the bottom of the pan and bake for 15 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean. If it doesn’t bake for a couple more minutes.
- Remove the cookie crust from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan.
- Beat together the vegan cream cheese and vegan butter until fluffy. Beat in half of the powdered sugar followed by the vanilla and then the remaining powdered sugar.
- Transfer the fully-cooled cookie crust to a serving plate and spread the frosting over the top. Arrange the strawberries, peaches, kiwis, blueberries, and grapes over the frosting in a pretty design.
