Fattoush Salad with Mint Dressing
This classic fattoush salad recipe will become your new favorite salad! My trick? Blend fresh mint into the dressing for a seriously refreshing salad.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 30, 2024
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Ever tried fattoush? Once you do, you’ll never forget it! Fattoush salad is a colorful Lebanese salad that’s bursting with fresh produce, lettuce and mint. It’s refreshing, crisp and satisfying.
Fattoush is the salad to make if you have random leftover fresh vegetables (radish, carrots, tomatoes, cucumber, etc.) and pita bread. You really can’t go wrong with the proportions here.
Simply tear up the pita and bake it with some olive oil and salt. You’ll end up with crisp, toasted Mediterranean croutons.
Fattoush is the Lebanese solution for stale pita bread, in the same way that French toast uses up stale bread. Isn’t it smart?
The Best Fattoush Salad
Here’s my twist on traditional fattoush salad: Instead of making a basic lemon dressing, I used my fresh mint dressing. The dressing is super easy to make in the food processor, and infuses the salad with even more delicious mint flavor. It’s irresistible!
How to Serve Fattoush
Fattoush salad is a beautiful, light meal perfect for warm evenings. To make it more of a complete meal, top it with crispy baked falafel. Or, serve it with Lebanese bean salad, or hummus or baba ganoush and toasted pita wedges on the side. It’s also a great side salad for grilled entrées.
Fattoush Salad Ingredients
Key fattoush salad ingredients:
- Fresh greens (traditionally purslane but I recommend romaine)
- Toasted torn pita bread
- Fresh mint leaves
- Lemony dressing
- Ground sumac (optional, see below)
Fattoush salads are versatile. Add any of these ingredients:
- Tomato
- Radish
- Red onion or green onion
- Cucumber
- Carrot
- Cabbage
- Bell pepper
- Zucchini or yellow squash
- Parsley
- Pitted olives
- Add more protein to your salad by adding cooked chickpeas or lentils!
What is sumac?
Sumac is a pinkish-red Middle Eastern spice that tastes tart and almost lemony. It offers a jolt of hot pink color and intriguing flavor, and I love it. You’ve seen it before on my ultra-creamy hummus recipe and this Mediterranean sweet potato farro salad.
Sumac is a fun ingredient to have on hand, and I’m glad I spent seven bucks for it on Amazon (affiliate link). However, if you don’t want to buy sumac, this salad is still totally delicious and flavorful without it! So, I’ve made sumac optional in the recipe below.
Please let me know how you like this fattoush salad recipe in the comments! It’s the best fattoush I’ve ever had, and I hope you agree.
Looking for more big, fresh green salads? Don’t miss these:
- Strawberry arugula salad with balsamic vinaigrette
- Chopped Greek salad
- Mexican green salad with jalapeño-cilantro dressing
- Colorful green salad with carrot-ginger dressing
- Italian chopped salad
Fattoush Salad with Mint Dressing
This classic fattoush salad recipe will become your new favorite salad! It’s a versatile salad, and the perfect way to use up those random leftover raw vegetables (the amounts given here are flexible and you can add/substitute any veggies you’d like). Recipe yields 4 large or 6 to 8 side salads.
Ingredients
- 2 whole grain pitas (7” diameter), torn into bite-sized pieces
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Pinch of fine sea salt
- ½ batch fresh mint dressing (you’ll need ½ cup, but make the full batch because this dressing is great to have on hand)
- 8 to 10 ounces fresh romaine lettuce, chopped (about 1 medium head of lettuce)
- 1 large tomato, chopped, or 1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup quartered and thinly sliced Persian or English cucumber
- 1 cup chopped red onion (about 1 small onion)
- ½ cup chopped radish (about 3 medium)
- ½ cup torn fresh mint leaves
- ½ cup crumbled feta (optional)
- Ground sumac, for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- To toast the pita: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. On a large, rimmed baking sheet, toss the torn pita with 2 tablespoons olive oil until lightly coated. Sprinkle with salt and bake in the oven until the pieces are very golden and crispy, tossing halfway, 8 to 12 minutes. Set the baking sheet aside to cool.
- To prepare the salad: Make the salad dressing as directed and set aside. In a large serving bowl, combine the chopped lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, radish, mint, optional parsley and feta, and toasted pita.
- Wait until you’re ready to serve to drizzle up to ½ cup dressing over the salad. Gently toss until all of the ingredients are lightly coated in dressing. Serve promptly, and sprinkle individual servings generously with sumac.
- This salad is best consumed soon after making, since the dressing will wilt the lettuce and soften the pita with time. If you intend to have leftovers, store the salad separately from the dressing, and toss individual salads before serving. The salad will keep this way, covered and refrigerated, for up to 4 days.
Notes
Recipe created with reference to Wikipedia.
Make it gluten free: Substitute gluten-free pita bread.
Make it dairy free/vegan: Don’t add feta. Vegans, use maple syrup instead of honey when making the dressing.
Change it up: Add cooked, drained chickpeas or lentils to make the salad a full meal.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
I am definitely making this for supper tonight. I have all the fresh herbs and veggies from the garden, including the mint for the dressing.
What did you think, Lynda?
It was really good, but I didn’t really measure (my bad) and had a bit too much lemon, so I have to adjust the leftover dressing a bit. I love that I get to use up so much mint from my garden.
Looks utterly delicious.
Thank you, Jack!
Can I use naan bead to toast instead of pita? Either way, I will definitely make this. I bought Sumac the other day and now I know how to use it. Thank you.
You could try it! Let me know what you think.
Your Fattoush salad looks so good and healthy. Thank you for sharing the recipe. I’ll definitely try this out!
You’re welcome! Let me know what you think when you try it.
I made this last night and it was delicious! I followed your recipe exactly. I was not sure about the mint in the dressing, but I did love it. I eat a lot of salads, so I enjoy trying new composed salads. I served this with grilled chicken for a light, healthy dinner. Thanks for another great recipe!
I’m glad you liked it, Claire! Thanks for your review.
Do you have a recipe for the basic lemon dressing? I do not care for mint. Also, if one is lucky enough to live near a Penzey’s spice shop like I do, they carry sumac berries (ground) as well. Too bad I was just there yesterday. What else do you use Sumac on? I try to avoid buying single use spices.
Hi Kirstin, I have a few different dressings that do include lemon. You can search on the blog by ingredient and type of recipe that will help you find what you are looking for.
I made this salad for dinner tonight and it was DELICIOUS! So very light and refreshing .. it was great as an appetizer salad but I can imagine it would make a great lunch salad with the addition of the garbanzos or maybe falafel balls. I cheated and used Trader Joe’s pita chips for the croutons.
My only question .. the dressing turned out a little “thin”. I’m sometimes not sure why some dressings thicken up and others don’t. It sure did not negatively affect the flavor.
Kate, you are a salad genius .. I absolutely love trying these beautiful, tasty salads and my family loves them too! This one is a keeper!
I would say this one is more like vinaigrette with the main base used, unlike my sunshine dressing that is thicker. I’m glad you liked it! Thanks for the review.
Such a delicious recipe! I mixed the mint dressing into 1/2 cup cooked green lentils, then tossed with the salad and it was perfect.
Thanks for sharing how you used the dressing, Alice!
Love this! My first time having fattoush was at Passover – we made it with matzoh instead of pita, and it was great! I can’t wait to try this with your mint dressing :)
Let me know what you think of the mint dressing, Sarah!
This was such a fabulous salad! I can’t wait to make it again.
I’m happy to hear that, Barbara!
This is SO delicious I absolutely love how all the flavors work together & that mint dressing is incredibly yummy! Thanks Kate & Cookie!
Thanks for taking the time to comment about what you thought of the recipe, Colleen! I appreciate it.
Made the Fresh Mint Dressing to go with this amazing salad! We couldn’t find any sumac at the grocery but will trek over to our Middle Eastern market soon so we can add that next time. It was so fresh and delicious. We picked mint from our garden along with tomatoes and some hot banana peppers (finely chopped so could add heat as like). We topped the salad with some Greek seasoned chicken thighs for a wonderful Sunday afternoon dinner that we will have often!!! We also made a double batch of the dressing and will use it on sandwiches and other dishes as well! Thanks again!!! ( We just found this site/email newsletter not too long ago but this is the 4th recipe we have tried. All have been soooo yummy!!!!)
You’re welcome, Kristie! That sounds so fresh. Thanks for taking the time to comment! Love that you can’t get enough of this recipe.
my whole family want your book..you are unreal..where to buy it in UK please..thanks for changing my life.was always macrobiotic and gilled with energy..but needed change too.thanks
Absolutely delicious. Light, tasty and easy to make. Made it for 15 as part of a barbecue. Definitely making again. Everyone wanted the recipe. Thank you for sharing.
I’m happy you loved it! Thanks for your review, Chrissie.
Super and versatile!! The dressing is pretty great! This will be in our rotation!
Wonderful, Erin!
I used chickpeas in place of the pita (idea that other commenters had) and roasted up some leftover zucchini and squash with sumac sprinkled on it — yum! Very happy with the results!
That sounds great, Sadye!
Your Autumn Kale Salad with Fennel and Honeycrisp has long been my absolute favorite salad but OMG this one is just as good! The mint dressing is divine! I couldn’t stop saying how delicious it was all dinner. Huge win right here! Thank you!
I’m glad you love both of them, Jess! Thank you for your review.
I served this salad with your vegetable soup for lunch and it was a huge hit! Everyone wanted the recipe! I will absolutely make this again! The mint made it so yummy!
Great to hear, Wendy! Thanks for taking the time to comment and review.
Have you used pomegranate seeds in fattoush? My neighborhood Lebanese restaurant (long closed down) used them and it was the best salad I’ve ever eaten. I was always trying to figure out all the ingredients but it was a closely guarded secret!
This salad is amazingly fresh and flavorful. I’ve already made it twice and everyone in my house loved it! The dressing is really the star of the show. Try this recipe The mint and lemon are a wonderful combo ! I had a few guests as well and they asked me to share it – and I was happy to.
This is the best Fattoush I’ve tried so far – and, living in the UAE for over 6 years, I have tried MANY of them :) The dressing is so wonderful in taste, I definitely am saving it to my favorites.
Thank you, Kate! Your website is just amazing. I have also cooked lentil soup yesterday – it is fantastic! So flavourful and delicious. I will be exploring other recipes, too!
I’ve written down 3 recipes, Tabbouleh, Fattoush salad, Lebonese Lemon parsley bean salad, and your mint dressing… I can’t wait to try these… my mouth is salivating just picturing how these ingredients are going to taste! I will comment as soon after I try them as possible!
I hope you love them all! Be sure to report back, Claudette.
This is a nice salad and a good change from the “norm.” The mint dressing is refreshing. We made ours with romaine, tomato, diced cucumber. radishes, diced zucchini, and kalamata olives. I’m the only red onion fan in the family so I added those to mine after plating all of them. I did not have any pita bread on hand so I used naan bread instead and it worked out well. The radishes I prepped with the mandoline slicer so they were quite thin. Also, instead of sumac, I used zaatar seasoning because I had it on hand and it has sumac in it. Zaatar comes in a lot of different compositions but mine has thyme, sesame seeds, sumac, and cilantro. I also sprinkled the zaatar on the naan bread prior to toasting it. We had this salad with the mujadara (one of our favorites that we always serve with shatta) and it was a really good side for that dish. I really like the mint dressing and think that it would be good with many different salads. Thanks again for another great recipe, Kate.
Thank you for sharing! I appreciate your details, Ken.
This was amazing! Big hit with the whole family!
That’s great to hear, Seema! Thank you for your review.
Delicious, just like all of your other recipes Kate! I would never have thought of doing a mint dressing, but I had half a bunch about to turn and this put it to great use. I can’t wait to try the dressing on ripe melon as a summer starter. I topped my fattoush salad with fried halloumi and it made a very nice lunch.
I’m glad you loved it! Thank you for your review, Ann.
This has become a family favorite and is requested for dinner weekly by my kids (age 7 and 10). We add chickpeas to make it a little heartier as it is our main course. Thank you!!
I love that! Thank you for sharing. What great taste for your kids!
So good. I used less honey in the dressing since I thought it was sweet enough after 2 TBLs. Also added a handful of parsley. I went easy on the red onion and added avocado. I wasn’t sure how much sumac to sprinkle on since I’ve never used it before. This was a great summer weekday meal.
Thank you for sharing, Allison!
I don’t see the directions for the dressing anywhere…
Hi Jacquie, you need to click the link in the ingredients for the recipe. Or use this mint dressing link. I hope you love it!
So good! Its funny my sister is out in Kansas city this week and was raving about the Mixx. I told her that some of your recipes are inspired by the. Will have to make her this one when she gets home.
I hope she enjoys her time here! Thank you for your review, Amanda.
Loved the dressing for this! You get a bit of subtle creaminess that I really miss with usual Fattoush salads. Thanks a lot!
You’re welcome, Meghana! I appreciate you taking the time to review.
I could drink that dressing, anyways, I add sumac to my pita before toasting it and it smells like home! (I grew up in the middle east). Strongly recommend this recipe!
Thank you for sharing, Rose! I’m glad you loved it.
Kate, I made this salad for dinner last night as it is too hot to cook right now. Well, I did have to toast the pita but that was quick. I had also ordered some sumac from Amazon and sprinkling that on top added a delicious taste to an already scrumptious salad. The dressing is refreshing and different and I’ll use it for other salads as well. This is the best salad I’ve had in a while and thank you for posting it. Yum!!
This is absolutely delicious! I had it once in a restaurant last summer and was smitten. I didn’t do the toasted pita (gluten allergies). The dressing is awesome! I chopped the mint very finely and then whisked it all together.
Shall be making this a lot this summer. Thanks for sharing the recipes!
Great to hear, Annie! I appreciate your review.