When I lived in Michigan, we always went to our favorite Mediterranean restaurant, La Marsa, for their fattoush salad recipe. Not only did they have a lot of vegan entrees on the menu, but they always accommodated our diets by cooking without oil. Their fattoush dressing, for instance, was simply to die for.
In fact, since moving to Arizona, I have yet to find any place close in terms of taste or authenticity. As a result, I have resorted to making my own Mediterranean food at home. Because of my love for the salad I miss from my hometown, I created a skinny vegan fattoush salad.
Although it might seem crazy that I miss a salad, I’ve learned my love is for the dressing rather than the simple salad. Trust me when I tell you, I have dragged my husband to every Mediterranean restaurant in Scottsdale trying to find my beloved fattoush salad recipe.
WHAT IS FATTOUSH?
Typically, fattoush is a Mediterranean fried bread salad which includes lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and fried pieces of pita bread.
My Skinny Vegan Fattoush Salad, for instance, is a lower in a fat, oil-free version of my favorite salad. Indeed, Skinny Vegan Fattoush Salad is just romaine lettuce, cucumber, tomato, and white onion. Of course, I add a few more items like purple cabbage and baked pita chips instead of fried pita chips.
Since I create my own version, there are no rules of what you can add or delete. For example, chickpeas would be a natural addition, as would kalamata olives. But, feel free to let your creativity flow. In order to please my palate,I need a tangy dressing!
WHAT’S THE SECRET FATTOUSH SALAD DRESSING?
Subsequently, the dressing is the key to the skinny vegan fattoush salad recipe. As a matter of fact, all good dressing comes with a little magic. After many trials and errors in making a zesty dressing, I finally found the two magic ingredients: pomegranate molasses and sumac.
Pomegranate molasses, for instance, is simply a thickened syrup made from pomegranate juice. Sumac, on the other hand, comes from the berries of a wild bush that grows wild in all Mediterranean areas and parts of the Middle East. Furthermore, sumac is used as an essential ingredient that is sometimes exchanged for using lemon in cooking.
Above all, remember the dressing isn’t only for the skinny vegan fattoush salad recipe. Additionally, I put it on potatoes, rice, or drizzle on veggies. Regardless of the food you choose to zest, this dressing delivers.
MAKING PITA CHIPS
Making your own pita chips, for example, is easier than you think. Instead of using fried pita chips, I simply bake my own pita bread in the oven without oil, and break them up into chips prior to dressing the salad.
Also, skipping the baked pita chips is an option, because the fattoush salad recipe is just as delicious. So, don’t worry about eating a “fried bread” salad without the bread.
LOOKING FOR MORE MEDITERRANEAN RECIPES?
Fattoush salad, as well as, these recipes below, are my absolute favorites!
- Skinny Quinoa Greek Salad with OMG Oil-Free Dressing
- Skinny Greek Veggie Pasta Salad
- Skinny Vegan Greek Spinach Pie
- Skinny Greek Wrap Sandwich
- Vegan Greek Quesadilla
- Skinny Roasted Greek Bowl
- Vegan Layered Greek Dip
- Skinny Lentil Gyro Bowl with Vegan Taziki
Skinny Vegan Fattoush Salad
Skinny Fattoush salad is oil free with baked pita chips. Simple, yet tangy, this salad will fill you up and bring you back for more. The zesty dressing will be your new favorite dressing, dip and sauce.
Ingredients
SALAD
- 8 cups Romaine lettuce, chopped in bite sized pieces
- 1 large English cucumber, cut into ovals, and then halves
- 1 pint grape tomatoes
- 1 medium white onion, sliced thin
- 3 cups purple cabbage, shredded
DRESSING
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice + the zest of the lemon
- 4 Tablespoons pomegranate molasses
- 4 Tablespoons organic white vinegar
- 4 Tablespoons garlic, minced
- 1 Tablespoon fresh mint, chopped
- 1 Tablespoon ground sumac (soaked in 3 Tablespoons warm water)
- 1 Tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
PITA CHIPS
- 3 pieces of whole wheat pita bread
- 2 teaspoons garlic salt
Instructions
DRESSING
- Combine sumac and warm water; let sit while you make the pita chips and prepare the salad
- Combine all the ingredient and the sumac with water after preparing pita chips and salad
- Whisk together
PITA CHIPS
- Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees
- Cut 3 pieces of pita bread into 8 triangles each
- Prepare a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper
- Lay pita in a single layer on the baking sheet
- Spray pita with a little water
- Sprinkle with garlic salt
- Bake for 7 minutes
- Remove from oven and cool
- Break into pieces when cooled
SALAD
- Cut lettuce and prepare other vegetables
- Arrange into large bowls
- Sprinkle with a small handfuls of pita chips (DO NOT ADD PITA CHIPS UNTIL READY TO EAT TO PREVENT SOGGINESS)
SERVE
- Add pita chips to the salad right before serving
- Drizzle dressing on salad
- Serve with additional dressing
Leave a Reply