Fattoush

This salad is all about sourness. The combination of lemon and sumac really packs a punch. Great with a barbecue.

Ingredients

For the dressing

• 300ml/10fl oz olive oil
• 2 lemons, juice and zest only
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 4 tbsp sumac (a sour-tasting ground spice, available in Middle Eastern delicatessens)
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the salad

• 1 pitta bread, torn into small pieces
• 8 plum tomatoes, seeds removed, quartered
• half cucumber, peeled, cut into 5cm/2in batons
• half green pepper, cut into strips
• 8 radishes, sliced
• 1 shallot, sliced
• small handful rocket leaves
• 1 small Little Gem lettuce
• handful fresh mint leaves

Preparation method

1. For the dressing, place the olive oil, lemon juice and zest, crushed garlic and sumac into a bowl and whisk together to combine. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. (You will not need all the dressing for this recipe, so set the remainder aside in the fridge for up to a week.)
   Technique: Zesting citrus fruit
   Watch technique1:02 mins
2. For the salad, place the torn pitta, tomatoes, cucumber, pepper, radishes, shallot, rocket leaves, Little Gem lettuce leaves and mint leaves into a large bowl and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
3. To serve, pour the dressing, to taste, over the salad and gently mix together to coat the salad evenly.

Required techniques

• Zesting citrus fruit
• Zesting citrus fruit
• De-seeding tomatoes

By Simon Rimmer

From Something for the Weekend

• Vegetarian

Less than 30 minspreparation time

No cooking requiredcooking time

Serves 4