Fattouch with Ancient Grains, & Dukkah.

Fattouch is a middle eastern salad made with fried or baked pita to make pita croutons, then tossed with a variety of chopped veggies and fresh herbs. Typically tomato, cucumber, onion, romaine and mint and or cilantro. The dressing bright, often with the addition of sumac. A really beautiful salad that would be a great addition to a feast of falafel or other vegan middle eastern inspired fare. 

I ate this salad for days and it evolved into a heartier version that can stand alone as a meal. The addition of ancient grains adds a nutty taste and great texture.  I think whatever you have on hand or prefer works here. I tried it with Freekeh and Farro, both good, but feel free to use quinoa or even cooked lentils. I had Dukkah on hand so that ended up in the recipe too. It was just too tasty to leave out and fits the middle eastern inspired dish perfectly. Then lastly I added avocado, the dressing is bright so a bit of creamy rich avocado is a good contrast to that. 

Serves 4

These are approximate ingredients. You can't go wrong with this salad, whatever ratio you like is how you should make it. I like lots of pita croutons...like I mean lots. Maybe you want less. 

Fattoush Salad
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Ingredients

• 1 large head romaine lettuce, chopped
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 cucumber, chopped or sliced however you like
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
• 3 radishes, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup fresh mint/cilantro, chopped (I do 1/4 cup mint & 1/4 cup cilantro)
• 1 cup ancient grains of choice, cooked and cooled (you might prefer a bit less)
• 4 x 8 inch pita breads for croutons. 
• 1 x recipe for Dukkah (you won't need all f it, but Dukkah is something I always just make and have so I hope others make it and do the same because it is awesome)

Method

1. Make pita croutons. Rip pita into bite sized pieces. Toss with a bit of olive oil. Doesn't take much they just need a bit. Spread in even(ish) layer on parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 400F. Keep a close eye. I start peeking after 5 minutes. Toss around a few times. The pieces tend to not toast at the same rate, so I check them every 2 minutes after the first 5. Then, I remove the toasted ones to a bowl, and put the rest back in to finish. Repeat as needed. 
2. Combine all ingredients except the croutons and the Dukkah. Toss together. Drizzle in some dressing (recipe below) and toss. I'm not someone that lightly dresses things. Especially with grains I like lots of vinaigrette. 
3. Now you can toss in some Dukkah. I do this to taste. But I honestly probably put way more than you will intuitively put. Like just one my single portion of salad definitely 3 tbsp. I'm nuts for nuts. Just add a bit, taste and go from there. 
4. The pita croutons can be just for garnish, or tossed into the salad. I toss mine in just before I am going to eat. Don't add them and let the salad sit, because they go soft quickly. Your best bet would be to have them on the table and let people add them as they wish. It's a fun interactive approach anyhow! 

Vinaigrette

I usually make a double batch because I like having yummy dressings on hand. I never buy salad dressing because I just don't care for it, plus it's simple to make yourself.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
  
• 4 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tbsp Dijon
• couple pinches flaked kosher salt & pepper

Method:

1. Add ingredients to a jar, cover, and shake until emulsified.
2. If it goes in the fridge for later, it will probably have to come to room temperature before you can shake it as the oil solidifies when cold.