Give Yourself a Salad Break

This traditional Levantine salad features crispy pita "croutons" that soak up a puckery lemon and sumac vinaigrette. Lynda Balslev for Tastefood

There are times when you simply need a light and healthy timeout. When the weather is hot and cooking is out of the question or if you’ve been overindulging in meaty protein since the onset of grilling season, a simple salad presents a welcome break. Especially when it’s a fattoush salad.

Fattoush is a traditional Levantine salad. It’s a garden salad and a bread salad at once, brimming with fresh greens and garden vegetables, studded with feta cheese and olives and tumbled with shards of crispy pita bread. It’s a light, bright, and remarkably satisfying dish, thanks to the convergence of textures and salty, briny flavors. The pita pieces serve as “croutons” and soak up a puckery dressing infused with lemon and sumac.

Sumac may be the spice you didn’t know you needed. It’s a tart red berry that is dried, ground, and used for cooking in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine. Sumac has a distinct sharp and floral flavor and imparts a tang to dressings, marinades, and seasonings for meat and vegetables. Unlike lemons or vinegar, it’s neither bitter nor acidic, yet it imparts an acidic and citrusy note when added to a dish. It also is a vibrant garnish, thanks to its garnet color.

Fattoush Salad

Active Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 15 minutes

Serves 4 to 6

• 2 pieces of pita bread, each about 6 inches
• Extra-virgin olive oil

For the Dressing

• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove, minced or pushed through a press
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon dried sumac
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

For the Salad

• 1 head romaine (or 2 little gems), torn into bite-size pieces
• 1 cup baby arugula
• 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 English cucumber, quartered lengthwise, thinly sliced
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives
• 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese, plus extra for garnish
• 1/4 cup loosely packed mint leaves, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves and tender stems, coarsely chopped
• Sumac for sprinkling

Heat the oven broiler or grill. Lightly brush the pita bread with olive oil and cut each pita into 6 wedges. Broil or grill until light golden and crisp. Remove from the heat. When cool to the touch, break into bite-size pieces.

Whisk the dressing ingredients in a bowl until emulsified.

Combine the salad ingredients and the pita in a large bowl. Drizzle half of the vinaigrette over the salad and toss to combine. Add more vinaigrette to your taste and toss again. Serve garnished with additional feta and a sprinkle of sumac.