Chicken Fattoush Salad
The Lebanese salad known as fattoush is traditionally vegetarian, but add some grilled chicken, and you’ve got a fine one-dish meal. A lemony dressing and a sprinkling of sumac, a tart powder made of ground sumac berries, gives this colorful salad a refreshing zing. Look for sumac in Middle Eastern grocery stores or gourmet food shops.
Ingredients
- 3 pita breads (with pockets)
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- Salt and pepper
- 1 large garlic clove, finely grated
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (from 1 to 2 lemons)
- 6 large romaine leaves, chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 2 Persian cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthwise and sliced
- 1 bunch radishes, trimmed, halved and sliced
- 1 small red onion, chopped
- 1 (8-ounce) package Applegate Naturals® Grilled Chicken Breast Strips, chopped
- 1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
- ½ cup fresh mint leaves, coarsely chopped
- 1 tablespoon ground sumac
- 3 medium ripe tomatoes, cored and chopped into ½-inch pieces
Instructions
Pita Bread:
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Split the pita breads horizontally to make 6 rounds, then cut the rounds into 1-inch pieces.
- Arrange pita pieces on a rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, and season lightly with salt and pepper.
- Toss the pita pieces gently with your hands.
- Put in the oven and bake until golden brown and toasted, 10–12 minutes, giving the baking sheet a shake halfway through to stir the pieces around.
- Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
Dressing:
- Combine the remaining ½ cup olive oil with the garlic and lemon juice in a jar.
- Season with salt and pepper, then seal tightly and shake well to combine.
Salad:
- Put the chopped romaine, cucumbers, radishes, onions, chicken, parsley, mint, and sumac in a large salad bowl.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.
- Refrigerate the salad, covered, for at least 30 minutes, and up to 2 hours, to allow the flavors to develop.
- Before serving, add the tomatoes and the reserved toasted pita pieces to the salad and toss to combine.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Pita Bread:
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Split the pita breads horizontally to make 6 rounds, then cut the rounds into 1-inch pieces.
- Arrange pita pieces on a rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, and season lightly with salt and pepper.
- Toss the pita pieces gently with your hands.
- Put in the oven and bake until golden brown and toasted, 10–12 minutes, giving the baking sheet a shake halfway through to stir the pieces around.
- Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
Dressing:
- Combine the remaining ½ cup olive oil with the garlic and lemon juice in a jar.
- Season with salt and pepper, then seal tightly and shake well to combine.
Salad:
- Put the chopped romaine, cucumbers, radishes, onions, chicken, parsley, mint, and sumac in a large salad bowl.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.
- Refrigerate the salad, covered, for at least 30 minutes, and up to 2 hours, to allow the flavors to develop.
- Before serving, add the tomatoes and the reserved toasted pita pieces to the salad and toss to combine.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.