Yesterday, I introduced you to Sandra Reynolds, creator of new cookbook The $120 Food Challenge.

Today, I’m chuffed to be able to share with you one of the fabulous recipes from her blog of the same name: Fattoush, a gorgeous summery salad from the Middle East.

She writes:

A dish found throughout Syria and Lebanon, fattoush is an unbeatable example of peasant food. It is simply prepared, uses impeccably fresh ingredients, all presented with a matchless combination of flavours in a lemony dressing. It’s a winner and is never better than at the end of a long hot day when you need to eat but don’t want hot food.

Fattoush can have many variations but to my mind really does require the inclusion of pomegranate.Some recipes include pomegranate molasses in the dressing.

I prefer it the way I first encountered it, in a restaurant in the western suburbs of Sydney, complete with Beirut tourism posters on the walls. The salad came with coils of deep-fried Lebanese bread, and a generous serve of dazzling pink pomegranate seeds.

Make it and then vary the ingredients if you wish, but it could well become one of your favourite salads for summer.

Serves 4 as a main meal

what you need

for the salad

2 Lebanese cucumbers

4 medium tomatoes

A handful of mixed salad leaves or mesclun leaves

4 – 6 small to medium radishes, cut in half then finely sliced

6 leaves iceberg or cos lettuce

1 red capsicum

1 green capsicum

½ cup mint leaves

1 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

1 large pomegranate

2 Lebanese breads OR 4 pita bread

4 tbsp olive oil.

for the dressing

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tsp salt

2 tsp sweet paprika

2 tsp sumac

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp lemon juice

what to do

Cut the cucumbers in half lengthways and use a spoon to scrape out the seeds. Finely chop the cucumbers and place in a large bowl with the radishes. De-seed the tomatoes and slice finely to the same size as the radishes and cucumber. De-seed the capsicum and slice into thin strips and add to the salad with the parsley, mint and mesclun leaves.

Slice the pomegranate in half. Fill a small bowl with a cup or two of cold water, then carefully scoop out the seeds into the water. The water will help the surrounding membrane to float to the surface and keep the seeds and their precious juices intact. Once you have all the seeds in the bowl, drain the water and membranes and add seeds to the salad.

Heat olive oil in a frying pan. Roll up the breads into long cigar-shaped rolls. Fry them for 30 seconds on all sides in the frying pan, using the tongs to help the breads keep their shape. When completely toasted all over, drain on absorbent paper. Use a bread knife to slice the rolls into 1cm thick coils. Set aside.

To make the dressing, simply mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl or screw top jar.

To serve, scatter the cos or iceberg lettuce leaves over a large platter or individual plates, then pile the salad high  in the centre. Carefully spoon the dressing all over the salad, allowing the dressing to drizzle through the leaves. Top with coils of toasted bread. Serve immediately.

cost

$10.00 for four people