Fattoush salad

Fattoush usually combines tomatoes, cucumber, lettuce, radishes and herbs such as parsley or mint, with pieces of toasted or fried flatbread. A dressing of olive oil, lemon juice and sumac gives it its characteristic tang.

Tear pita or another thin flatbread into bite-sized pieces, toss with a little olive oil and bake at 180 °C for about 8–10 minutes, turning once. Let it cool before adding it to the salad so it stays crisp.

Toss the vegetables with the lemon, olive oil and sumac shortly before serving, then add the crisp bread last. The bread quickly softens once it meets the dressing.

Yes: chop and refrigerate the vegetables and herbs separately from the dressing and toasted bread. Combine them just before serving; dressed leftovers will keep, but the bread will lose its crunch.

Use extra lemon juice for a similar tartness, though it will lack sumac’s distinctive fruity, slightly earthy flavour. Add the lemon gradually so the salad does not become too wet.

Fattoush works well alongside grilled meat, fish or halloumi, and with dishes such as hummus, falafel and grilled aubergine. It can also be served as a light meal with extra chickpeas.

Fattoush is a chopped vegetable salad topped with crisp flatbread, often seasoned with sumac. Tabbouleh is built around finely chopped parsley and bulgur, with tomato, mint and lemon.