Buttermilk Fattoush

This is my last of three posts highlighting recipes from Sami Tamimi and Tara Wigley’s book Falastin. This week I am talking about their delicious spin on the classic Fattoush Salad. This recipe has all of the elements of the great Middle Eastern restaurant classic- sour, sumac-focussed dressing, lots of herbs and vegetables, and of course, left-over pita. The distinction of this recipe is the inclusion of buttermilk which ups the tartness of the sumac. This was Tamimi’s mother’s recipe and I first came across it in the cookbook Jerusalem. This salad is light, fresh, and the perfect side or addition to a pita stuffed with Shawarma or falafel.

The original recipes calls for a lot of dressing that never seems to fully soak into the pita. I have reduced the amount of buttermilk and apply the dressing slowly, stopping once the salad is coating. You may have a bit extra which will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.

If you don’t have buttermilk, you can easily substitute ½ a cup of plain Greek yogurt thinned with ½ a cup of milk, or 3/4 cup of regular plain yogurt thinned with 1/4 cup of milk.

For those unfamiliar, sumac is a tart, citrusy spice that is very popular in Middle Eastern recipes. It is a great way of adding a sour element to cooking without adding any liquid. While you could substitute lemon juice in a pinch, the spice is becoming widely available and is great in salad dressings. Check out your nearest grocery store or find it online.

Buttermilk Fattoush

Adapted from Falastin, Sami Tamimi and Tara Wigley

Serves 6 as a side

1/2 onion, cut in half and then thinly sliced
1 1/2 tsp sumac
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt

1 small head romaine lettuce, torn
3 large tomatoes, cut roughly into 1/2 inch dice
10 radishes, thinly sliced
2-3 small Persian cucumbers, or 1 medium English cucumber, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice
1 cup mint leaves, roughly chopped
1 cup parsley leaves, roughly chopped
1 cup buttermilk (see note)
2 Tbsp thyme leaves
2 garlic cloves, crushed
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp cider vinegar
1 1/2 tsp sumac
2 large day-old pita breads, naan or flatbread, torn into roughly 1 1/2 inch pieces
salt and pepper

Mix the onion, sumac, olive oil and salt together in a small bowl and set aside.

Combine the lettuce, tomatoes, radishes, cucumbers, mint and parsley in a large bowl. Combine the buttermilk, thyme, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, vinegar and 1 1/2 tsp sumac in a large canning jar or bowl and mix well.

When ready to serve, add the sumac onions and pita to the salad. Slowly pour the dressing until the vegetables are coated. Add additional salt, pepper, and sumac to taste.