Fattoush Sandwich
Fast food existed long before fast food franchises. Fattoush is a Middle Eastern bread salad that’s not only fun to say, it’s quick and smart, making use of stale pita. The bread is torn up and tossed with veggies including summer-ripe tomatoes and cooling cuke. It’s bracing to eat, easy to make. Here it’s reconstructed and further simplified, with the vegetables dressed and stuffed in a pita or stacked on slices of whole wheat bread. Takes minutes to make and you can do it yourself. Add a blob of hummus for a beany, proteiny treat.
- 2 pitas split or 4 slices sturdy whole wheat bread
- handful of spinach leaves
- 1/2 ripe tomato sliced thin
- 1/2 cucumber sliced thin
- 1 slice onion sliced thin and then halved
- 1 roasted red pepper sliced into strips (jarred peppers are fine)
- squeeze of lemon juice
- drizzle of olive oil
- sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
- sprinkle of za’atar* as an extra treat
Arrange a layer of spinach leave on half the pita or on 2 slices of bread. Add sliced tomato, cucumber, onion and roasted pepper.
Just before serving, squeeze lemon juice on top, add a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper and a sprinkle of optional za’atar.
Top with the other half of the pita or remaining slices of bread.
Press down gently to keep vegetables in place. Slice in half, if desired. Serves 2.
*An earthy blend of thyme, sumac and sesame seeds available in many gourmet and Middle Eastern markets.