Spring Fattoush Salad

I’m all about bring salads for spring. If you are trying to “eat the rainbow” this salad really delivers. The Middle Eastern flavors and fresh herbs make this salad a little different than your everyday salad and is extremely satisfying.

I try to eat at least one salad a day – usually for lunch. I totally understand salad fatigue so was looking for something a little different than your everyday tomato and lettuce.

What is a Fattoush Salad?

This is my take on a fattoush salad. A fattoush salad is basically a Lebanese bread salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, radishes, herbs and fried bread. Here I take a few creative liberties by adding multi-colored cherry tomatoes and purple daikon radish that I happen to have found at the store and thought would really make this salad pop.

Instead of fried pita chips, I bought fresh whole wheat pita and toasted in the oven.

Cashew Cream Dressing

This salad is also dairy free! I created a “yogurt dressing” from soaked cashews which features mint and, scallion and parsley. A few tips:

• To make a cashew cream dressing you need to soak the cashews for at least four hours (or overnight). If you happen to forget the soak the cashews, boil the water and let sit for at least 20 minutes. A high-speed blender certainly helps here as well.
• My tip is to try to make the dressing in advance so the herbs have a chance to permeate the dressing.

They key thing is not to skip the herbs and the sumac – IMO they really make the salad!

Spring Fattoush Salad

Print Recipe

A satisfying and colorful vegetable salad with homemade pita chips, fragrant herbs and a refreshing cashew cream dressing. 

• Author: Jeannine
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients

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For the Salad:

• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 3 radishes, thinly sliced
• 1 large English cucumber, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp coarsely chopped parsley
• 1 tbsp coarsely chopped mint
• 2 cups of romaine or mixed greens
• 1 tsp sumac
• 1 large, toasted whole wheat pita, crumbled
• 6 oz vegan feta cheese (optional)·

For the Dressing:

• 1 cup cashews
• 2/3 cup unsweetened nut milk (I used cashew milk)
• 4 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp apple cider or white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp salt (or more to taste)
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper
• 1 diced scallion
• 2 tbsp chopped mint
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley

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Instructions

• Soak 1 cup cashews overnight or for at least 4 hours.  Drain and rinse well.
• In a high-speed blender, mix cashews, milk, olive oil, garlic, vinegar, salt & pepper.  Blend well.
• Then add in chopped mint, scallion and parsley and pulse until well incorporated but do not over-blend.
• For the salad, combine all ingredients and top with dressing.  Sprinkle sumac on top.