California Fattoush Salad (Salatet Fattoush ∙ فتوش سلطة) by Reem Assil

"The medley of vegetables is what makes fattoush so special."

Photo: Alanna Hale

We are so excited to share this recipe from Reem Assil for her California Fattoush Salad, excerpted from her first cookbook, Arabiyya.

Hear Reem in our live show on the “State of California Cuisine” here:

'The State of California Cuisine' is Native, Black, Arab, and More

Reem writes in Arabiyya¹:

IN MY EARLIEST food memories, my mom is frying leftover bread into an addictive crunchy snack, a topping for soups or, more often than not, croutons for fattoush. Although I loved the chips, I fault the tasteless trucked-in tomatoes for my childhood aversion to the salad, an aversion I abandoned the first time I tasted field-fresh tomatoes in California. There’s no need to forgo this staple of the Palestinian dinner table when tomatoes fall out of season, since citrus makes a great winter substitute.

The medley of vegetables is what makes fattoush so special. If you’re not a purist, you can make it a medley of anything. Mine has all the elements of a delicious balanced salad: mustardy arugula, Little Gem or romaine lettuce for crunch, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, spicy radishes, and fresh herbs. This base welcomes seasonal additions. In the summer, I add corn—grilled or raw—pomegranate seeds, pickled cherries, or fresh purslane. In the winter, I swap segments of Cara Cara oranges and other citrus and fried sunchokes in place of toma- toes. In the spring, I look for varieties of radishes, including Easter Egg, Ninja, and French Breakfast to mix things up a little.