Lebanese Bread Salad (Fattoush)

It has been a completely crazy week for me and I am glad I have this little world to escape to even though it is only for a temporary respite. As promised I am posting a dish that doesn't need much introduction to anyone who is familiar with Lebanese cuisine. Fattoush has everything that made up a great salad; the refreshing herbs, crunchy vegetables, a vibrant dressing and the added bonus of crispy shards of toasted Lebanese bread. Purslane was growing wild in our garden up till early autumn, to me this is a perfect way to rid the garden of any unwanted weeds. 

P.S Purslane (馬齒莧, pronounced ma chi xian) is also a popular vegetable in Sichuan cooking. It can be found during the hotter months in good Middle Eastern shops, or try foraging near Merri Creek.

recipe adapted from Abla's Lebanese Kitchen
serve 4 
you'll need;
1 round Lebanese bread
5 radish, halved lengthwise and sliced
2 lebanese cucumbers, halved lengthwise and sliced
3 tomatoes, roughly chopped
8 spring onions, chopped
3/4 cup of purslane or watercress
1 cup of picked flat leaf parsley
1 cup of picked mint leaves

for the dressing;
1/3 tsp of allspice
1 1/2 tsp of ground sumac
80 ml of lemon juice
80 ml of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Prepare the vegetables.

Prepare the purslane and herbs.

Bake the bread until golden brown and break into pieces. Prepare the dressing.

Combine all the ingredients in a salad bowl, pour the dressing over and toss to combine. I served this refreshing salad with  harissa chicken skewers.