Summer Salad with Toasted Pita

This delicious salad is a staple in my house, especially during the summer months. It is inspired by "fattoush", which is a refreshing, chopped salad that I grew up eating. It makes tasty use of leftover pita and packed with a generous amount of fresh herbs, lemon juice, and sumac, that add brightness. I love the variety of textures here, the crunch from the well-seasoned toasted pita, in particular.

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 pita bread, cut into triangles

2 Persian cucumbers, cut lengthwise, and then chopped crosswise into 1/2' chunks

2 medium size tomatoes, chopped

2 green onions, chopped

1 large romaine lettuce, chopped

1/2 cup pitted olives 1 cup bell pepper, chopped (I used a combination of red, yellow and green peppers)

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped (optional)

1/2 cup unsalted nuts (I used pistachios)

For the dressing

Juice of 1 lemon

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil + 2 Tbsp for toasting the pita

Salt, to taste

Pepper, to taste

1/4 tsp paprika1 tsp sumac, (if not available, substitute with some lemon zest)

3 garlic cloves, finely grated

Directions
In a bowl, combine the garlic, paprika, salt, pepper, sumac (or lemon zest) and the lemon juice.

Gently pour 1/3 cup of the extra virgin olive oil, while whisking at the same time.

Set the dressing aside.

Heat a skillet with 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, place the pita triangles, season with salt and pepper and toast them for 5-7 minutes, or until browned and crisp, on medium-low, stirring frequently, making sure they don't burn. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, tomatoes, green onions, olives, peppers, parsley, basil with the dressing. Toss until evenly coated.

Check for seasoning and adjust, if needed.

Add the toasted pita. Serve immediately.

*Don't combine the pita along with the other salad ingredients and the dressing until just before serving or the pita chips will get soggy.

*Feel free to add more or less of the lemon juice to suit your preference

*If the pita bread is thick, try to open the pockets fully and then cut them into triangles

*Cooked chickpeas is a good addition to the salad for some extra protein

If you make this recipe and decide to share it, tag me on Instagram @yummyyatra I love seeing your delicious recreations