Roasted Red Pepper Fattoush with Crispy Pita
Charred red peppers meet crispy toasted pita in this vibrant Levantine salad. Fresh tomatoes, cucumber, and feta are tossed with a garlicky sumac dressing that lets the roasted peppers shine. The pita softens slightly as it sits, creating a satisfying texture contrast.
Ingredients
- 2 large red peppers
- 3 pita breads, split openciabattaequal weightgrain
crispier texture
- 6 medium vine-ripened tomatoes, skinned
- ½ cucumber, peeled, deseeded, sliced
- 1 green pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 small red onion, very thinly sliced
- 1 oz fresh flatleaf parsley, roughly chopped
- 1 cups feta cheese, crumbled
- 2 garlic cloves
- ½ tsp coarse sea salt
- tomato juices, from the 6 tomatoes
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 ½ tsp sumac, a Middle Eastern spice(optional)lemon zest0.5 tsp zestcitrus
brightens without the spice
Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 425°F (fan 400°F, gas 7).
- 2
Place red peppers on a baking tray and roast, turning occasionally, until lightly charred.
- 3
Seal peppers in a plastic bag and cool, then remove stalks, seeds, and skin; tear into strips.
- 4
Split pita breads open, place on a baking tray, and toast in the oven.
- 5
Cool pita and break into pieces.
- 6
Quarter tomatoes and scoop seeds and juice into a sieve set over a bowl; rub with a wooden spoon to release juice, discard seeds, and cut flesh into wedges.
- 7
Crush garlic with sea salt on a board using a knife blade to form a paste.
- 8
Combine garlic paste with tomato juices, lemon juice, olive oil, sumac, and black pepper.
- 9
Place peppers, pita, tomato wedges, cucumber, green pepper, red onion, parsley, and feta in a large bowl.
- 10
Add dressing and toss well.
- 11
Set aside for 5 minutes before serving.
Tips
Seal roasted peppers in a plastic bag while cooling to steam off the skin, making removal easier.
Crush garlic with salt on the board to create a flavor-building paste before adding to the dressing.
Good to Know
Assemble without dressing, cover, and refrigerate up to 4 hours. Dress just before serving.
Roast and skin peppers up to 1 day ahead. Toast pita and make dressing 4 hours ahead.
Serve at room temperature with additional lemon wedges and black pepper on the side.
Common Mistakes
Do not skip the 5-minute rest after tossing to avoid the pita becoming tough instead of softening.
Do not discard the tomato juices to avoid a dry, underseasoned dressing.
Do not over-roast peppers to avoid excessive charring that masks their natural sweetness.
Substitutions
Dairy-Free Swaps
General Alternatives
crispier texture