I have to confess I am not a big fan of making salads. I love eating salads, and I often order them from restaurants. But I find making salads to be tedious, so I usually just throw together a boring, mediocre salad at the last minute. I think it’s in part because I spend all my effort making the main dish and I just don’t feel like preparing the veggies. And if I have to wash the lettuce too? Forget it! Bagged lettuce is my friend.
This week for Cook the Book Fridays we made a Middle Eastern salad called Fattoush. It only took a little more effort than I usually put into a salad, and the results were worth it.
The ingredients are a mix of familiar and unfamiliar. The familiar: romaine lettuce, green onions, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, parsley, mint, radishes, and a lemon vinaigrette. The unfamiliar: ground sumac and toasted pita bread.
I made his and hers salads, to suit our different tastes. My salad followed the recipe to a tee. My husband had only the veggies, added grated cheddar, and used his usual blue cheese dressing. I served the salads with leftover chicken kabobs. Perfect!
I loved the combination of flavors in this salad, and the pieces of toasted pita bread were a fun alternative to croutons. The lemon vinaigrette was good, and I would make it again for any salad. Will this experience will help me put a little more effort into making tasty salads? We’ll see…
This post participates in Cook the Book Fridays, an online cooking group currently making our way through David Lebovitz’s My Paris Kitchen. Join us if you’d like!
From Scratch 
I love that you served yours with kabobs. A perfect accompaniment! I grew up on Fattoush…and absolutely love the lemon dressing. So fresh tasting.
Your his and her salad approach works wonder to keep everyone satisfied and happy with the food, the ultimate goal! You did it.
I laughed at the “his-and-her” salads. That’s something I’d have to do. Not this time, though. I was thinking the salad would be great with grilled chicken, but I didn’t have any to make. Glad that you discovered a new way to liven up everyday salads.
Yes, at dinner time, I get around to the salad part and think, “Oh, well.” and throw something together. I enjoyed everything about Fattoush also including, most of all, the sumac and the toasted pita pieces. I certainly will make this again and again during the summer. It’s not difficult, just takes time. BTW, tell your husband my favorite, favorite salad dressing is Blue Cheese. I’m an Iowa girl and that was always a staple in the midwest as I was growing up.
I know what you mean about salads – it does seem a lot of work when you’re preparing other dishes. But, at this time of year, I’m happy to make a whole meal of salad for lunch or dinner – the lettuces, radishes, and other early summer veggies are so delicious right now. I’m going to be making this salad a lot this summer – it’s so good! Glad you enjoyed it, too.
I too added Kabobs. I am not sure why but it was screaming for something grilled. I used to hate making salads, they are time consuming- but I have come to love them.
Yes salads can be a lot of extra work on top of everything else which is why I am a fan of the “big salad” for dinner! Love the idea of this served with kabobs!
Preach, Karen. I hate making salads, too, though I throw one together every day for lunch. Any time people ask what to bring to my house to go with dinner, I say wine and a salad. 🙂 Glad the salad worked for you–we liked it, too!!
I love the his and hers salads. This was very refreshing, the vinaigrette
with the lemon, that was a change for me. Will definitely be making this again.
Like you I often get frustrated with salads and so make a mediocre accompaniment. But then I have a salad like this, which really is so easy, and wonder why I don’t do this more often? Ha!
That is a delicious meal, serving the salad with chicken kabobs! You made me smile with his and hers salad! 🙂
I know that feeling well, how making a simple salad seems like too much effort at the end of meal prep. I rarely make a real dressing, opting for an easy sprinkle of salt and pepper, vinegar or lemon and olive oil. And hurray for pre-washed greens!
Love your pairing the salad with the chicken kebobs, the his and her’s salad dressing sounds familiar! Non-vinny for my hubby too! But he do enjoy the pomegranate molasses/honey/lemonjuice/oliveoil one I made a couple of times!