START TO FINISH: 30 minutes
SERVINGS: 6
This take on a Middle Eastern bread salad gets crunch and texture from pita bread split into rounds and brushed generously with seasoned olive oil before toasting to produce thin, crisp pieces packed with flavor. Pickled grapes are not a common fattoush ingredient, but we loved their sweet-tart flavor and succulent texture, an idea we borrowed from chef Ana Sortun of Oleana in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Both the pita and the grapes can be prepared a day in advance; store the pita in an airtight container to keep it fresh. Sumac, a fruity, lemony Levantine spice, has earthy, citrusy notes, and pomegranate molasses is tangy and lightly fruity. Both ingredients are optional, but they give the fattoush complexity and a distinct Middle Eastern character.
Don’t combine the salad ingredients until just before serving or the pita chips will get soggy.
1 pound seedless red grapes, halved
¼ cup cider vinegar
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
3 medium garlic cloves, finely grated
2 teaspoons ground cumin
½ to ¾ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Two 8-inch pita bread rounds, each split into 2 rounds
½ cup plain whole-milk yogurt
½ cup finely chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses (optional)
2 teaspoons ground sumac (optional)
1 English cucumber, quartered lengthwise, thinly sliced
6- to 7-ounce romaine heart, chopped into bite-size pieces
1 cup lightly packed fresh mint, finely chopped
Heat the oven to 400°F with a rack in the middle position. In a medium bowl, stir together the grapes, vinegar and ½ teaspoon salt. Cover and refrigerate.
In a small bowl, stir together ¼ cup of the oil, the garlic, cumin and pepper flakes. Arrange the pita rounds rough side up on a rimmed baking sheet, then brush each with the flavored oil, using all of it. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Bake until browned and crisp, 10 to 12 minutes. Set aside to cool. When cool enough to handle, break into bite-size pieces.
Drain the grapes, reserving the pickling liquid. In a large bowl, combine the remaining ¼ cup oil, the yogurt, dill, molasses and sumac, if using, and 1 teaspoon each salt and black pepper. Add the reserved pickling liquid and whisk well. Add the cucumber, romaine, mint, pickled grapes and pita pieces. Toss until evenly coated.