Kale Fattoush

Method

1. 1

   Step 1

   Heat the oven to 180 °C (160 °C fan). Split each pita along its edge into two thin rounds, then cut or tear them into pieces of about 3 cm.

2. 2

   Step 2

   Toss the bread with 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp sumac and a pinch of salt, then spread it in a single layer on the tray. Bake for 8–12 minutes, turning once halfway, until golden and crisp right through. Watch the last few minutes, as thin bread browns quickly, then let it cool on the tray, where it crisps further.

   Tip: Prefer the classic fried version? Shallow-fry the bread in batches in about 1 cm of vegetable oil at around 175 °C for 1–2 minutes until golden, then drain on paper towels.

3. 3

   Step 3

   Wash your hands, then wash the kale, herbs and vegetables under clean, cool running water, gently rubbing the kale leaves in their curly folds where soil can hide. Dry the kale and herbs thoroughly in a salad spinner or with clean towels.

4. 4

   Step 4

   Strip the kale leaves from their thick stems and tear or cut them into bite-size pieces (2–3 cm) — a little smaller than you would cut lettuce, as kale is sturdier. Keep the stems for a soup or a sauté.

5. 5

   Step 5

   Make the dressing: in a jar or small bowl, whisk the crushed garlic with the lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, sumac, dried mint and a pinch of salt, then whisk in the olive oil until slightly thickened. Taste it: it should be tangy with a gentle sweetness.

6. 6

   Step 6

   Put the kale in the large salad bowl, add 2 tbsp of the dressing and massage it with your hands for 1–2 minutes, until it darkens and softens.

7. 7

   Step 7

   Cut the tomatoes into chunks and the cucumbers into thick half-moons, thinly slice the radishes and spring onions, and dice the pepper. Roughly tear the parsley and mint (and purslane, if using) and add everything to the kale.

8. 8

   Step 8

   Pour over the rest of the dressing and toss well, then taste and adjust the salt or lemon.

9. 9

   Step 9

   Just before serving, add about three-quarters of the toasted bread and toss once more, then scatter the rest on top with a pinch of sumac. Serve straight away, while the bread is still crunchy.

Cooking tips

• Bake the bread until it is crisp all the way through; any soft center turns soggy in the dressing.
• Massaging the kale with a little dressing first makes it tender enough to sit happily beside the soft vegetables.
• Pomegranate molasses varies in sweetness and sourness from brand to brand — start with 1 tbsp and adjust.
• This recipe uses 100 g of the bag; the remaining 150 g is just right for kale with pomegranate & walnuts.

Storage & leftovers

Fattoush is best eaten as soon as it is dressed, because the bread softens within minutes. To prepare ahead, keep the cooled toasted bread in an airtight container at room temperature, the chopped vegetables covered in the fridge and the dressing in a closed jar in the fridge (use it within 3–4 days), then combine just before serving. Refrigerate any dressed leftovers within 2 hours and eat them by the next day for the best texture, within 3–4 days at most. Keep unused kale unwashed, in its bag, in the crisper drawer at 0–4 °C.