We’re doing our best to eat dinner together as a family these days. For my husband and me, that means having our dinner when our daughter does, at 5pm. Sunset is basically exactly then in Sydney in winter, so it doesn’t feel as random or as early as it otherwise would. Sydney is also an early to bed and early to rise city, so it kind of doubly works for us here.
Anyway, all this to say: lately, I have found myself sitting directly across from our 3 and 1/2 year old, just watching her work her way through one of her classic beige meals. (Tuna pasta, hummus on crackers, and peanut butter sandwiches are currently on rotation, if you’re curious). Recently, with peas firmly on my mind, I had a sudden (and pretty visceral) realisation: if green veggies were ever taken from me, I would probably tantrum like a 3 year old, myself!
I will choose a bowl of fresh, crunchy, salty, lemony salad eaten straight from the mixing bowl, over something more stereotypically indulgent, like French fries or pasta. If you’ve been following along with me on IG, you’ll know that salads with serious texture just do something to me. I think it’s because they hit every single sensory note, which is the hallmark of a perfect bite to me, Whatever the exact reason, I genuinely feel like I would go off the deep end without ‘em.
The famous fattoush is already one of the greatest salads of all time. This version adds sweet green peas into the fold, and it is so, so good. The sweetness of the peas creates a really satisfying counterpoint to the sharp and sour sumac and lemon dressing, while radishes, cucumbers, and red onion provide that much needed satisfying crunch. Then, when it’s topped with a mountain of fresh mint, pomegranate seeds, and za’atar pita chips, it basically becomes the kind of salad that actually gets better as it sits, because all the flavours develop all together.
It all comes together super quickly too, making this here salad a really awesome choice for a midweek lunch or dinner. At the same time, I think this salad looks more than good enough to stand on its own, on a weekend dining table - so if you’re having people over soon, I’ve got you!
Serves: 2 as a main (or 4 as a side)
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Baking tray
Chef’s knife
Cutting board
Large mixing bowl
Colander
2 small pita breads (or Lebanese bread), torn into bite sized pieces
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