FATTOUSH SALAD (Mediterranean -or- Middle Eastern)

FATTOUSH SALAD (Mediterranean -or- Middle Eastern)

This is a light and delicious salad. It can be served as a side salad with a meal, or as a meal itself. When I eat it as a meal itself, I usually add a piece of grilled and sliced chicken breast.

Ingredients:

Romain Lettuce - chopped in bite size pieces (for ease I buy the bag of "Spring Mix" for lettuce variety)
Tomato - diced in bite size pieces, I prefer it without seeds
Red Onion - thinly sliced
Carrot - shredded
Radish - thinly sliced
Cucumber - chopped into bite size pieces (seedless works best, skin on or off is your choice)
Pita Chips - small pieces, either home made or store bought
Red Wine Vinegar
Lemon Juice
Olive Oil
Sumac (when I eat as a meal with Chicken, I use approx. 1 Tbs)
Sea Salt & Pepper

As you chop all the vegetables, keep them separate. This salad is made in an "assembly mode" adding and mixing one ingredient at a time, tossing as you add each ingredient. Using a large mixing bowl and a pair of tongs, mix as follows:

Add Lettuce, then drizzle with Olive oil and toss. Add Sea Salt (to taste) and toss. Add Tomato and toss. Add Sumac and toss. Add Red Onion and Radish and toss. Drizzle with Red Wine Vinegar and toss. Sprinkle with a very little bit of pepper and toss. Add Shredded Carrot and toss. Add Lemon Juice and toss. Add Cucumber and toss. Garnish with Pita chips (after tasting and tweaking the "dressing tastes").

*** Recipe Notes ***
(1) Sumac is a Mediterranean Spice, burnt red in color. If you cannot find it at your local grocery store (either in the spice/baking aisle, or the International Foods aisle) then you'll need to find a Mediterranean or Arabic grocer. I paid $8 for a jar/bottle the size of a McCormick jar.
(2) Keep in mind as you're mixing and drizzling the liquids that you are adding 3 liquids total, to avoid making it "salad soup" don't over drizzle. You can always add more after the salad is complete!
(3) Lemon Juice - I use fresh lemon when ever possible, but have cheated once or twice with the bottled stuff. When using fresh lemon, I squeeze it right from the lemon half into the salad.
(4) If you are going to make the pita chips, use olive oil to brush, and bake in oven until golden brown, at about 400 degrees. I recommend brushing the full pita slice (both sides) with oil, then chopping into your bite size pieces before you bake. If you're going to buy the pita chips (which is what I usually do), its best to buy plain/unflavored.
(5) As you're mixing the salad, it should be equal parts of the liquids, keep in mind that the Vinegar and Lemon Juice are both acidic, so in combination the dressing will be 1 part oil and 2 parts acid.
(6) If you like Green Pepper, you can also add that...or any other vegetable you enjoy in your salad.