Sumac is not a spice we hear about very often, but it is very common in middle eastern cooking.
Sumac is made from crushed sumac berries and has a tangy lemony flavour milder than lemon. This powerful spice is high in antioxidants, vitamin C and known to lower blood pressure.
The first time I tried sumac was at my in laws house in a Fattoush salad, which by the way was delicious! So you know, one of the things that makes Fattoush salad so delicious is not only the sumac, but also the crunchy pita bread that gets tossed into it. So what do you do when you’re gluten free and mainly grain free? You either stop eating it or you modify it …quite frankly I think that my version is delicious and plus a lot more nutrient dense.
Try it for yourself and let me know what you think…my husband who is Lebanese and not an easy critic to please gave me his full approval. Curious what you’ll think:)
Fattoush Salad with Coconut Crisps
Serves 2
-4 cups romaine lettuce, washed and chopped
-3/4 cup chopped tomatoes
-1/2 red pepper chopped (or any coloured pepper will do)
-1/4 red onion, finely sliced
-1/4 cup diced fresh parsley
-1/4 cup diced fresh mint
-2 mini cucumbers or 1/2 english cucumber, diced
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 F.
In a large bowl place all ingredients.
For Coconut Crisps:
-1 cup raw coconut chips ( I use these https://amzn.to/2uu2M6Q)
-1 tsp sumac
-1 tsp sea salt
-1 tsp coconut oil
Directions:
Place ingredients in a small bowl and toss well to coat. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 min until crispy and golden.
For Dressing:
1 minced garlic clove
3 tbsp of organic red wine vinegar
2 tsp sumac
4 tbsp organic olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
Directions:
Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl or mason jar. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
This will make extra. Don’t use it all on your salad, unless you like loads of dressing.
To plate:
Divide salad onto 2 plates. Drizzle dressing to your liking.
Top with crispy coconut crisps.
This salad can be made a side to a meal or you can make it into a full meal by adding protein to it. In the pic below I added crunchy chickpeas that I had made for my son, but it’s also great with cooked chickpeas or chicken.
Enjoy!
Yours in health
Daniela Nahas
