Middle Eastern Bread Salad

Ripe tomatoes, cool cucumbers and toasted pita bread, or Middle-Eastern bread salad. To be completely authentic, this Lebanese dish that is served in various forms across the region should also contain a sprinkling of reddish powdered sumac, which has a sour, lemony flavor and is available from good spice merchants. Fresh purslane, a slightly sour green succulent plant, is also traditional to the dish. You can sometimes get it at farmers markets, or find it growing wild. (It volunteers itself in most vegetable gardens.) But neither is required.

Ingredients

• 3 or 4 stale pita rounds (6-inch diameter, whole wheat or white)
• 1 pound ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 1 cup chopped cucumber
• 1 cup chopped sweet bell pepper
• ½ cup diced red onion
• 6 scallions, sliced thin
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 small garlic cloves, smashed to a paste
• ½ teaspoon cumin seed, toasted and ground
• ¼ cup roughly chopped parsley
• ¼ cup roughly chopped mint
• ¼ cup roughly chopped cilantro
• 2 teaspoons powdered sumac, optional

• Nutritional Information

  • Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

    308 calories; 15 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 10 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 39 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 7 grams protein; 230 milligrams sodium

  Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
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4 servings

Preparation

1. Toast pita until crisp and dry. When cool, break into bite-size pieces and set aside.
2. Put tomato, cucumber, pepper, onion and scallions in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. In a separate bowl, whisk together lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, garlic and cumin. Pour dressing over vegetables and mix to coat. Let marinate for 10 minutes at room temperature or refrigerate for up to an hour, if desired.
3. Just before serving, add parsley, mint, cilantro and toasted pita. Toss gently. Sprinkle with sumac, if using.

About 20 minutes