Skip to main content
Epicurious
Gourmet

Tomato, Cucumber, and Pita Salad

4.3

(10)

We seasoned this salad — based on the Middle Eastern bread salad called fattoush — with za'atar, a mixture of salt, sumac, sesame, and thyme.

Cooks' notes:

·Olives can marinate up to 2 weeks.
· Pita toasts can be made 2 days ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature.

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    9 1/2 hours

  • Yield

    Makes 16 servings

Ingredients

For marinated olives

1 cup Kalamata or other brine-cured black olives (5 oz), halved lengthwise and pitted
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried, crumbled
2 (2- by 1/2-inch) strips fresh lemon zest, thinly sliced crosswise
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

For pita toasts

4 (6-inch) pita loaves with pockets, split horizontally
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons za'atar

For salad

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 hearts of romaine (1 1/2 lb), cut into 2-inch pieces
1 seedless cucumber (usually plastic-wrapped), peeled, halved lengthwise, cored, and thinly sliced crosswise
1 pt grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
3/4 lb feta, coarsely crumbled (2 1/2 cups)
3 tablespoons za'atar

Preparation

  1. Marinate olives:

    Step 1

    Stir together all olive ingredients in an airtight container and marinate olives, chilled, at least 8 hours. Bring to room temperature before using.

  2. Make pita toasts:

    Step 2

    Preheat oven to 350°F.

    Step 3

    Brush rough sides of pita halves with oil and sprinkle with za'atar. Cut each round into 8 wedges, then halve each wedge diagonally. Arrange triangles, oiled sides up, on 2 baking sheets and bake in batches in middle of oven until crisp and pale golden, about 10 minutes. Cool on a rack.

  3. Assemble salad:

    Step 4

    Add lemon juice to marinated olives, then close container and shake vigorously. Divide olive mixture between 2 large salad bowls. Divide romaine, cucumber, tomatoes, feta, and pita toasts between bowls, then sprinkle with za'atar and toss.

TagsSaladMiddle EasternOliveOreganoHerbs & SpicesLemonCitrusFruitRomaineLettuceLeafy GreensVegetableCherry TomatoTomatoFetaCheeseDairyCucumberSideMainLunchDinnerNut FreeVegetarianBakingRamadanSummerSpringGourmet
Read More
Fattoush Salad With Lemon-Sumac Dressing
Every salad should have pita chips.
Feta and Sun-Dried Tomato Dip
Creamy and bright with just a subtle bit of heat, this five-ingredient, make-ahead dip is ready for company—just add crudités.
Sheet-Pan Sausage With Corn, Peach, and Cucumber Salad
This summery sheet-pan dinner celebrates the bounty of the season and couldn't be simpler to make. Chorizo plays nicely with the salad, thanks to its spice.
Smothered Italian Sausage
This is what I call a fridge-eater recipe. The key here is getting a nice sear on the sausage and cooking the tomato down until it coats the sausage and vegetables well.
Charred Vegetable Ragù
This sauce is slightly magical. The texture cloaks pasta much like a traditional meat sauce does, and the flavors are deep and rich, but it’s actually vegan!
Crispy Oyster Mushroom Skewers With Bok Choy Salad
Oyster mushrooms are a strong all-rounder in the kitchen, seeming to straddle both plant and meat worlds in what they look and taste like when cooked. Here they’re coated in a marinade my mother used to use when cooking Chinese food at home—honey, soy, garlic and ginger—and roasted until golden, crisp, and juicy.
Grape Dumplings
Native American people made these with cornmeal dumplings, simmering them with wild grapes, which were harvested at their peak sweetness.
Fufu
Fufu is a dish that has been passed down through many generations and is seen as a symbol of Ghanaian identity and heritage. Making fufu traditionally is a very laborious task; this recipe mimics some of that hard work but with a few home-cook hacks that make for a far easier time.