Lebanese Fattoush Salad With Grilled Chicken

Fattoush is a popular salad in Lebanon made with mixed greens, a lemony vinaigrette and pita bread pieces. Toasting the pita adds crunch and a sprinkle of ground sumac—which grows wild all over Lebanon—adds depth. Let the salad sit for a bit to let the pita soak up the lemony dressing. From EatingWell: EatingWell for a Healthy Heart Cookbook.

• Ready In: 35 mins
• Serves: 6
• Yields: 6 Salads

Ingredients

• TO MAKE SALAD

• 12  inches  whole wheat pita bread, split
• 3  tablespoons  extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 1⁄4 teaspoons ground sumac, divided (see Note)
• 1⁄4 cup lemon juice
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1  large head romaine lettuce, coarsely chopped
• 2  large tomatoes, diced
• 2  small  salad cucumbers (peeled if desired) or 1  large cucumber, seeded and diced (peeled if desired)
• 1⁄2 cup  thinly sliced red onion
• 1⁄3 cup  thinly sliced of fresh mint

• TO MAKE CHICKEN

• 1 1⁄2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons  extra-virgin olive oil
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄8 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Directions

1. TO PREPARE SALAD:
2. Preheat oven to 350°F
3. Place pita halves rough-side up on a large baking sheet. Brush with 1 tablespoon oil and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sumac.
4. Bake until golden and crisp, about 15 minutes. When cool, break into bite-size pieces.
5. Whisk lemon juice, salt, pepper and the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and 1/4 teaspoon sumac in a large bowl.
6. Add lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, mint and the pita pieces; toss to coat. Let stand for 15 minutes.
7. TO PREPARE CHICKEN:
8. Meanwhile, preheat grill to medium-high. Rub the chicken with oil and season with salt and pepper.
9. Grill until no longer pink inside, 3 to 4 minutes per side. (Alternatively, broil chicken 4 to 6 inches from the heat source for about 6 minutes per side.)
10. Slice the chicken thinly and serve on top of the salad.
11. NOTE:.
12. The tart berries of the sumac bush add another element to many Middle Eastern dishes. Find them whole or ground in Middle Eastern markets or online at kalustyans.com or lebaneseproducts.com.
13. DIETARY EXCHANGES: 1 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 fat, 3 lean meat (1 Carbohydrate Serving).