Ingredients:

  • 1 head Romaine lettuce (300g), chopped into 1-inch ribbons
  • 3 Persian cucumbers (250g), quartered and sliced
  • 3 medium Roma tomatoes (300g), diced
  • 6 red radishes (100g), thinly sliced
  • 3 green onions, sliced
  • 1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
  • 0.5 cup fresh mint leaves, torn
  • 0.5 cup purslane
  • 2 large pita breads, split into single layers
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (for frying)
  • 0.5 tsp sea salt (for pita)
  • 0.5 tsp dried mint
  • 0.25 cup extra virgin olive oil (for dressing)
  • 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
  • 1.5 tsp ground sumac
  • 1 clove garlic, finely grated
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper

Instructions:

  1. Prepare the vegetable base by chopping the Romaine, cucumbers, tomatoes, and radishes. Place the diced tomatoes in a small sieve for 5 minutes to drain excess moisture.
  2. In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Tear the pita bread into bite-sized pieces and fry until golden brown and mahogany-colored. Remove from heat and immediately toss with sea salt and dried mint.
  3. In a small glass jar, combine 1/4 cup olive oil, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, sumac, grated garlic, salt, and pepper. Shake vigorously until the dressing is fully emulsified and thick.
  4. In a large wooden bowl, combine the Romaine, cucumbers, tomatoes, radishes, green onions, parsley, mint, and purslane.
  5. Just before serving, drizzle the dressing over the vegetables and toss to coat. Top with half of the fried pita chips and toss quickly. Scatter the remaining chips over the top.
  6. Let the salad sit for exactly 3 minutes before serving. This allows the sumac to hydrate and the flavors of the mint and parsley to bleed into the dressing, creating a more cohesive flavor profile.