Spring Fattoush Salad

Step 1

. Place the shallots, garlic, salt, sumac and vinegar in a small bowl. Let stand at least 15 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of the pomegranate molasses and the olive oil. Whisk to combine. Taste. Add another tablespoon of pomegranate molasses if you wish — I always use 2 tablespoons.

Step 2

Heat the oven to 400ºF. If you are using thin pita (see notes above), simply lay the two rounds of pita on a sheet pan. If you are using thick pita, separate each into two halves and place each half smooth side up on a sheet pan. In a small bowl, stir together 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the cumin, and the crushed red pepper flakes — if you are brushing the oil over only two halves, 2 tablespoons will feel like a lot of oil (but it’s delicious and I say go for it); if you are brushing the oil over four halves, it may not feel like enough. Adjust accordingly — you want the surface of the pita to be coated in the cumin oil. Season generously with salt all over. Transfer pan to oven and bake for 6 to 8 minutes — keep an eye on it! These quickly turn from perfectly toasty to overdone. Remove pan from oven and transfer pitas to a rack to cool.

Step 3

In a large bowl, combine all of the salad ingredients. Pour most of the dressing over top. Toss. Taste. Add more dressing — you’ll likely need all of it. Break the pita into shards over the salad. Toss again. Serve.