Fattoush Wedge Salad, a Father's Day Favorite

Something about the wedge salad just says male to me. It's hunky, it's hefty. It's chompy. It's got Father's Day written all over it.
This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. If you need to flag this entry as abusive, send us an email.

2013-06-12-FattoushWedgePlatterMaureenAboodHT.jpg

When I think of a Father's Day menu, I immediately want hefty food that has plenty of healthy going on too. My own dad liked a big meal, a big bite, and a lotta crunch. Ditto his sons, who will be eating this Father's Day meal in honor of their own fatherhood, to be sure, but also, and always, in honor of Dad.

Something about the wedge salad just says male to me. It's hunky, it's hefty. It's chompy. It's got Father's Day written all over it.

2013-06-12-DressingFattoushMaureenAboodHT.jpg

2013-06-12-LemonVinaigretteMaureenAboodHT.jpg

I've always been a fan of the wedge/blue cheese salad. Perhaps because the iceberg is really there for texture, as a crunchy conduit for blue cheese. Those salads, however, are no longer part of my program. I may cajole you into ordering one if we're out, though, just so I can have a bite.

How about a healthy wedge salad, one with our special flavors-a fattoush salad transformed into a wedge? You get that big, beautiful romaine half, with a layering of lemon, mint, and sumac. The wedge takes up a nice portion of the plate, the way green veggies should. And between the fresh lettuce and the pita chips, you can chomp to your heart's content and never feel anything but good about yourself, and what Dad's eating.

2013-06-12-FattoushWedgePlatterwithsumacbowlMaureenAboodHT.jpg

Fattoush Wedge Salads with Sumac
Pile some of the tomato, onion and pita chips around the wedge on the plate. Be sure to clean the romaine all the way through and down to the core by gently pulling each leaf away from the core and running plenty of cool water through. Makes 4 wedge salads.

For the lemon vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons olive oil

2 heads of romaine, cleaned, with outer layers removed
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
¼ cup thinly sliced Vidalia onion
Pita chips
2 tablespoons sumac
10 large mint leaves, sliced thin (chiffonade)
Freshly ground black pepper

For the vinaigrette, in a small bowl, combine the lemon, garlic powder, salt, and olive oil with a small whisk or fork until emulsified.

Trim the romaine and slice off the bottom of the core. Cut each head in half and arrange on a platter.

Place the tomatoes and onion in a small bowl and dress with a bit of the vinaigrette. Scatter the tomatoes, onion, and pita chips over the romaine halves and all around the platter (scoop these over the salad when it's served).

Sprinkle the sumac and mint over the wedges (and a little on the platter for show) and season with freshly ground black pepper.

Pour the remaining dressing evenly over each wedge. Sprinkle a little more sumac over the salads and a pinch of salt. When serving, scoop the extra vegetables and pita from the platter over the wedge.

Popular in the Community

Close

HuffPost Shopping’s Best Finds

MORE IN LIFE