, Step by step

Fattoush salad with pomegranate

This Middle Eastern-inspired salad makes a zesty, fresh, easy lunch or supper.

Mark Stower, Director of Food and Service.

Preparation Time: 15 mins

Cooking Time: 0 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

2 little gem lettuce
¼ cucumber, cut into large chunks
2 tomatoes, cut into large chunks
½ red onion, diced
Handful of mint, chopped
Handful of parsley, chopped
2 pitta breads
100ml olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
100g feta cheese
1 pomegranate
1 tsp Sumac

Method

Step 1

Cut the little gem in half lengthways then into 3 and place into a large salad mixing bowl. Add the cucumber, tomato, onion, mint and parsley to the bowl.
Step 2

Toast the pitta breads then cut into small triangle shapes and add to the bowl.
Step 3

Add the olive oil and juice of the lemon and toss the salad.
Step 4

Place into a serving dish and crumble the feta cheese over the top. Add the pomegranate seeds on top and sprinkle the sumac.

Nutrition

The pomegranate – its name meaning ‘seeded apple’ when translated from the Latin pomum granatum – has been eaten as a fruit for thousands of years in Iran, India, and the Mediterranean region.

In botanical classification the pomegranate is a berry with edible seeds.

Pomegranates and their juice have become much more popular in recent years because of various health claims, not all necessarily proven, based on the fact that it is a rich source of polyphenols – natural components linked to positive health benefits. Unfortunately, when you process pomegranates for juice, these compounds don’t all survive.

It is true that pomegranates are a good source of vitamin C, the B vitamin folate, and the mineral potassium, but you do need to eat a lot of pomegranate seeds to get that benefit!

This month’s recipe is full of other vegetables as well as the pomegranates and all together provides at least two portions of your 5-a-day! Combined with the feta cheese – a good source of calcium – it’s a nutrient-packed dish.

DR JULIET GRAY, COMPANY NUTRITIONIST