Description
A vibrant fattoush salad gets a smoky upgrade with grilled veggies and lamb. Perfect for a summer gathering or weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Lamb skewers:
- 1 lb (454 g) ground lamb
- 1-2 tbsp Vadouvan spice blend
- 1/2 tsp salt
Labneh base:
- 1/2 cup labneh (or thick Greek yogurt)
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp za'atar spice blend, plus more for finishing
Vinaigrette:
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp za'atar spice blend
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Salad:
- 2 cups mixed baby greens
- 1 cup chopped or torn soft herbs (parsley, mint, dill)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise
- 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
- 1 red bell pepper, quartered
- 2 apricots or plums, halved and pitted
- 1/2 cup fresh peas (English or sugar snap), sliced on the diagonal
- 4 radishes, thinly sliced on a mandoline
- 2 Persian cucumbers, roughly chopped
- 1 (15 oz / 425 g) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup squash blossom ribbons (optional)
- 2 tbsp herb blossoms — cilantro, dill, fennel, or chive (optional)
- 1 cup coarse bread crumbs from a rustic loaf, toasted in garlic butter
Instructions
- Combine the ground lamb with the Vadouvan spice blend and 1/2 tsp salt. Shape into 4 kofta-style sausages around metal or soaked wooden skewers. Refrigerate until ready to grill.
- Heat a grill or cast-iron grill pan to medium-high.
- Toss the zucchini, asparagus, and red bell pepper with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Grill, turning, until charred and tender, 4–6 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- Grill the apricot or plum halves cut-side down for 2–3 minutes, until marked and warmed. Remove.
- Blister the cherry tomatoes in a hot cast-iron skillet (on the grill is great) for 3–5 minutes, until their skins split. Remove.
- Grill the lamb skewers, turning, until browned and cooked to medium, 8–10 minutes total. Rest 5 minutes.
- Make the labneh base: mix the labneh, lemon juice, chopped garlic, and za’atar in a small bowl.
- Make the vinaigrette: whisk the olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon, za’atar, salt, and pepper until emulsified.
- Using a large spoon, add a generous dollop of the labneh mixture to the bottom of a plate or shallow bowl and create a swoop with the back of the spoon. Sprinkle with more za’atar.
- Pile on the mixed greens and soft herbs. Top with the blistered tomatoes, grilled vegetables, grilled stone fruit, peas, radishes, cucumbers, chickpeas, and squash/herb blossoms if using.
- Drizzle generously with the vinaigrette and scatter over the toasted garlic-butter bread crumbs.
- Serve at room temperature with the lamb skewers alongside.
Notes
The recipe is a choose-your-own-adventure — swap stone fruit for grilled kabocha or acorn squash in cooler months, or skip the lamb for falafel or grilled chicken.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 10
- Sodium: 400
- Fat: 25
- Saturated Fat: 8
- Unsaturated Fat: 15
- Carbohydrates: 40
- Fiber: 8
- Protein: 25
- Cholesterol: 70