In this recipe series, we bring you recipes by Julia Toon, culinary motivator and author of the book ‘Good Eating: A Taste of Qatar’. New recipes every week,
straight from Jules of the Kitchen.
Flatbread Salad with Warm Walnut Dressing
After years of living in the Middle East, I am totally hooked on the Arabic flatbread (or pitta bread) one can buy over here in this part of the world quite cheaply. Absolutely delicious when fresh from the bakery and great if a day or two old when toasted or reheated in the oven.
For this recipe, I give a guideline on quantities as I believe it is not always necessary to follow exact quantities when making this type of salad. If you love parmesan cheese slivers then put as much as you like – remember to use a potato peeler for this as it will cut the slivers perfectly! Follow the same thinking for all the other ingredients, and add as much or as little as you like.
This salad is truly one of my favourites, as I love the combinations: toasted garlicky bread, salad, and a warm walnut dressing on top… what could more delicious.
Serves 6
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes (flatbreads)
Oven temperature 180˚C
INGREDIENTS
Salad
1 large bunch of fresh rocket – washed and trimmed
2 ruby red grapefruit – peeled and segmented
Parmesan cheese
Tomatoes
Lebanese cucumbers – skin removed
Black olives
Flatbreads
3 large Arabic flatbread
60ml fresh parmesan – finely grated
60ml olive oil
Warm walnut dressing
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
200g walnuts
Handful of fresh Zaatar – coarsely chopped
1 garlic clove – skin removed and thinly sliced
Juice of one lemon
Cracked black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
Prepare parmesan flatbreads
Cut each flatbread into long strips. Brush each strip liberally with olive oil and sprinkle on the finely grated parmesan cheese. Place in a hot oven and bake until golden and crisp. Remove and store until required.
Prepare salad ingredients
Wash and clean. Either thinly slice or chop cucumbers. Chop into chunks or slice tomatoes. Segment the grapefruit and reserve the grapefruit juice for later as this can be drizzled over the salad.
Assemble salad
Build the salad in layers using the flatbread crossing each other to build height. Finish off with shavings of fresh parmesan and the black olives.
Make warm walnut dressing
Place 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a small saucepan and add walnuts, garlic and zaatar and heat oil over a low heat to infuse the flavours. When warm pour over salad and finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and cracked black pepper.
Serve
As soon as the salad is covered with the warm dressing take to the table.
JULES Tips: This is a great salad to show off your artistic flair – create a visual masterpiece using all the ingredients and remember to build height. Hold back the walnut dressing until the last moment. This is a hot liquid which will cook the salad leaves if left standing for too long. Serve either individually or as one large salad.
Contributed by: Julia Toon, Jules of the Kitchen
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