Wild zaatar season is here! back in my hometown i used to wait this season to enjoy that tangy full of flavor herb in so many dishes from salad to pie and flatbread.
Wild zaatar is a species of wild thyme. In Lebanon, it is used in so many dishes while it is green from salads to flat breads and pie and the must famous use for it is to make the actual zaatar mix for “manakich”.
this salad is indeed inspired by the traditional Lebanese zaatar salad that is made with the fresh green zaatar leaves with some onions and sumac, BUT in a more stylish way that you can impress your guests with.
I loaded this traditional dish with some nutritional and very colorful addition so you can have this plate as a side dish with your lunch or dinner or alone as a snack and you can even serve as Mezza on your next lunch or dinner party , the colors combination will definitely stand out!
you can go ahead and check my other Lebanese inspired Mezza that includes hummus and many other stuff!
Lebanese Wild Zaatar Salad
Ingredients
for the zaatar salad
- 1 cup wild zaatar leaves washed and drained
- 4 tbsp white onion cut into thin wedges
- 1/2 cup red tomato cut into cubes
- 4 tbsp green onion chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 lemon freshly squeezed
- 2 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 1 tbp apple cider vinegar
- 4 tbsp sumac
for the roasted chickpeas
- 1 cup chickpeas soaked overnight
- 1 tbsp sweet paprika powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp grapeseed oil (or olive oil)
for the hummus spread:
- 1 cup chickpeas cooked and drained (or a precooked can)
- 3 tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 2 tbsp tahini
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1-2 tbsp warm water (IF needed)
Instructions
for the zaatar salad
in a small bowl mix :salt, lemon, oil, vinegar, sumac and whisk it all together till you have a smooth dressing
- in a deep mixing bowl, pour all the remaining ingredients , add the dressing and mix well until everything is well coated with the sauce.
set aside
for the roasted chickpeas:
- in a mixing bowl , toss everything together until the chickpeas are well coated with the oil and paprika. I always prefer to mix the oil with the paprika and salt and than add it to the chickpeas.
- for roasting the chickpeas you have three options: Air-fryer: as I do for 10 min while stirring for couple of times.stove top: on medium high-heat toss the chickpeas in a pan for 10 minutes while keep on stirring until golden brown.oven: preheat oven on 220 C , spread the chickpeas in one layer on a baking tray and bake for 30 minutes, checking on them half way and stirring . it may take less than that keep checking every 10 minutes until you have a golden brown color. I like to use the air fryer because it gives that deep roasting crunchy oven baked texture in less time. the stove top won’t be the same texture as the other two.
- remove from heat and set aside.
for the hummus spread
- Rinse chickpeas and blend in a food processor until powder-like.Add lemon juice, tahini, garlic cloves, salt and cumin and blend until smooth.While blending, slowly add boiling water until the texture becomes smooth and creamy.
assembly
- divide the hummus spread between 4 plates .divide the wild zaatar mixture into 4 parts and spread it over the hummus. sprinkle some roasted paprika chickpeas. drizzle some extra olive oil on the top if you want and some sumac and enjoy with some bread or straight with a fork.
- enjoy !