Chickpea Sumac Salad

June 08, 2017 5 Comments

When we first got samples of our new single-origin cured sumac into the shop earlier this year, we were so excited about their flavor that we pulled staffers into our office to sprinkle the berries into their palms. Taste this! It was fun to watch everyone's reaction to the burst of tart flavor.

These coarsely chopped berries are cured in salt rather than dried, making them juicy and packed with flavor. Sprinkle them as a finish anywhere you want fruity acidity, such as this summery chickpea salad adapted from the Kitchn. 

Serve it up as a BBQ side dish, as we did, alongside grilled chicken and hummus (also sprinkled with sumac).

I used a tablespoon of chili powder, which gave it just a perfect amount of kick for my taste. Some might prefer a little less heat.

Serves 6 as a side dish

Recipe adapted from The Kitchn

Ingredients:

3 cups uncooked chickpeas or 4 cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large red onion, sliced thin
2 tablespoons single-origin cured sumac plus more for sprinkling (or our ground sumac)
1 tablespoon chili powder or Santa Fe chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 bunch Italian parsley, leaves finely chopped
1 1/2 large lemons, juiced (about 3 tablespoons)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
5 to 6 sprigs fresh mint

If using dried chickpeas (highly recommended!), soak the chickpeas overnight.

Drain the soaked chickpeas. In a large stockpot, cover the chickpeas with fresh water. Add the garlic cloves and some salt and pepper. Bring to a boil then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 1 to 2 hours, or until just tender but not falling apart. Spread on a large baking sheet to cool.

Peel and quarter the onion. Shave it as thin as possible. (I used my grater.) Stir in the sumac, chili powder, and salt. Stir the spices and salt into the onions for several minutes. Drain any liquid.

Add the chickpeas and chopped parsley to the onions and toss everything thoroughly. Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, and pomegranate syrup and add it to the salad. Toss and season to taste with salt and pepper. Chill until serving.

Before serving, finely chop the mint leaves and sprinkle along with more sumac over the salad.

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