Mango Pomegranate Salad with Sumac Onions

mango-summer-salad

This recipe is an improvised take on Chef Michael Solomonov´s Mango Cucumber Salad from his famous cookbook Zahav. He had dolled up his salad with a “quick pickle treatment” aka the sumac onion trick. I am adding a little more texture by adding my favourite fruit : pomegranates. Not only is the salad more appealing, the extra crunch makes for an amazing and unforgettable experience.

What goes in the salad?

  • Mango is the star ingredient, so make sure you get the right ones.
    Best are the firm, not overly ripe fruits. Try to judge by feeling the fruit! Hold in your hand and squeeze gently. A ripe mango will feel soft. An unripe mango, on the contrary, will mostly be rock hard. You need something between the two stages! Ripe but not overly ripe!
  • Then add a few other vegetables and herbs to compliment the flavours and texture:
    Persian or English cucumbers, red onion, mint and fresh pomegranate arils.
  • The dressing is fairly simple: lemon juice, honey, olive oil, salt and pepper.
  • Most important is, however, the sumac part! The marinated onions will be your secret weapon for elevating the whole thing.
Mango_salad

Can I make it ahead of time?
The salad is best served the day it is made.  I recommend chopping the fruits and veggies in advance, preparing the sumac onions and assembling everything 30 min before serving. Chilling in the refrigerator helps the flavours build and meld. 

You can serve the left over the next day as salsa. But don´t keep it for longer than a day. The mangoes will become increasingly soft and the pickled onions will change the entire texture.

What to serve with?
This beautiful salad pairs well with almost everything. Grilled meat, spicy curry, fish, steaks or even burrito bowls. I also love combining the left-overs with breakfast next morning.

Mango-Cucumber-Sumac-Salad

Have you tried this recipe? Please click on the stars in the recipe card below to rate. Your feedback is always super helpful for me and other readers who are planning to try the recipe.

And if you take a photo of your salad, please tag me on Instagram @chef_on_rhine and use the hashtag #chefonrhine because I love seeing your remakes! 

Mango Pomegranate Salad with Sumac Onions

Fatima Sadal -Chef on Rhine
This refreshing mango, cucumber and onion salad is loaded with flavour and complements almost any main dish.The addition of fresh pomegranates adds extra crunch to the texture.
5 from 1 vote
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 1 large mango peeled and cubed
  • 1 cup pomegranate arils
  • 1 large cucumber cubed, or 2 small
  • 3 Tbsp fresh mint chopped
  • 3 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp dried mint

Sumac onions:

  • 1 small red onion chopped
  • 1 Tbsp dark vinegar
  • 1 tsp Sumac
  • ½ tsp Salt

Instructions
 

  • Peel and chop the red onion. Add vinegar, mix and give a cold rinse. Sprinkle with salt and sumac and set aside.
  • Mix olive oil, lemon juice, salt and dried mint in a small bowl.
  • Peel and dice mangoes.
  • Peel cucumber partially, making zebra stripes. Dice!
  • Combine mangoes, cucumber, half of the pomegranates in a bowl. Add the dressing and toss carefully. Finish off with remaining pomegranates and sumac onions on top.

5 4 votes
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Maheen
3 years ago

5 stars
It turned out Delicious!!!!