Mango Pomegranate Salad with Sumac Onions

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.