As I slowly (read very slowly) work through updating older recipes, I find myself gravitating towards recipes that are easy to make but can be wonderful in flavor. This cucumber salad is a summer hit and uses a spice, sumac, that I believe should be in every spice drawer.

Spiced Chickpeas

The most significant change from my original recipe is the treatment of the chickpeas and spices. Initially, I warmed the chickpeas with the spices. However, over the years, I needed more texture, so I roasted the chickpeas until they were crisp!

Working with spices

The other important aspect became the spices. As I've become a more confident cook, my usage of spices has increased in both quantity and quality. The power of toasting whole spices at home is truly a flavor game-changer. 

When working with whole spices, be sure to toast them but not over-taste them! Burning spices leads to a bitter, unpleasant taste. Burnt spices are also the reason I choose to toast my spices separately and then add them to the cooked chickpeas–think of it as quality control! 

Sumac

Sumac is a shrub with upwards of 200 species grown worldwide. While the majority of the shrub is edible, sumac spice is ground from the dried red berries the sumac tree produces. The vibrant red spice found in stores typically comes from Rhus coriaria, a species native to the Mediterranean region, but it can also be made from other wild/native sumac species.

I find sumac adds a lovely tart, slightly citrusy flavor to dishes, making it a great partner to ingredients that might have more earthy or sweet aspects. A good example is the za'atar blend, which consists of sumac, sesame seeds, and za'atar (an herb that sits in a family with oregano, marjoram, and thyme). 

Sumac can be tricky to buy, so use caution when purchasing. Some brands have added salt or might have sat for some time (lessening the flavor), so I recommend this company.

Cucumber Salad thoughts

I'm slightly picky about my cucumbers and cucumber salad. Because cucumbers contain a lot of water, salt and time are important. As the cucumbers sit in the mixture, they quickly lose their crisp texture. For this reason, I like to serve this salad right away once assembled. If you want to prep beforehand, I recommend making the chickpeas and cutting everything, but toss the cucumber salad together before serving. 

varieties of cucumbers

There are many cucumber varieties, and while many will work, I prefer Japanese and Persian cucumbers over English. I find the more slender cucumbers to have an edge of crispness and slightly thinner skins. 

Cucumber Salad Variations

This cucumber salad is simple enough that you can play around with some of the ingredients. If you're into the bread aspect of the fattoush salad, you could easily incorporate that into this recipe. Also, don't try to swap out the sumac. Its flavor isn't easily matched, and once you pick up sumac, you can make za'atar whenever you want!

Beans: I also love this salad with just-warmed plump white beans or, if you want to go the heirloom route, these Royal Corona Beans.

Greens: To make this a more traditional salad, use lettuce or spinach as a base. This is also a fantastic route if you want to make it ahead: let the beans cool and toss with greens before serving.

Grains: I love this salad with grains or even pearl couscous. Quinoa also works, but I recommend only tossing in 1/2 to 1 cup of cooked grains so as not to overpower the fresh cucumber/tomato combination.

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Tomato Cucumber Salad with Spiced Chickpeas

2 servings

A quick summer cucumber salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, and sumac-spiced crispy chickpeas.

• 1 ½ cups (400 g) cooked chickpeas, drained
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
• 2 teaspoons sumac plus extra for serving
• Zest from one lemon
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt plus extra as needed
• 1 medium cucumber
• 3 cups cherry tomatoes
• ½ small red onion (thinly sliced)
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil for serving
• Juice from one lemon for serving

1. To make the chickpeas: preheat your oven to 425˚F. Pat your chickpeas dry in a clean tea towel and place them on a sheet tray. Drizzle with olive oil and toss until the chickpeas are well coated. Transfer to the oven and bake until the chickpeas are crispy, 25 to 30 minutes.
2. The chickpeas should appear darker and smaller in color, make a rattling noise when the pan shakes, and easily crush as they cool. If they still have a bit of softness to them, return them to the oven and bake for another few minutes.
3. While the chickpeas are roasting, place the cumin and coriander seeds in a dry pan over medium heat. Toast, shaking the pan often until the spices are browning and fragrant. Transfer from the pan and crush the seeds using a mortar/pestle or spice grinder. I like to leave the spices in slightly bigger pieces, but you can also fully grind them into a powder. Transfer to a medium bowl and stir in the sumac, lemon zest, and salt.
4. Once the chickpeas are done, let them cool slightly, then crush using the same mortar/pestle. Alternatively, place them on a cutting board and roll over them with a rolling pin. Add the chickpeas, while still slightly warm, to the spices. Stir until well combined.
5. To make the salad: Cut the cucumber into ½" pieces and place in a medium bowl. Halve or quarter the cherry tomatoes and add to the cucumbers and red onion. Stir in the crushed chickpeas and finish with the olive oil and lemon juice; taste and add more if desired. Sprinkle with more sumac before serving.

Notes

If you're looking for the original version of this recipe, you can find it here! 

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