Red Onion and Cucumber Mediterranean Sumac Salad

I mentioned this week is Mediterranean week for me, and this is the perfect fresh salad to pair with your protein of choice (whether it is my chicken or beef koftas, fish or shrimp, or falafel!

We had a great deal of cucumbers growing in the garden this year and I kept needing to find creative ways to use them, ha ha. One cuisine I kept coming back to is Mediterranean with all of its fresh flavors and zippy bright tang of vinegars and especially my favorite underrated spice, SUMAC. Those bright beautiful red berries you see growing occasionally (depending where you live) dry up and turn into this bright and zippy and almost citrusy spice that pairs so nicely with fresh veggies - especially fresh cucumbers.

This dish pairs cucumber, fresh parsley, red onion, sumac and a little bit of white wine vinegar to make the brightest, easiest, side dish. It really is almost like a Mediterranean coleslaw, come to think of it! There really is no substitute for sumac and I highly recommend trying it out. Most grocery stores carry it and I think it is easily purchased online as well.

A food processor is your friend here and this comes together instantly with one.