Sauteed Chickpea Salad with Roasted Red Peppers, Capers, Mint, and Sumac (and Ideas for Using Sumac)

It's the Sumac that really makes this Chickpea Salad something special!

When you read Chickpea Salad with Roasted Red Peppers, Capers, Mint, and Sumac, I"m hoping it's the word Sumac that jumps out at you.  If you're not familiar with it, Sumac is a middle eastern spice made from the dried berry-like fruit of some species of the Sumac plant.  (Don't confuse it with the invasive Sumac that grows wild in some places and causes a skin reaction similar to poison ivy; this is a different variety of Sumac.)  I had known about Sumac for years, but when a reader sent me a great recipe for Fattoush a few years ago I learned the trick of mixing Sumac into the dressing for a flavor boost that's really delightful, and I've been using it that way ever since.  (Sumac is also an ingredient in Za'atar, and you could substitute that in this recipe if you have it.)

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