- 3 red plums, each cut into 8 wedges
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1″ piece ginger, peeled
- 2 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
- 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon juniper berries
- 1/2 teaspoon gochugaru (coarse Korean red pepper powder) or 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 red plum, sliced into thin wedges
- 1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more
- 1 medium jicama, peeled, cut into matchsticks
- 2 medium watermelon radishes, cut into matchsticks
- 1/2 English hothouse cucumber, halved lengthwise, seeded, thinly sliced into half-moons, divided
- 1/3 cup unsalted, roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped, divided
- 1/4 cup mint leaves, thinly sliced, divided
- 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper, plus more for serving
- 1 teaspoon sumac, plus more
- Flaky sea salt
- Gochugaru can be found at Korean markets. Sumac can be found at Middle Eastern markets and specialty foods stores. Both can be found online.
- Toss plums, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan. Cover and let sit, tossing occasionally, until plums have released their juices, at least 2 hours.
- Add ginger, cardamom, orange juice, vinegar, juniper berries, and gochugaru to plums. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring often, until plums break down and become jammy, 20–25 minutes. Stir in lime juice; let cool.
- Strain sour plum sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl; discard solids. Set aside.
- Plums can be macerated 12 hours ahead; chill. Sauce can be made 3 days ahead; cover and chill.
- Toss plum, vinegar, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt in a small bowl. Let sit, tossing occasionally, until plum is lightly pickled, 10–15 minutes; drain.
- Toss pickled plum, jicama, radishes, half of cucumber, half of peanuts, half of mint, 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper, and 1 teaspoon sumac in a large bowl. Add 2 tablespoons sour plum sauce and toss to coat; season with kosher salt. Top salad with remaining cucumber, peanuts, and mint. Taste and drizzle with more sauce as desired. Serve sprinkled with sea salt, plus more Aleppo and sumac.