Turkish Sumac Onions Recipe (Marinated Red Onion Salad) (2024)

Published: Oct 28, 2023 · Modified: Dec 6, 2023 by Geetanjali · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

Add some zing to your grilled meats with this 5 minute red onion salad, featuring thinly sliced red onions tossed with sumac, fresh parsley, and lemon juice for a bright, refreshing taste.

Red onions are sharper and sweeter than the other onion varieties, which makes them a popular choice for raw preparations such as salads or pickling.

Cut them into halves and soak them in water as you prepare other ingredients to reduce the pungency and prevent teary eyes.

Lately, I've been obsessed with this humble onion salad. This tangy onion salad is simple, quick, and packed with so much flavor. You'll only need a few ingredients and 5 minutes to make this crunchy, tangy condiment. The recipe is also light, naturally vegan and gluten-free.

Sumac Onions

If you have ever dined at a Turkish or Middle Eastern restaurant and ordered kebabs, you would likely have noticed chicken and meat kebabs served with a side of onion salad. I enjoy pairing my Chicken Adana Kebab or something like Chicken Shawarma with this simple onion salad as the flavor is the perfect condiment to go with them.

Turkish sumac onions or onions with sumac are made by pickling sliced red onions in a marinade, typically consisting of sumac and lemon juice. The sumac gives the onions a zingy flavor and adds a distinctive reddish color.

Turkish-style onion salad are often used as a topping or accompaniment in various dishes, such as salads, sandwiches, kebabs, grilled meats, and wraps.

What is Sumac?

Sumac spice is a spice native to the Middle Eastern and Mediterranean region. It is made by drying and coarsely grinding the sumac berries.

The spice has a tangy lemon-like flavor and dark red color, which make it a versatile ingredient for enhancing the taste and color of various dishes, including salads, marinades, and dips.

Sumac can be found in grocery stores and supermarkets with Middle Eastern or Mediterranean ingredients. You can even purchase it from online retailers. I got mine from Amazon.

More Onion Based Recipes

• Subway Sweet Onion Sauce
• Indian Kachumber Salad
• Spicy Prawn Mango Summer Salad

The Ingredients

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Sumac: is the key ingredient that gives the recipe its distinct flavor. So it should not be substituted.

Red onions: red onions are the best for this salad.

Parsley: Freshly chopped parsley adds a pop of green color and provides a refreshing balance to the recipe.

Lemon juice: fresh lemon juice adds more depth of flavor to the dish.

Red chili flakes: to add a hint of spice to the dish. Alternatively, crushed peppercorns, red pepper flakes or sliced fresh chili would also work. You can even omit it if you wish.

Salt: for seasoning. I used sea salt, but you can use kosher salt, pink Himalayan sea salt, flaked sea salt, or regular table salt.

Olive oil: adds some richness to the dish. Use high-quality extra virgin olive oil.

The traditional sumac onions recipe typically includes only these ingredients, but feel free to add your twist to the recipe to suit your palate.

How to make Sumac Onions

• To prepare the raw onions, peel and cut the onions into halves. Slice the onions thinly using a sharp knife or a mandoline slicer for even slices. Transfer the onion slices to a large bowl. If raw onion's sharpness bothers you, you can soak the onion halves in cold water for about 20 minutes. This will reduce the pungency and prevent your eyes from becoming teary when you slice them.

• Finely chop parsley and put them in the same bowl as the sliced onions.

• Add sumac, salt, red chili flakes, lemon juice, and olive oil. Mix everything.
• Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
• The sumac onions are ready to serve. You can serve them immediately or let the onions marinate for at least 30 minutes in a medium bowl or a glass jar to allow the flavors to meld together before serving.

Notes

• When making this marinated sumac salad, it's important to taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking. This ensures the flavors are just right and match your taste.
• When slicing the onions, aim for thin slices, as they absorb the sumac flavor and lemon juice better and provide a better texture in the salad.
• If raw onion's sharpness bothers you, you can soak the onion halves in water for about 20 minutes. This will reduce the pungency and prevent your eyes from becoming teary when you slice them.
• The flavors of this salad intensify over time, so making it a few hours ahead or even a day before serving can enhance the taste.
• Store any leftovers in a covered container in the fridge for up to a week. The onions will continue to pickle and soften as they sit.
• While this recipe calls for red onions, feel free to experiment with other onion varieties for different flavors. However, remember that each type of onion has a distinct flavor and level of sweetness, which can alter the overall taste of the dish.
• Use a high-quality extra virgin olive oil for the best flavors. Low-quality oils can introduce an unwanted bitter or rancid flavor to salad dressings.
• If you want to add an extra pop of brightness to the flavor, try adding a clove of minced garlic or a splash of red wine vinegar to the mix for this raw onion salad.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you try the recipe, please take a moment to leave a comment and rating. I love hearing from you and it also helps other readers who are thinking of making the recipe.

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