Salty, tart and with a bit of a bite, these Sumac onions tick all the boxes, and are a ridiculously simple side salad you need to try your hands at.
The dish is vegan, gluten-free and absolutely delicious, and is great to serve at your parties and cookouts or even just put together at home when you have minimal ingredients.
This salad uses sumac, onions and lemon juice as the key ingredients, and has the perfect balanced flavors you're looking for.
Jump to:
What's So Great About the Recipe?
What I love the most about this recipe is the fact that it comes together so easily. It literally takes 5 minutes of prep time, and is a delicious and flavorful side that everyone will love!
Ingredients
- Red onions
- Chili flakes
- Sumac
- Coriander leaves
- Olive oil
- Lemon juice
- Salt
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make the Sumac Onions
Start by slicing the red onions and placing them in a bowl.
Top the onions with the sumac, olive oil, salt, chopped coriander leaves, lemon juice and chili flakes.
Mix everything together well and refrigerate for an hour.
Serve with your favorite Middle Eastern foods, or just as a side salad.
Substitutions
- If you don’t have red onions, you can use white or yellow onions too. Red onions tend to have a nice, bright color that complements the other ingredients beautifully, which is why it is the best choice for this recipe.
- Apple cider vinegar can be a wonderful alternative to lemon juice for this recipe. It lends the salad that nice sourness you’re looking for, and is super healthy too.
- If you don’t have apple cider vinegar or lemon juice, you can just use some regular white vinegar instead.
Variations
- To bring some extra flavor to the sumac onions, you can swap the coriander with some chopped mint leaves.
- If you want to make these marinated onions a bit spicy, you can also add a dash of paprika or some cayenne pepper into it.
- Another great idea is to add a bit of pomegranate molasses to the salad, right before you plan to serve it. This will lend the salad a nice pop of color and some fruitiness.
💭Top Tip
Use your hands to massage the onions together with all the spices. This will help all the ingredients meld together beautifully, and is also an incredible sensory experience.
Equipment
Storage
If you have some leftovers, you can transfer them to a food safe container or glass jars and refrigerate them for up to 7 days.
And if you, like me, are all about prepping and making condiments ahead of time and storing them for later, you might want to try your hands at this tomato garlic confit with marinated feta.
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Sumac Onions
- For maximum flavor and deliciousness, use extra virgin olive oil.
- To tone down the sourness of the sumac onions, add a bit of sugar into the mix.
- To bring a bit of smokiness into the salad, add a pinch or two of smoked paprika or chipotle pepper to it.
- Some varieties of onions tend to have a very strong, pungent taste and aroma. To reduce this, you can soak the sliced onions in some cold water for a few minutes, drain off the water, and then use them for the recipe.
- For maximum flavor and texture, make this salad 1-2 hours in advance and refrigerate it. This little extra time will help all the ingredients mingle together and create the perfect balance of texture and flavor.
Serving Ideas & Suggestions
Sumac onions are usually served as a side for any of your grilled Middle Eastern creations like kebabs and falafels. They can also be enjoyed with practically any of your mains- not necessarily Middle Eastern foods. You can also use them instead of pickled onions in your sandwiches, wraps and sliders.
You can add them into your shawarmas and grain bowls, stuff them into your tacos or even use them in your omelet.
Basically, you can use them wherever you want to bring a bit of tanginess and flavor to your dish.
FAQs
You sure can! Sliced onions look beautiful when transformed into this salad, but if you prefer chopped onions instead, you can totally use them too.
If the sliced onions seem too strong and pungent, you can soak them in some cold water for 5 minutes and drain them off before putting them to use in the recipe.
Your leftover sumac onions can be added to your homemade meatballs or chicken kebabs- just remember to drain any excess liquid away, and the onions will lend that nice tanginess to the dish.
You can also use these onions as a topping for your avocado toast.
Yes ! This crunchy and flavorful salad is actually super healthy too. Onions are powerful anti-inflammatory agents, and give the body a good dose of vitamin C too. Sumac is rich in antioxidants, and together, it makes the salad a super healthy and delicious accompaniment.
Related Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Sumac Onions
Ingredients
- 2 red onions sliced
- ¼ teaspoon chili flakes
- 1 tablespoon sumac powder
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoon coriander leaves chopped
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Start by slicing the red onions and placing them in a bowl.
- Top the onions with the sumac, olive oil, salt, chopped coriander leaves, lemon juice and chili flakes.
- Mix everything together well and refrigerate for an hour.
- Serve with your favorite Middle Eastern foods, or just as a side salad.
Nutrition
Food Safety
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended