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Turkish sumac onions are ready in 10 minutes and make an ideal companion to a wide variety of dishes. Crispy red onions are marinated with lemon juice, sumac and herbs – all you need to add a lot of bright flavors to any dish!
If you love Turkish recipes, today’s take on red onion salad is for you! You can enjoy these crispy marinated onions in sandwiches, on salads or with grilled meat. Just like ezme, gavurdagi (Turkish tomato salad with walnuts) and piyaz (Turkish white bean salad), this marinated onion recipe is easy yet packed with tons of flavor.
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love this recipe
- The recipe calls for just a handful of ingredients that you probably already have.
- It’s ready in only 5 minutes, there is no cooking involved.
- It keeps well in the fridge for a few days, so you can make it ahead of time.
- Just like our quick pickled red onions, sumac onions are incredibly flavorful and make a delicious condiment for kebabs and other dishes.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Red onion: Raw red onions have better flavor compared to the white ones. However, you can also white or yellow onions.
- Sumac: This is the main ingredient in this salad. Sumac has a tart, lemon-like flavor and it’s usually dark red in color.
- Parsley: Freshly chopped parsley add great flavor to this dish.
- Lemon: For bright flavor and freshness.
- Olive oil: Extra virgin olive oil works best in this recipe.
- Seasoning: You need salt, black pepper and Aleppo pepper or Urfa pepper.
Do this if the onions are too strong
If you find the red onions to be too strong for your taste, soak them in cold water for 10 to 20 minutes after slicing. Then rinse and place them in a bowl and proceed with the recipe to make this red onion salad with sumac and parsley.
How to make sumac onions
- Peel the onions and slice them thinly crosswise or lengthwise. Place them in a bowl and make sure the onion slices are not stuck to each other.
- Add the chopped parsley, sumac, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and Aleppo pepper to the onion. Stir well to combine.
- You can serve it immediately or cover it and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving it as a condiment or topping alongside kebabs, chicken or sandwiches.
Variations
You can add other ingredients such as pomegranate molasses or chopped fresh mint for more flavor.
Serving suggestions
There are so many ways to use up sumac onions. From topping lahmacun, doner kebab and kofta kebab to stuffing it into sandwiches such as lamb burger, beef shawarma, falafel, chicken shawarma or gyro, however you use these marinated onions, it’s going to be delicious.
I personally love serving them alongside grilling recipes such as spatchcock chicken, shish kebab and grilled zaatar chicken. It adds just that bright and fun zing that any summer day grilled meat needs!
Frequently Asked Questions
You can keep these in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Yes, you can make this recipe a few hours in advance and serve when the main dish is ready.
Sumac has a special and unique sour flavor and color and cannot be substituted by any other spice.
Yes, you can use white or yellow onion for this recipe as well.
More Turkish recipes
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Mediterranean recipes
Turkish Bulgur Pilaf Recipe
Fall Recipe
Turkish Red Lentil Soup (Mercimek Corbasi)
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Turkish Sumac Onions Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 red onions, thinly sliced
- 1 cup parsley, chopped
- 2 tsp sumac
- 1 lemon, juice of
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp Aleppo pepper
Instructions
- Peel the onions and slice them thinly crosswise or lengthwise. Place them in a bowl and make sure the onion slices are not sticking to each other. If they are, separate them using your hands or a fork.
- Add the chopped parsley, sumac, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and Aleppo pepper to the onion. Mix well to combine.
- Serve it immediately or cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving it as a condiment or topping alongside kebabs, chicken or sandwiches.
Video
Notes
- Store the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- You can add 1 to 2 tablespoons of pomegranate molasses and some fresh mint if desired.
- Serve it with grilled dishes such as shish kabob and spatchcock chicken or with dishes like kofta kebab and chicken shawarma. You can also add it to sandwiches such as falafel or gyro.
- You can use white or yellow onion instead of red onion. If the onion is too strong in flavor for your preference, soak the slices in cold water for 20 minutes, then rinse and let it dry for a few minutes before continuing with the recipe.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Could you also provide gram measurement for the red onions? When i read “two red onions”, and having never had this before, I am a bit nervous, knowing I could err, bc red onions vary so widely in size.
It would be about 200 grams of red onion. You can add more or less depending on how many servings you’re making. If the onions are too strong, soak them in cold water for 15 minutes and then make the recipe.
It’s incredibly quick and easy to make, but the flavor is out of this world. The perfect balance of tangy, savory, and fresh, these onions are a must-try for any flavor enthusiast. Trust me, you’ll be hooked after one bite!
This one is new for me. The onions were super tasty though. Thanks!
Just made these Turkish Sumac Onions, and wow—they were super easy and packed with flavor! Perfect side for kebabs. Love how quick and simple this recipe is.
This TURKISH SUMAC ONIONS looks so amazing! This is so easy to make. Thanks for sharing