Sumac onions are a tangy, flavorful side dish made with thinly sliced onions and sumac spice. This simple yet delicious condiment is perfect for pairing with any meat or chicken dish. Try it once, and you'll want to add it to every meal!
What Are Sumac Onions?
Sumac onions are a staple condiment whenever we make BBQ (mangal, as we say in Turkish). Essentially, it is a raw onion salad and a popular Turkish side dish.
Thinly sliced onions are combined with sumac, a tangy Turkish spice, salt, lemon and olive oil.
This mixture marinates the onions, making them soft yet crispy, and giving them a delightful tangy flavor similar to pickles. The vibrant taste and texture make sumac onions a perfect accompaniment to a variety of dishes.
In Turkish cuisine, sumac onion salad is often paired with kebabs. It's also served with Mercimek Köftesi (bulgur and lentil balls), a star dish at ladies' afternoon tea parties.
What Is Sumac?
Sumac is a tangy, deep red spice made from the dried and ground berries of the sumac plant, native to the Middle East and Mediterranean regions. It has a distinct lemony flavor with an earthy undertone.
In Turkish cuisine, sumac is a staple ingredient, used to make the taste of salads even richer. You can make a delicious sumac salad dressing and pour it over any salad you like.
Its most popular use is with onions, as in this red onion salad recipe. However, it can also be used to garnish soups or mezes like hummus.
About the Ingredients
Today, we are giving you the most authentic recipe for Turkish onion salad. So what do you need? Find them below!
Onion: No strict rules about this. You can use white onion too, but we love the vibrant color of red onions, so we often prefer them.
Sumac: This essential tangy spice can be found at Turkish or Middle Eastern markets, or on Amazon.
Pul Biber: Not a staple ingredient in this onion salad, but we recommend it for a nice heat kick. You can use Aleppo pepper as well. If you can't find these, just use regular red pepper flakes.
Parsley: The most popular herb in Turkey, used in almost every salad. We never substitute it in this recipe.
Lemon: Provides the acidity needed to marinate the onions and remove their bitterness. While some recipes substitute red wine vinegar for lemon, you never see this in Turkey.
Pomegranate Molasses: Not used all over Turkey, but always included in the south, where Zerrin grew up. We highly recommend it for an even tastier result.
If you can't find pul biber or pomegranate molasses, that's okay. Your onion salad will still taste great, but try to find those ingredients for next time to enjoy the full authentic flavor.
How to Make The Recipe
Our Turkish sumac onions recipe is quick and easy.
Sprinkle sumac, salt, and optional red pepper flakes over thinly sliced onions. Gently massage the onions with your hands—this step is crucial as it helps the onions absorb the flavors of the spices.
Next, add fresh chopped parsley, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, and extra virgin olive oil. Give the mixture a good stir to combine all the ingredients.
In just 5 minutes, you have a delicious and tangy sumac onion salad ready to pair with any meal.
How to Make Red Onion Less Strong for Salad
To make red onion less strong for a salad, a common method used by many Turkish home cooks is soaking the onions in water.
However, we often find it unnecessary for this recipe.
If you prefer a milder onion flavor, slice the red onion thinly and place the slices in a bowl of cold water.
Let them soak for 10-15 minutes. After soaking, drain the onions and pat them dry before adding them to your salad. Soaking in water helps to mellow out the strong taste of the red onion, making it more pleasant for your salad.
How to Slice Onions Thinly
Slicing onions thinly is easy with a few simple steps. First, peel the onion to remove the outer skin. Next, place the onion on a cutting board and cut it in half from top to bottom.
Once halved, cut off the root end of each half. Lay each half flat side down on the cutting board for stability. Using a sharp knife, make thin slices by cutting across the onion from top to bottom.
Serving Suggestions
Sumac pickled onions can be paired with grilled meats or used in wraps and sandwiches.
In Turkey, it is traditional for kebab restaurants to serve this Middle Eastern onion salad on the same plate as Turkish kebabs or on a meze platter. Typically, kebabs are served on lavash bread alongside grilled tomatoes and peppers, with a little onion salad on the side, all on one plate.
This tangy Turkish onions complements many popular Turkish dishes such as:
- Turkish Doner
- Chicken Doner (or chicken shawarma)
- Tavuk Shish Kebabs
- Lamb Shish Kebabs
- Adana Kebab
- Turkish meatballs
- Köfte Kebabs
For vegetarians, sumac red onions make a delicious accompaniment to mercimek köfte (lentil balls).
What Do Onions with Sumac Taste Like?
Onions with sumac have a unique, tart flavor. The sumac spice gives them a lemony taste that blends well with the sharpness of the onions. The lemon juice adds more acidity, making the onions taste fresh and zesty.
The olive oil provides a smooth finish, balancing the flavors. When marinated, the onions become a bit soft but still have a nice crunch. Overall, they taste tangy and slightly sour, similar to pickles, but with a special earthy hint from the sumac.
Storage
Place the sumac onions in an airtight container and store the container in the refrigerator. They can be kept refrigerated for up to 3-4 days.
Before serving, give them a quick stir to redistribute the marinade. If they seem a bit dry, you can add a little more lemon juice or olive oil to refresh them.
More Turkish Salads
- Piyaz
- Turkish Shepherd Salad
- Ezme
- Turkish Eggplant Salad
- Green Olive Salad
- Roasted Onion Salad
- Patates Salatasi (Turkish Potato Salad)
As always: If you make this recipe, let us know what you think by rating it and leaving a comment below. And post a pic on Instagram too—tag @give_recipe so we can see!
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📖 Recipe
Sumac Onions (Turkish Onion Salad)
This tangy Turkish Sumac Onion Salad is a quick and easy side dish that pairs perfectly with kebabs, BBQs (mangal), and more. Thinly sliced onions are marinated with sumac, lemon, and olive oil, creating a zesty and crunchy salad. Ready in just 5 minutes, this vibrant salad adds a burst of flavor to any meal.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Combining
- Cuisine: Turkish
Ingredients
- 2 large onions (red or white)
- 2-3 teaspoons sumac (please read the note)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pul biber (red pepper flakes), optional
- ¼ cup parsley, chopped
- Half lemon, juiced
- 2 teaspoons pomegranate molasses
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Peel and slice the onions thinly. Put them in a bowl.
- Sprinkle sumac, salt and red pepper flakes over onions. Gently massage them with your hand.
- Add in parsley, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses and olive oil. Stir to combine.
- Serve as a condiment alongside chicken or meat dishes, as a garnish in sandwiches or wraps.
Notes
- If the onions you use are too bitter, sprinkle a little salt over the thin slices and soak them in cold water for 1-2 minutes. Gently squeeze them and drain. This step will remove the bitterness.
- The amount of sumac is a personal preference. You can start with adding 2 teaspoons and then increase if you want.
- Pul biber (red pepper flakes) is not a staple ingredient in this recipe, but in the south of Turkey, it is often used alongside sumac and we love it.
- It is the same for pomegranate molasses. Not a staple ingredient, but it is always used in the South of Turkey. And we highly recommend it in this sumac onion salad. With its sour and sweet taste, your salad will get even tastier.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 75
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 301.6 mg
- Fat: 3.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 10.2 g
- Protein: 1.4 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Amira Bahat says
How long you can keep this salad?
Zerrin & Yusuf says
Hi Amira,
It can be kept refrigerated for up to 3-4 days.
Davie Krokkett says
Just a fun tidbit, there are three edible sumac varieties native to North America that are most commonly used to make beverages or as an adjunct to smoking tobacco, but have in more recent centuries become more used as a spice in the same vein as in the eastern cultures. While not appropriate for strictly adherant Muslims or members of the Hebrew faith it is becoming very common to see North American Sumac used as a spice to accompany pork dishes.
dgrant757 says
In answer to your question about how to cut onions to avoid tears, the solution is very simple: use a sharp knife! A sharp knife will NEVER cause tears, since the eye-irritating chemical is only released when the onion is crushed, which a sharp knife won't do.
Karen says
Can I use brown onions?
Yusuf says
Hi Karen, sure you can.
Carly says
I love this salad and am eating it right now!
Zerrin says
I'm glad you love it!
Sarah says
My mum made this to go with roast chicken and I had to have the recipe because it was so good! I think I ate 80% of the batch she made and ended up giving myself indigestion from so much onion but it was worth it! 🙂
Vibey says
Quick update: I made this salad last night to go with a simple garlic and lemon roast chicken, and it was delicious! I used Spanish onions and the salad was quite potent when first mixed up, but within 30 minutes it was mellow and quite irresistible. Thanks for the simple recipe, and keep up your wonderful blog!
Vibey says
What a simple recipe! It must be divine - we love sumac and have a BIG bag at home at the moment. I think I'll whip up some of this tomorrow night. Thanks!
OysterCulture says
L love this salad and of course it has sumac, one of my favorite spices. thanks for sharing the recipe.
Parsley Sage says
I actually love the smell of raw onions! This is a perfect summery salad for this blistering heat. Buzzed!
German Mama says
I love raw onions! This sounds like a great condiment. Saved the recipe and sent you some buzz.