Marinated Sumac Onions Recipe (2024)

Published: Updated: by Hilda Sterner | This post may contain affiliate links 14 Comments

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Have you ever tried Sumac Onions? This "Red Onion Salad" features thinly sliced red onions, chopped Italian parsley, and a zesty sumac-based marinade that will delight onion-lovers everywhere! Serve Sumac Onions with Kebabs, Falafel, or mix into salads.

Marinated Sumac Onions Recipe (1)

Why This Recipe Works

Sometimes referred to as Sumac Onion Salad or Turkish onion Salad this recipe allows you to quick pickle raw onions and to use them inShawarmawraps,Adobada Tacos, in salads, and as a side dish to other Mediterranean recipes.

The best part is that you probably have all the ingredients on hand, maybe with the exception ofsumac powder. Sumac has a tart, lemony flavour and also releases a beautiful red tint when added to a dressing or other liquids.

Sumac powderis a regular in many of my recipes. If you follow my blog, you might as well get some, you'll be needing it often!

What Goes Into This Recipe

Marinated Sumac Onions Recipe (2)

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

  • SumacThe ingredient that makes this recipe shine is the tart Sumac Powder. Sumac gives the onions their amazing flavor.
  • OnionThere are recipes out there that call for white or yellow onion, but I recommend using red onion because of its natural sweetness. It just begs to be pickled!

How to Make Sumac Onions

STEP 1: Peel and slice the red onion into thin slices. Add onion slices to a bowl, along with the chopped parsley.

Marinated Sumac Onions Recipe (3)
Marinated Sumac Onions Recipe (4)
Marinated Sumac Onions Recipe (5)

STEP 2: Whisk lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, sumac, salt, and sugar in a small bowl.

Marinated Sumac Onions Recipe (6)
Marinated Sumac Onions Recipe (7)

STEP 3: Pour the sumac dressing over the onions and parsley, then whisk thoroughly to blend the ingredients.

Marinated Sumac Onions Recipe (8)

STEP 4: Allow the flavors to come together for an hour or so before using it as a condiment with kofta kabob, chicken, in sandwiches, or mixed in salads!

Recipe FAQs and Expert Tips

What does sumac taste like?

Sumac imparts a tart, lemony flavor that's sometimes compared to lemon or lime zest. Sumac powder is very popular in the Middle East and is used in all kinds of dishes.

However, this delicious spice is perhaps best known for accompanying grilled kabobs. It is also mixed into salad dressings, for example, Fattoush salad.

Some creative people even use it in desserts like this Blueberry Sumac Sherbert.

What can I use instead of sumac?

I understand that not everyone's spice drawer contains sumac, but I'd like to change that, one kitchen at a time! Although in some recipes, it can be substituted with another tart ingredient like lemon zest, or a pinch of citric acid, I don't recommend it in this recipe.

I mean, c'mon, Sumac is a part of the recipe's name, it wouldn't make sense to substitute another ingredient, would it?

Although I usually offer all sorts of alternatives to ingredients, I'm drawing a line in the sand this time. Get yourself some sumac!

Marinated Sumac Onions Recipe (9)

Do you have to use red onions to make sumac onions?

Unlike my stance on the sumac powder, I'm more flexible when it comes to replacing the red onions with white onions. However, I wouldn't recommend using yellow onions, which tend to have a very strong, almost harsh taste.

Some Sumac Onions recipes call for soaking the sliced onion in hot water for 5-10 minutes before proceeding with the recipe. This is to mellow out the onion flavor. This might not be a bad idea if using yellow onions since they taste stronger than red onions.

After soaking the sliced onion in hot water, lightly squeeze, to release some of their juices before proceeding with the recipe.

However, if you use red onions, you can skip soaking them first. Besides, I think the marinade does a nice job of bringing out the sweetness of the onions.

  • Sumac loses its flavor if it's stored for any length of time. It's a good idea to keep sumac frozen until needed to retain its freshness. Especially if you don't use it too often.
  • If you want to spice things up a bit, you can add some chili flakes in with the marinated onions.
  • Sumac onions are good for up to a week or longer.
  • Use leftover Sumac Onions in salads, mix into rice, stirfry, and more!
Marinated Sumac Onions Recipe (10)
  • Barbecued Sumac Chicken
  • Pink Onions Pickled in Beet Juice
  • Goat Kofta Kabob (kebab) Recipe
  • The Best Sumac Substitute Option

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📖 Recipe

Marinated Sumac Onions Recipe (15)

Marinated Sumac Onions

Marinated Sumac Onions are served as a condiment with grilled meat, Kabobs, chicken, and more!

5 from 12 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Condiments

Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 57kcal

Author: Hilda Sterner

Ingredients

  • 1 large red onions
  • 2 tablespoon Italian Parsley (chopped)
  • 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 4 teaspoon sumac
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon sugar

Instructions

  • Start by peeling and slicing the red onion. Add to a bowl, along with the chopped parsley.

  • Whisk lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, sumac, salt, and sugar in a small bowl.

  • Pour the dressing over the onions and parsley, then mix thoroughly to combine.

  • Allow the flavors to come together for an hour or so before using it as a condiment withkofta kabob, chicken, in sandwiches, or mixed insalads!

Notes

  • Sumac loses its flavor if it's stored for any length of time. It's a good idea to keep sumac frozen until needed to retain its freshness. Especially if you don't use it too often.
  • If you want to spice things up a bit, you can add some chili flakes in with the marinated onions.
  • Sumac onions are good for up to a week or longer.
  • Use leftover Sumac Onions in salads, mix into rice, stirfry, and more!

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 57kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 0g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 334mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g

Tried this Recipe? Please leave A Star Rating!Mention @HildasKitchenBlog or tag #HildasKitchenBlog!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

    Leave a Reply

  1. Patty says

    Marinated Sumac Onions Recipe (16)
    Loved them. Will make again!

    Reply

    • Hilda Sterner says

      Thanks, Patty!

      Reply

  2. Megan says

    Marinated Sumac Onions Recipe (17)
    So I love sumac onions and was jazzed to find this recipe! I didn't get everything out of the cabinets first and to my surprise I poured out and poured in 1tablespoon of balsamic vinegar (I buy the same bottle brand red wine vinegar and considering changing that now). I finished with the rest of the red wine vinegar and omitted the sugar in the place of balsamic and by golly it was good! Only (unintentional) change and loved it. Probably good for those easing I to the taste the more I think of it. I've made a proper batch too and over the moon with the recipe - thank you so much !!

    Reply

    • Hilda Sterner says

      Hi Megan,
      Thank you so much for your review and your great suggestion. I will have to give that a try when I make my next batch. Thanks for sharing the information with my readers too!

      Reply

  3. Richard says

    I just bought a jar of sumac, how can I tell if it's still good? It's not as tart as I thought it would be, with a kind of earthy taste. Does that sound right?

    Reply

    • Hilda Sterner says

      It does have an earthy flavor, so that sounds right. If it's no longer good it will have an unpleasant aroma.

      Reply

  4. Faythe says

    Marinated Sumac Onions Recipe (18)
    I will try this recipe with grilled lamb chops! I love sumac, red onions and fresh parsley so this recipe will definitely fit into my autoimmune/leaky gut diet cookbook. I will also try adding cucumbers.
    Thank you

    Reply

    • Hilda Sterner says

      Hi, Faythe, I bet it will be amazing with lamb chops!

      Reply

  5. Suzy says

    Marinated Sumac Onions Recipe (19)
    This is absolutely delicious. I have used red onions and also shallots and can't get enough of it! Thank you!

    Reply

    • Hilda Sterner says

      Thank you, Suzy! I'm so glad you like them as much as I do!

      Reply

  6. Emilee says

    Marinated Sumac Onions Recipe (20)
    We absolutely loved this recipe. We used these stop meatloaf sandwiches to bring a little excitement to an ordinary weeknight meal. I can imagine a thousand ways to use this recipe. Thanks!

    Reply

    • Hilda Sterner says

      Hi Emilee,
      Thank you so much for the review. I agree, there are so many ways to use marinated sumac onions. I love your idea of including them in a sandwich, yum!

      Reply

  7. Kelly Methey says

    This is an interesting sounding recipe. I love onions so I will be trying it, if I can find sumac powder. The only sumac I ever knew of was poison sumac as a kid growing up! Hahaha

    Reply

    • HildaSterner says

      I'll give you some if you don't want to buy it.;)

      Reply

Marinated Sumac Onions Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you take the bitterness out of red onions? ›

Just peel and slice the red onion as called for in your recipe, then submerge them in a bowl of cold or ice water. Let them sit for at least ten minutes, stirring once or twice, before draining and using them in your recipe. For added flavor, you can also soak the onions in lime juice, lemon juice, or vinegar.

How do you get the bite out of raw onions? ›

After you have cut your onions, try putting them in cold water. Soak them for at least 15 minutes (longer is even more beneficial), properly drain, and eat away! Submerging them in cold water takes away that intense, sharp bite from the raw onion.

How do you soak onions? ›

When preparing raw onions, soak in cold water before hand to remove some of the pungency and soften the flavor. However since soaking too long will dilute the flavor, soaking in cold water for 5 to 10 minutes is recommended. Squeeze out excess water before using.

How do you balance bitter onion taste? ›

Acidic Ingredients: Incorporate acidic ingredients like lemon juice, vinegar, or tomatoes. Acids can help counteract the strong onion taste and provide a more balanced flavor profile. Sweetness: Adding a touch of sweetness can help counteract the sharpness of the onion.

What does soaking onions in salt water do? ›

Wait 10 minutes, then serve. The salt softens the onion's fibrous texture and mellows the sharpness of their flavor. There are other ways to tame raw onion, of course. You could soak slices in lemon juice for 20 minutes, which lends a slightly pickled flavor, as in this Tomato and Herb Salad with Sumac.

What does baking soda do to onions? ›

Baking soda makes the onions more alkaline, which speeds up the browning reactions necessary for properly caramelized onions. But it also weakens the pectin that holds the onion's cells together, turning what should be soft but distinct pieces of browned onion into a nauseating stew of pea-green mush.

Why do you soak onions in milk before frying? ›

Soaking the onions helps dilute their sulfur content, taking away that pungent, raw bite and leaving you with a pleasant, milder onion that still has some snap to it. Cuisine At Home also recommends maintaining ultimate crispiness by double-dipping the onions in buttermilk and seasoned flour.

Do you soak onions in salt water before pickling? ›

I always like to salt and soak the onions before pickling. This gets rid of the harsh 'bite' that often makes raw-onions unappetizing. Soaking them for a short time in hot water softens the onions slightly, priming them for quicker, more thorough absorption of the vinegar brine.

What does soaking onions in vinegar do? ›

You can get rid of the strong taste by soaking sliced onions in ice water for 20 to 30 minutes or by sprinkling them with an acid such as vinegar. Onions soaked in ice water will get very crisp while those sprinkled with vinegar will soften a bit, but they will lose the strong taste and become sweeter.

What makes onions taste better? ›

How you prepare onions will affect the flavor. Since slicing and dicing releases the odor and flavor, the more finely you chop an onion, the more flavorful it will be. On the other hand, a process like boiling an onion will break down the enzymes that spur the chemical reactions creating a less pungent flavor.

Why do you shower onions? ›

According to many other users who were already familiar with the concept of shower onions, keeping these veggies in your bathroom actually helps to neutralize any unwanted odors. That's because onions act as a natural deodorizer, meaning they can basically absorb smells, unpleasant and otherwise.

Why do you rinse onions after cutting? ›

A: To reduce the pungency, sharpness or aftertaste of a raw onion, cut them the way you plan to use them and place into a bowl of ice water to stand for 1 1/2 hours before draining. If time is at a premium, place onions in a strainer or sieve. Run water through onions for at least a minute.

How long do you soak onions in salt water? ›

Simply coat cut onions in a generous pinch of salt, and let them sit for 15 minutes; this will draw out much of the moisture, and some of the compounds that result in the pungency.

Why does my red onion taste bitter? ›

An older onion where the center starts to grow in your pantry forming a sprout will start to dry up the outer scale. Less sweet flavor and will turn bitter.

What neutralizes red onion breath? ›

A teaspoon of lemon juice in a glass of water can help neutralize onion breath. The citric acid in lemons has antibacterial properties that can kill the bacteria that cause bad breath. Just be careful not to get citric acid on your teeth. Its high acidity can contribute to enamel wear and tooth decay.

Why do you rinse red onions? ›

That sharp taste that comes from slicing into an onion can actually be washed away—quite literally—leaving behind a crisp, cool, sweet bite that actually complements the dish you're adding it to.

What is the benefit of soaking onions in water? ›

The theory behind drinking onion water is based on onion's natural anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects. Along with ginger, garlic, and turmeric, onions are known to fight off inflammation, oxidation, and harmful bacteria and viruses.

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