Sumaklı Soğan Piyazı
(soo-MAHK-luh soh-AHN pee-YAH-zuh)
Baba'nın Mangalı (The Weekend Grill & Summer Nostalgia)
A Turkish father working a smoky charcoal grill on a Sunday afternoon slices the red onions paper-thin, tossing them into a bowl with a heavy pinch of sumac as the lamb hits a hot grill grate. The secret here isn't soaking the onions in ice water—it is ovmak. You massage the raw onions with salt using your bare hands, bleeding out the bitter sulfur and leaving behind a sweet, pliant vegetable ready to drink up the earthy tartness of good sumac. When the onions soften and bleed purple, pile it high next to the charred meat, and eat it before it loses its crunch.
Ingredients
- red onions2 med
- kosher salt1 tsp
- ground sumac1 1/2 tbsp
- fresh flat leaf parsley1/2 cup
- lemon juice1 tbsp
- extra virgin olive oil1 tbsp
- pomegranate molasses1 tsp
- Aleppo pepper1/2 tsp
Method
- 01
Slice the onions piyazlik style.
Peel the onions, halve them, and slice them as thinly as possible from root to stem. Cutting with the grain instead of across it ensures the strands won't turn to mush when you manipulate them.
- 02
Massage the onions with salt.
Place the sliced onions in a mixing bowl and sprinkle the kosher salt evenly over the top. Get your hands in there and firmly rub, squeeze, and knead them for a minute or two. You will feel them soften and see them release a milky, pungent liquid—that is the bitterness leaving the onion.
- 03
Dress with sumac and acid.
Sprinkle the sumac generously over the softened onions, then add the lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, and Aleppo pepper. Toss thoroughly until the onions are fully coated and start turning a vibrant jewel-tone pink.
- 04
Finish with parsley and oil.
Fold in the chopped parsley and drizzle the olive oil over the top as a finishing gloss. Let the salad rest at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes so the flavors meld before serving alongside grilled meats.
Notes
Do not wash the onions.
The expelled salty juices add flavor to the dressing. Only rinse the onions briefly if you are highly sensitive to salt, making sure to aggressively pat them dry with paper towels afterward.
Sourcing matters.
Sumac is the absolute soul of this dish. Look for a deep, vibrant burgundy color at a Middle Eastern market; if it looks brown and dusty, throw it away.
From Cook Turkish in America.