Sumac Marinated Onions

You’re probably thinking, “Why is Jasmin writing a recipe for a big bowl of red onions…?” Let me tell you why.

Because these onions are about to bring so much flavor to your fish dinners, chicken bowls, grain bowls — honestly, anything that needs a little something. This is the veggie you add when your meal feels plain but you want it to taste intentional. These are my (and my people’s) Sumac Marinated Onions.

I definitely didn’t invent this recipe — it’s been around for generations. If you remember one of my Ramadan recipes, Musakhan, this is the same concept: sumac, onions, and chicken. Sumac onions are used throughout Middle Eastern cuisine to add a bright, tangy punch without much effort at all.

All you need:

• Red onion

• Sumac

• Lemon juice

• Olive oil

• Aleppo pepper

• Salt

  
  

That’s it.

You can make these in under 5 minutes. Let them marinate in the fridge overnight for maximum flavor, or use them after about 30 minutes if you’re short on time.

A quick note: these marinated onions are best enjoyed within 4 days. After that, they can start to cause digestive discomfort for some people (a few of my patients have noticed this). Fresh is best.

The best part? These are an amazing prebiotic food. Prebiotics feed your existing gut bacteria — and they love onions. I like to call this a gut-encouraging food. It supports gut health, but if you’re sensitive or have IBS, just be mindful. The lemon juice helps break down some of the compounds that cause gas, which is why marinating is key.

Yields: 4

Portion: ¼ cup

Prep time: 2 minutes

Total time: 5 minutes

This recipe is dairy free, gluten free, and vegan.

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Ingredients:

1 large red onion, thinly sliced

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

½ tbsp sumac (you can add more if you like)

1/4 tsp Aleppo pepper

1 ½ lemons, juiced

1/4 tsp salt (salt to taste if needed)

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Instructions:

1. Prep the onion: prep and place the thin strips of red onion into a serving bowl of choice.

2. Add ingredients: add the olive oil, sumac, Aleppo pepper, lemon juice, and salt to the onions. Toss and allow onions to be coated evenly.

3. Marinate: allow onions to marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before adding to food. Enjoy!

I hope you love this recipe as much as I did, so if you do, please leave me a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I always read through my suggestions and comments, so please let me know your thoughts. If you have any questions you can feel free to DM me here or through Instagram. Speaking of Instagram - please tag me in all of your creations! I love seeing how the recipes come out and seeing how talented you all are. Sending my love.

xoxo,

Jasmin D the RD