Pickled red onions are one of my favorite additions to salads, hummus, or chicken shawarma. They are so easy to make, and add a pop of color and tangy brightness to any dish. This recipe is a favorite from The Mediterranean Dish Cookbook. Slice a red onion and dunk it into a bath of vinegar, sumac, salt, and fresh herbs for 30 minutes to an hour. The result? Onion slices that taste mellow, slightly tangy, and perfectly crisp. The color is beautiful too! And the possibilities are endless for this bright, jewel-toned condiment. Tuck slices of pickled red onion into your sandwiches like this Kofta-Seasoned Ground Beef Pita, add them to a salad, or serve them alongside grilled chicken. If you have any pickled onions left, store them in the fridge with their pickling liquid in a tightly closed jar for up to a week. The onions will lose some of their crunch as they sit in the fridge, but they are still delicious!
Ingredients for Pickled Red Onions
You’ve gotta love a recipe with only six ingredients. Easy, quick and guaranteed to add a pop of bold, bright flavor to your recipes. Let’s just say red pickled onions are the condiment you didn’t know you needed.
Red wine vinegar: Red wine vinegar is the perfect pairing for pickled red onions because it amps up that gorgeous pink hue and that sharp flavor. Red Onion: Really, you could us any onion in this recipe, but when red onions are pickled they become the most beautiful bright pink color. You know we love color in the Mediterranean. Joyful food! Sumac: We sell sumac in the shop because it’s not always the easiest spice to find in grocery stores, but it’s used frequently in Mediterranean recipes, especially those from North Africa and the Middle east. Sumac is a berry that is ground into a fine powder. And I love how the tangy, smokey, slightly sour spice adds to this quick pickled onion recipe. Kosher Salt: The primary role of salt in this recipe is to balance the vinegar and enhance the flavors of the other ingredients. Fresh Herbs: I use fresh parsley and mint in this quick pickle recipe. If you’re going to set these onions out as part of a mezze, then chop a little extra and sprinkle it on top of the pickled onions just before serving.
How to Make Pickled Red Onions
This recipe takes minutes to put together. I typically prefer to slice my onion into thinish slices, but you can also cut the onion in wedges or rings. As the onions sit in the liquid they will soften.
In a medium bowl, combine the onion slices with vinegar, sumac, salt, parsley, and mint. Use your hands to toss everything together, massaging gently. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Use immediately or store in the fridge in a tightly covered jar for up to 1 week.
Ways to Use Pickled Red Onions
Pickled red onions are a great condiment over burgers, Mediterranean-style fish tacos, beef shawarma, Kofta sandwiches, or as another component to layered hummus. You can also add pickled onions as part of your mezze alongside pickled turnips or quick pickled cucumbers.
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