← Recipe book

Middle Eastern pickled onions

Verdict: Good.

Serves 4 as part of a spread · edible in 2 hours, better overnight

Ingredients

  • 2 red or white onions
  • 1 cup white vinegar
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 1 tsp sumac, optional
  • ½ tsp dried mint, optional

Method

  1. Peel the 2 onions and slice into thin rings or half-moons. Separate the layers.
  2. Optional but recommended: pour boiling water over the slices in a colander and drain. It takes out the raw bite and keeps the crunch.
  3. Heat 1 cup vinegar, ½ cup water, 1 tbsp sugar and 1 tbsp salt until dissolved. Cool slightly.
  4. Pack the onions into a clean jar. Sprinkle in 1 tsp sumac and ½ tsp dried mint if using.
  5. Pour the warm brine over the onions until submerged. Seal, cool to room temperature and refrigerate.
  6. They are edible after a couple of hours and much better overnight. The pink deepens over 1 to 2 days.

Notes

  • Red onions go pink on their own. With white onions, a small chunk of raw beet in the jar adds colour.
  • Vinegar substitutes, in the order settled on: apple cider, then white wine, then rice. Rice vinegar is milder and sweeter, so cut the sugar to about 1 tsp.
  • Lebanese style: swap some of the vinegar for lemon juice, or add a crushed garlic clove.
  • Keeps 2 to 3 weeks in the fridge. Serve with toum and pitas.