Iraqi Sumac Salad
Red onion and parsley with food-grade sumac and lemon.
Preparation: 15 min · Cooking: 0 min · Total: 15 min · 2 servings
Ingredients
- Large red onion — 1
- 1 tbsp Pure commercially supplied food-grade ground red sumac
- 1 tbsp Fresh lemon juice
- 0.5 tsp Fine salt
- 120 ml Fresh parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
Instructions
Prepare tools and food-grade sumac
Prepare clean hands, knife, bowl and board separate from raw meat. Use commercially supplied food-grade sumac; no wild-foraging substitution is included.
Wash onion and parsley
Wash onion and parsley under running water before cutting. Follow prewashed ready-to-eat labels and do not use soap or detergent.
Peel the onion
Peel the onion and remove damaged outer layers with clean utensils. The base two servings use one large red onion.
Slice safely
Thinly slice the onion with a knife. A mandoline is optional only with its hand guard and manufacturer precautions.
Optional onion rinse
If preferred, rinse the sliced onion for flavour and crispness at any batch size. Drain thoroughly; this is not a disinfecting step.
Chop and measure parsley
Drain parsley and chop its leaves coarsely. Measure the listed 120 ml for the base batch.
Combine onion and seasoning
Place onion in the bowl with measured sumac and salt. No oil, cucumber, tomatoes or mint are included.
Rub gently
Rub gently with clean hands from about 1 minute to distribute seasoning and soften the onion. This is a texture preference, not guaranteed chemical removal or sanitization.
Rub gently: 60 seconds
Add parsley and lemon
Add parsley and lemon juice and toss gently from about 20 seconds until combined. Half lemon is 0.5 tbsp; fourfold is 4 tbsp.
Add parsley and lemon: 20 seconds
Serve cold
Serve cold with clean utensils. Lemon and sumac provide flavour, not validated disinfection; grilled meat is a separate accompaniment, not part of this master.
Store safely
Cool promptly in shallow portions and refrigerate, aiming within 1 hour, at 4°C or colder. Use within 24 hours. This is a selected conservative household limit, not a validated shelf life.
Tips
- Ingredient quantities scale exactly; instruction amounts describe the base 2 servings. Cup = 240 ml, tbsp = 15 ml and tsp = 5 ml. Times are first checks, not readiness guarantees; use manageable batches and suitable vessels.
Common mistakes
- Keep raw meat and raw flour dough separate from ready-to-eat food. Do not taste raw dough, grain shells or meat. Distinguish initial liquid, discarded process water, derived broth and conditional additions.
Substitutions
- Only alternatives explicitly listed in this ingredient formula are included; do not restore ingredients from an older draft.
Storage
Cool promptly in shallow portions and refrigerate, aiming within 1 hour, at 4°C or colder. Use within 24 hours. This is a selected conservative household limit, not a validated shelf life.
Reheating
Serve cold, with clean utensils, keeping the remaining salad refrigerated.
About this recipe
Iraqi Sumac Salad is presented as the owner's Iraqi household version. Specific ancient origins, health benefits and exclusive regional claims have not been independently authenticated.
Editorial approval does not establish independent kitchen testing. Check allergens and follow safe food handling.