Turkish Onion Relish Recipe: Soğan Piyazı

Turkish onion relish (soğan piyazı): thin-sliced onions salted and squeezed, then tossed with sumac, red pepper, and parsley. The kebab-side classic.

Turkish onion relish, or soğan piyazı, is the tangy, sumac-stained pile of onions that sits next to grilled meat at every kebab house. You make it by salting and squeezing thin-sliced onions, then tossing them with sumac, red pepper, and parsley.

Ingredients

  • 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
  • Salt
  • 2 teaspoons sumac
  • 2 teaspoons red pepper
  • ½ cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley leaves

Method

Place the onion slices in a bowl, season with salt, and squeeze them a few times with your fingers to extract some of the juice. Add the sumac, red pepper, and parsley. Mix them together well.

This relish belongs to the wider world of Turkish mezes and the cold sides that fill a Turkish table. If you want more to cook, the Turkish recipes hub has the rest, and the Istanbul food guide covers where to eat these dishes in the city.

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