Sumac onions (Basal bil sumac) from Boustany: A Celebration of Vegetables from my Palestine (page 33) by Sami Tamimi

Where’s the full recipe - why can I only see the ingredients?

Accompaniments: Crushed lentils with tahini & soft-boiled eggs (Adas medames); Aubergine & broad beans with eggs (Bitinjan w ful ma 'beyd)

Always check the publication for a full list of ingredients. An Eat Your Books index lists the main ingredients and does not include 'store-cupboard ingredients' (salt, pepper, oil, flour, etc.) - unless called for in significant quantity.

Notes about this recipe

  • Eat Your Books

    Allow to pickle overnight.

  • Schooffiecooks on March 25, 2026

    Just added them to a simple salad!

  • rmardel on February 16, 2026

    Updated. I've changed my opinion. I apparently shoved these into the back of the fridge and rediscovered them lately, after 4 months. They mellowed fabulously into a pickle that is sweet, tart, and fruity with an interesting complexity, more of a cross between a simple fresh sumac onion preparation and a full red onion pickle. This is something to make and hold before enjoying.

  • rmardel on October 03, 2025

    I did not find these as interesting or compelling as the version in Tamimi's previous cookbook, Falastin, despite using both cider vinegar and lemon juice. I'll stick with the other version, which to me is more classic.

  • EmilyR on July 11, 2025

    These are the Middle Eastern equivalent to Mexican pickled red onions.

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