L IFESTYLE /C ULTURE
Triple Threat Salad
F OO D
KERI WHITE | JE FOOD COLUMNIST
I HAVE WRITTEN before
about a Turkish onion salad
that is versatile, simple to make
and is adaptable with different
ingredients. I had occasion to make it
last week to top some roasted
salmon. Because the salad is
so useful and tasty, I doubled
the batch, figuring that I would
chuck it on a bunch of other
dishes throughout the week
and save myself prep time later.

It was a strategic and delicious
move; the salad did triple duty
— first, as planned with the fish,
then mixed with chickpeas as
a side with a simple dinner of
turkey sandwiches and, finally,
mixed into a can of tuna for a
flavorful and healthy lunch.

Talk about bang for the buck!
TURKISH ONION SALAD
Makes about 2 cups
This version contains a higher
proportion of parsley — just a
riff that inspired me and because
I had a lot of parsley on hand.

It also uses yellow onion as
opposed to the red in the original
because I only had yellow on
hand. The red lends more visual
pop, but most onions work
fine here — just avoid sweet or
Vidalia onions because they are
too mild to deliver the punch
this salad provides.

Another variation I have
implemented is to chop, rather
than slice, the onions. Since
I planned to use it for future
dishes, the chopped pieces lent
themselves better to the other
two salads.

If you don’t have sumac —
a citrusy red aromatic spice
commonly used in Middle
Eastern cooking — you can use
a small amount (½ teaspoon)
of grated lemon zest or the
juice of 1 lemon instead.

2 large onions, sliced
2 tablespoons coarse
kosher salt
2 large bunches chopped
fresh parsley
2 teaspoons sumac
Place the onion pieces in the
colander and toss them well with
coarse salt. Place them in the
sink and allow them to drain,
tossing occasionally. After about
Chickpea turkish onion salad
30 minutes, taste the onion; it
should be soft and milder than
a regular raw onion. The longer
you leave it in the salt, the more
the onion flavor will mellow, the
saltier it will become and the
softer the onions will be.

Photos by Keri White
When the onions reach
desired the texture and flavor,
a minimum of 30 minutes,
rinse and drain them. Toss
the onions in a bowl with the
remaining ingredients. Serve
as desired.

CHICKPEA TURKISH
ONION SALAD
Serves 2-4
This dish made for a lovely,
substantial side dish to accom-
pany a rather skimpy dinner
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