In the last post, I experimented with using shio koji to tenderize chicken thighs flavoured with Middle Eastern herbs and spices. The star among these was sumac, a spice made from drying and grinding the small reddish fruit of rhus coriaria, a plant native to the Mediterranean.
One of my favourite ways to use sumac is to sprinkle it on vegetable dishes, both hot and cold. So when I was preparing my sumac chicken, I also used it to marinate some slices of red onion for a salad accompany the main dish. I absolutely love the combination! The fragrant pink liquid leftover from the marinade can be used as dressing, a tangy juice for your kale leaves to absorb (which is precisely why I use kale leaves for this recipe, instead of, say, arugula).
Onion Marinade
Marinated Onions
Add some walnuts for a bit a crunch, and feta cheese for extra tang and a bit of creaminess and voila!
Joëlle
Serves 2
A beautiful salad with the fresh tangy flavours of lemon, feta cheese and sumac-marinated onions. Serve it with this oven-braised sumac chicken and carrot top tahini yogurt sauce
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Ingredients
- 1/2 red onion, julienned
- 2 tbsp shio koji (See notes)
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp kombucha
- 1 Lemon, zest and juice
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp sumac
- 1/8 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- Black Pepper
- 1 bunch of kale
- Handful cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/3 cup julienned carrots
- 1 bunch cilantro, chiffonaded
- 1/4 cup sheep feta, crumbled
- 1/8 cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
- A pinch of sumac
Instructions
- The day before, or the morning of, prepare the onions by mixing all the ingredients in a glass container. Leave it in the fridge to marinate.
- Tear kale leaves into bite sized pieces and steam them for 3-4 minutes (depending on the thickness of the kale leaves). Let them cool.
- Add all the salad ingredients to a large bowl and mix in the sumac marinated onions.
- Garnish with sheep feta, toasted walnuts and a pinch of sumac.
Notes
Shio koji (塩麹) is a lacto-fermented mixture of rice koji (rice inoculated with aspergillus oryzae spore -- the basis for many well-know Japanese ferments such as miso, sake and soy sauce). It provides enzymes and probiotics while imparting the dish with a unique umami flavour. You can substitute sea salt, himalayan salt or fish sauce. To learn more about shio koji, how to make it at home, and how to use it in the kitchen, click here.
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Kale Salad with Sumac-Marinated Onions (back) and Carrot Top Tahini Yogurt Sauce (front)
