Discover salantourmasi, a unique recipe for Greek stuffed onions. Think of these as onion dolmades featuring a warming spiced rice filling with pine nuts and herbs. This vegan, gluten-free Mediterranean side dish is just what dinner needed.
Why This Recipe Works
- The arborio rice is preferred for its neutral flavor and high starch content.
- It has a good balance of sweet from the onions and warmth from the spices
- It’s vegan and gluten-free!
These Greek Stuffed onions, known traditionally as Salantourmasi, are a hidden gem of Mediterranean cuisine. They may be less well-known than gemista a.k.a. Greek stuffed peppers or tomatoes, but they are just as flavorful. When it comes to Mediterranean side dishes, this is one of my all-time favorite recipes!
In my version, onions are simmered until tender, then filled with a warming spiced rice mixture featuring cumin, cinnamon, fresh herbs, and toasted pine nuts. You could think of them kind of like onion dolmades. Baked until golden and tender, these vegan and gluten-free stuffed onions make for a show-stopping appetizer or side dish alongside roast lamb.
While preparing the delicate onion layers takes a bit of patience, the result is an elegant, melt-in-your-mouth dish that tastes like a trip to the Greek islands!
Key Ingredients
These stuffed onions may look fancy, but they’re made with easy-to-source humble ingredients.
- Garlic and onions are just part and parcel when it comes to adding flavor to a dish. I prefer medium white onions to be the star of this show as they are mild in flavor, allowing the spices to shine.
- Extra virgin olive oil: Adds flavor and intensity. I like a peppery Greek olive oil, like our Early Harvest from Christianoupolis.
- Tomato puree: Adds moisture to the filling.
- Arborio rice: I use Arborio, a short-grain variety. Feel free to use long-grain rice if you prefer the texture. Do not use jasmine or basmati as they are too aromatic and will distract from the flavor of the dish.
- Spices: The warming spices are essential to this dish. Ground cumin has a warm, aromatic quality, and cinnamon adds a sweet-meets-savory note. Do not be tempted to reduce the amounts or omit either spice or the dish will be bland. Salt and pepper enhance the other flavors.
- Pine nuts: Use roasted pine nuts, as they have a toasty and nutty flavor and a sweet undertone. Do not add other nuts or substitute, as they will be too hard for the delicate onions and rice.
- Fresh herbs: I wouldn’t dare call these stuffed onions Greek if it were not for the amount and the variety of herbs! Mint provides freshness, and parsley a savory flavor.
- White vinegar: Gives any roast vegetable an added kick. The harsh acidity from the vinegar is completely cooked out, leaving a delicious savory yet sweet note, which is a great complement to the nuttiness and spices in this dish.
How to Make Stuffed Onions
When it comes to making stuffed onions, the key to success is making sure the onions are softened. Soft onions ensure that once the filling is added, you can easily wrap and fill them so that the filling won’t leak out. From there, everything cooks in together—there is no need to precook the rice. Add raw rice to the filling, and it will cook just fine.
Soften the Onions and Make the Filling
- Get ready: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Rinse the rice and let it soak for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Trim and peel the onions. Slice the top and bottom ends off 8 medium white onions. Remove their outer skin. Use a sharp knife to gently cut halfway down the center from top to bottom (this will make separating the layers easier later). Be careful not to cut all the way through or the onions will fall apart. Set aside.
- Simmer the onions: Add the onions to a large pot of boiling water, reduce the heat to a simmer and allow to cook until they’re soft but still hold their shape, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Drain the onions. When they’re cool enough to handle, carefully remove the outer layers of each onion, about 4-5 layers per onion, and set aside. Chop the remaining inner layers and set aside.
- Sauté the chopped onions and garlic. In a sauté pan on medium-high, heat 1/4 cup of olive oil. Add the chopped onions and 2 cloves of minced garlic. Sauté stirring frequently, to soften the onion for about 3 minutes, then stir in 1 cup of tomato purée. Season to taste with salt and pepper and cook for 3 minutes more, then transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Make the rice mixture. Add the rice to the bowl with the tomato, onion, and garlic mixture. Then and 1/2 cup each of chopped parsley, and mint. Stir in a 1/2 cup water. Season with 1 teaspoon ground cumin and 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon. Add 1/4 cup of toasted pine nuts and mix well to combine.
Stuff and Bake the Onions
- Stuff the onions. Take one onion skin at a time and carefully fill with one tablespoon of the mixture. Wrap the onion layer tightly around the rice stuffing to seal.
- Transfer to the baking dish. Place the filled onions tightly side by side in a medium shallow baking dish, Dutch oven, or oven-safe pan with the cut side down. Pour over 1/2 cup of water, 1 tablespoon of white vinegar, and the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil.
- Bake the onions. Cover with a lid or foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until the onions are golden and rice cooked through, about 30 minutes more. For even more color, broil for 1 to 2 additional minutes before serving.
- Serve. Garnish with scattered chopped parsley and toasted pine nuts over the top and serve immediately.
Tips and Variations
Here are some tips for how to make this recipe fit your schedule and your taste:
- The onions can be prepared the day before. Boil and separate the layers, then cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to fill and bake them.
- Add 1/4 cup of black currants to the filling for a sweet note, which works wonderfully with the nuts and spices.
- Add 1 tablespoon of tomato paste to the filling in addition to the puree for more color and depth of flavor.
- Use red onions or yellow onions. While white onions are traditional, red or yellow onions will also work.
Make it a Meal
Serve this elevated rice dish alongside roast meat, baked Greek meatballs or fish, perhaps with plenty of ouzo to go around. Or, serve as a comforting vegan dinner with a crunchy salad, like traditional Greek salad or Maroulosalata (Greek lettuce salad).
Origin of Salantourmasi (Greek Stuffed Onions)
I alwasy like to share a little history about the Greek recipes I grew up with and this one is no different. I think it helps people connect with their food and the world at large.
This stuffed onion recipe hails from Kastelorizo, a small and remote Treasure island in the Aegean Sea found at the southernmost part of the Dodecanese. Both its name and use of cumin and pine nuts are influenced by its proximity to Turkey’s southern coast, where those flavors are used in many dishes.
Stuffed Onions with Fragrant Rice and Pine Nuts
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice (uncooked)
- 8 medium white onions
- 1/2 cup olive oil, divided
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup tomato purée
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts, plus more for garnish
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley
- 1/2 cup chopped mint
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- Chopped parsley, for garnish
Instructions
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Get ready. Preheat your oven to 400ºF. Rinse the rice and let it soak in water for 15 minutes. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
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Prep the onions. Cut off the top, bottom, and outer skin of the onions. Run a knife down the center from top to bottom stopping at the middle (be careful you do not cut all the way through).
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Boil the onions. Add the onions to the boiling water and cook until they start to soften but still hold their shape, 10-15 minutes. Drain and set aside until they’re cool enough to handle.
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Separate the layers. Use the cut side to carefully peel off 4-5 whole layers of each onion, taking care to keep them intact. Set the whole layers aside for stuffing. Chop the remaining inner layers of the onions.
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Sauté. In a sauté pan on medium-high, heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil. Add the chopped onion and garlic and sauté for 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato purée and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook for a further 3 minutes, then remove from heat and transfer everything to a large bowl.
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Make the stuffing. Add the rice to the bowl, along with cumin, cinnamon, pine nuts, herbs, a pinch of salt and pepper, and 1/2 cup of water. Mix well to combine.
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Stuff the onions. Fill each layer of onion with a spoonful of the mixture and roll up gently to encase the filling. Place tightly into a medium shallow baking dish, Dutch oven, or oven-safe pan. Pour 1/2 cup water, the vinegar, remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil over the onions.
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Bake. Cover with a lid or foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until the onions are slightly golden and caramelized, about 30 minutes more. If you want to add even more color, broil for 1 or 2 minutes just before serving.
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Serve. Garnish with chopped parsley and toasted pine nuts and serve.
Video
Notes
- The onions can be prepared the day before. Boil and separate the layers, then cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to fill and bake them.
- There is no need to precook the rice. It will cook perfectly with just the liq!
- Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including olive oils, honey, jams, and spices.
Nutrition
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