Stuffed Onions with Fragrant Rice and Pine Nuts
Called Salantourmasi in Greece, these stuffed onions are filled with fragrant rice and fresh herbs. Using simple ingredients to create something beautiful and delicious, they take some patience but are well worth the effort. Double the recipe to serve as a vegan entree with a crisp Greek salad, or serve as an elegant side with roast meat or fish.
Servings: 6 people, as a side
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
- 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.
- 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).
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Make the stuffing. Drain the rice, and add it 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
Calories: 460.1kcal | Carbohydrates: 59.7g | Protein: 6.8g | Fat: 22.5g | Saturated Fat: 2.9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14.4g | Sodium: 23.9mg | Potassium: 538.8mg | Fiber: 5.7g | Sugar: 8.6g | Vitamin A: 813.6IU | Vitamin C: 23.7mg | Calcium: 70.3mg | Iron: 4.4mg
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