What is a Biwaz Salad?
Biwaz is a Lebanese parsley and onion salad with sumac and lemon juice for a tangy, vibrant side or accompaniment.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Parsley: Parsley adds freshness to the salad and compliments the flavor of the other ingredients.
- Onion: I prefer red onion, but you can use shallots or white onions.
- Sumac: Massage sumac into the onions as you do for sumac onions. Ground sumac berries are tart and sweet and provide bright color and flavor. Sumac is a popular Middle Eastern spice found online and in health stores. However, I recommend visiting local Middle Eastern stores to explore. If you don’t have any, use sweet paprika and add extra lemon juice.
- Lemon Juice: Lemon juice brightens the salad.
- Olive Oil: Since it is central to the dish, use quality extra-virgin olive oil.
- Salt: Taste and season the salad with salt.
Additions and Substitutions
- Add pomegranate molasses, a syrup made by reducing pomegranate juice.
- Include a pinch of ground Aleppo pepper for a bit of a kick.
How to Make Biwaz
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Add the ingredients to a serving bowl and massage to combine for 2-3 minutes.
Step 2: Taste and season with sumac. Then, cover and set it aside for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Expert Tips
- If the raw onion flavor is too strong, soak the onions in cold water for 20 minutes to reduce the intensity. Drain the onions, pat them dry, and continue with the salad.
Serving Suggestions
The onion and parsley salad is light and fresh, making it a perfect complement to any grilled meat. Serve it with shish taoouk, beef shawarma, grilled tandoori chicken, or beef seekh kabob. You can use the salad as a filling for wraps such as tantuni and falafel gyros.
What to do With the Leftovers
- Refrigerate –Store the leftovers in an airtight container 4-5 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is sumac?
Sumac ‘summāq’ means ‘dark red’ in Arabic, and it refers to a spice commonly used throughout the Middle East to top popular meals like fattoush. It comes from sumac berries, which are dried and ground into a coarse red powder for culinary purposes.
What does sumac taste like?
Like lemons, sumac is tart and slightly sweet. It’s a perfect way to add acidity to any meal without citrus.
More Salad Recipes:
Biwaz
- 3 cups flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- ½ large red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon ground sumac
- lemon juice, (1 lemon)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Add the ingredients to a serving bowl and massage to combine for 2-3 minutes.
- Taste and season with sumac. Then, cover and set it aside for at least 30 minutes before serving.
- The nutritional information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for professional advice.