Greek Style Onions

Salantourmasi takes time but it's worth every minute - juicy onion sheets folded around a tasty mix of meat, rice, and herbs, all cooked slowly in tomato sauce until the onions turn wonderfully sweet. This beloved Greek meal needs patience, but when those sweet onions meet the hearty stuffing, something amazing happens. Ever since a friend's grandma showed me how to make this, it's been my go-to way to turn ordinary onions into something special.

When I made these last week, my buddy's dad tasted them and said they took him right back to his mom's kitchen in Greece. Nothing beats getting approval from someone who grew up eating the real deal.

Key Ingredients

• Large Yellow Onions: Look for solid, weighty ones with snug outer skins. Bigger onions make stuffing much easier
• Arborio Rice: This sticky, short-grain type holds the filling together and stays nice and moist during cooking
• Ground Beef: Don't go too lean - a bit of fat makes everything taste better
• Fresh Herbs: Parsley gives freshness, while oregano, mint, and dill add classic Greek character

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Step-By-Step Cooking Guide

Onion Preparation:

Cut off onion tops and bottoms. Make one cut down the side. Simmer in salty water until they soften a bit. Keep that tasty onion water. When they're cool enough, carefully pull apart the layers.

Filling Creation:

Cook finely diced onion until golden brown. Toss in garlic until you can smell it. Cook the ground beef all the way through. Mix in tomato puree and cook it down. Put in rice and the saved onion water. Cook until the liquid's gone but rice isn't fully done. Toss in your herbs last.

Assembly Process:

Put an onion layer flat with the curve down. Drop filling in the middle. Roll it up gently, tucking in the edges. Place it seam-down in your dish. Keep going until you've used everything up.

My first try making these was pretty sloppy - the onions wouldn't stay rolled. I've learned that letting them cool a bit first makes them way easier to handle.

All About The Sauce

When you mix the onion water with tomatoes, you get a sauce that's both delicate and packed with flavor. As it cooks down in the oven, it makes those stuffed onions taste even better.

Getting The Heat Right

Starting with the dish covered then uncovering it lets the onions cook through first, then turn golden brown. Finishing under the broiler for a few minutes gives you those yummy crispy edges.

Prep Ahead Tips

You can get things ready a day early - cook and separate the onions, fix up the filling, and keep them in the fridge until you're ready.

How To Serve

Greeks usually put these out as part of a bigger meal. They're amazing with some crusty bread to soak up all that sauce, plus a fresh Greek salad on the side.

Whenever I cook Salantourmasi, I remember that sunny day in my friend's grandma's kitchen, watching her easily pull apart onion layers and roll them up like she'd done it a million times. This isn't just food - it's a tribute to Greek home cooking, where simple stuff turns into something unforgettable with just time and love.

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Frequently Asked Questions

→ Can I get these ready ahead of time?

Totally, you can prepare them a day in advance, store in the fridge, and bake when you’re ready.

→ Which onion types work best?

Sweet, large onions like Spanish or Vidalia are ideal. They’re mild and easy to work with for stuffing.

→ Are leftover stuffed onions freezable?

Sure! Store them in a sealed container with sauce, and they can stay in the freezer for about 2 months.

→ What sides go well with these onions?

Try pairing with crusty bread, Greek salad, yogurt, and some feta for the ultimate meal.

→ Why pre-boil the onions?

Boiling helps soften the onions, so peeling layers off and stuffing is much easier without breaking them.