cumin shrimp with sumac onions and tahini dressing.
delicately spiced, quick-cooking shrimp paired with sweet, soft sumac onions and nutty tahini make for the perfect meal any time of day.
Serves: 4 Prep time: 45 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes jump to recipe.
I actually developed this entire recipe around beluga lentils and then made them the most optional part of the recipe. Nice, right?
So no, you really don’t have to seek out beluga lentils for this, but they do work particularly well with everything going on here.
Sorry for the many, many elements, by the way. I usually hate recipes that are a million little recipes mashed into one, but promise, these all make so much sense together. You should make the whole dish. And truly, it’s not difficult at all. Let me give you a run down.
How to make this as painless as possible
Ideally, you’re like me and make too much rice, noodles, lentils, (insert small grain here), at a time, and end up with leftovers. This is the perfect time to use them. If you happen to have a cup or so of leftover grains, you’ll cut off 10-20 minutes of cook time.
If not, start with the grain. Beluga lentils cook like pasta, so bring a pot of water to boil and toss the lentils in to cook. Cook to al dente, then drain.
Obviously, you won’t just be standing there watching the lentils cook, as therapeutic as it may be. While these are cooking (or rather, while the water is boiling), slice the onion and toss it into the vinegar mixture. Let it sit for as long as possible.
Next, do the same for the shrimp, peeling them first if you prefer. Try to time this no further out than 20-30 minutes before serving so that the shrimp doesn’t over-marinate. Set aside - you’ll cook these last.
Now you can relax a little. Whisk together the tahini dressing. Chop the tomatoes and parsley. Drain the lentils and toss, while warm, with the tomatoes and parsley and oil.
Now, all of a sudden, you have your lentil base, your dressing, and your sumac onions ready to go. It all comes together quickly — told you.
Heat up a skillet and add the shrimp and all of its garlicky marinade. Cook for around 5 minutes total, just until the shrimp has turned pink and curled into large, round “C” shapes.
Now put it all together. Scoop the lentils onto a plate, throw on some shrimp, dress it with tahini, and garnish with onion. Voila.
Variations
Naturally, I had several ideas floating around before I landed on shrimp and red onions. To be honest, I was just craving shrimp that day. This would also be terrific with:
halloumi instead of shrimp
rice instead of lentils
white onion or shallot instead of red onion
extra olive oil, instead of red wine vinegar (for less acidic taste)
cherry tomatoes instead of heirloom
cooked zucchini, summer squash, or spinach instead of tomatoes
lemon vinaigrette instead of tahini
skirt steak instead of shrimp
marinating shrimp in spices, lemon, and oil
cumin shrimp with sumac onions ingredients
beluga lentils: My favorite lentil, and the one nicknamed as “caviar lentil” because of its uniquely circular shape and dark black color. If you don’t have them at your usual grocery store, try specialty markets, especially those with European focus or that may sell bulk grains. Otherwise, try Amazon. Beluga lentils cook like pasta, so you don’t have to be quite as precise as rice. Boil some water, add the lentils, and cook to al dente. If you’re not sure, taste a lentil. If it’s soft but chewy, it’s ready. If it’s hard or crunchy, keep cooking.
red onion: Sumac onions are a traditional Turkish dish and are typically made with red onion because of how the sweetness of the onion interacts with sumac and vinegar. The onions are supposed to basically taste pickled. You can swap for a different onion, but it may not taste as sweet and instead have a sharp taste.
olive oil: Sorry, you’ll need a lot of EVOO for this recipe. First, in the sumac onions, then in the shrimp, again in the dressing, then finally a drizzle into the lentils. It’s worth it — promise! You can skip it in the lentils, but you’ll still need about 1/2 cup total for everything else.
red wine vinegar: Just a splash, really. You can actually skip this entirely if you don’t like acid/pickled onions. This will essentially pickle the onions.
honey: Another element you’ll need a few times, thankfully not by the cupful. Just a few drizzles into the onion, another in the shrimp, and a generous drizzle into the dressing. If you don’t have honey on hand, a pinch of sugar will work for everything.
aleppo pepper: Used in the onion and the shrimp. It’s sometimes used in traditional sumac onions. You can omit it or swap for red pepper flakes.
sumac: This is a dark brown spice that smells almost lemony and offers a subtle sweet flavor to savory dishes. You should be able to find this anywhere, but if not, try spice houses or Middle Eastern stores. Or Amazon, again.
shrimp: I really like large, shell-on shrimp. They’re juicy and flavorful, can be grilled, and are super filling. Truth is, any shrimp will work, and if you prefer a less-messy eating experience, peel the shrimp first. The peels offer a lot of flavor, but not enough to pay off if you don’t want to get your fingers dirty (there, I said it). If you’re grilling, leaving the shells on does help achieve a char without drying out.
lemon: You’ll need it in the shrimp and the dressing. It brightens everything up a lot, so don’t forget it. Don't swap for limes here, it’ll be too sour.
cumin: No swaps here, just use ground cumin.
chili powder: You could swap for paprika, smoked paprika, or cayenne. Adjust the measurement as needed — if swapping for cayenne, use a lot less.
garlic: You’ll use just a couple of cloves here, but they make all the difference. Mince one, grate the other.
tahini: Nutty, without being nuts. Remember to stir or shake before using and mix well to emulsify with the lemon juice and oil. I wouldn’t recommend swapping this for anything directly.
parsley: A good, herby addition, but certainly not necessary if you’re in a bind. If you don’t have fresh parsley, omit it, or swap for dill, mint, or basil.
tomatoes: You can use any tomato, really, but small, palm-sized heirlooms are the best. Use lots of colors to stand out against the lentils, and warm them through just using the residual heat of the lentil. If you prefer cooked tomatoes, feel free to sauté them until soft. These are meant to be a salad-type of tomato.
the lentils shouldn’t be mushy or falling apart; they should be fairly solid, with a bit of chew.
this is right after tossing; the onion will break down and soften, turning deeper pink, the longer it sits.
tossed lentils with tomato and parsley.
cumin shrimp with sumac onion pairing options
With grain bowls it’s hard to need any sides. Everything you need is right in the same bowl. However.. if you really want to make a feast with this included, or maybe want other options to add, here are some ideas:
pinot grigio
fresh avocado
pita chips
hummus
garlic naan or fresh pita
grilled halloumi
shish kebabs
grilled corn on the cob, with chili butter
the shrimp should be about this curled, no tighter than this.
