Stuffed Onion + Tahini

Ready to get stuffed? Soft, golden onions meet a hearty freekeh and beluga lentil filling, all wrapped up and topped with a smooth tahini dressing. Grab your apron and let's get stuffing!

Serves 4

Forkin’ Easy

Ingredients

For the stuffed onions:
4 medium-sized white onions
2 tomatoes, sliced
1 litre vegetable stock or water
100g date syrup
Salt & pepper, to taste
Thyme

For the filling:
1 white onion, thinly sliced
4 tbsp olive oil
1 cup freekeh
1 cup beluga lentils, soaked overnight and drained
3 cups water
1 tsp cumin
Salt & pepper, to taste

Tahini:
½ cup tahini
½ cup water
¼ cup olive oil
2 tsp lemon zest
¼ cup lemon juice
2 cloves garlic
Salt, to taste
Extra tomatoes to squeeze on top

Method

To make the filling (Make the filling first and let it cool down):

  1. In a medium-sized saucepan, heat the olive oil and fry the onions over low-medium heat for 15-20 minutes, until soft and golden. Season with a sprinkle of salt.
  2. Add the freekeh, soaked lentils, and 3 cups of water. Stir in the cumin, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer with the lid on for 30-40 minutes, until the lentils and freekeh are cooked through and the water is absorbed.
  3. Turn off the heat and let it rest for 10 minutes to fluff up the grains.
  4. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper if necessary.

To stuff the onions:

  1. Peel the first layer of each onion, keeping the bottom stem part intact. Cut each onion lengthwise, removing 50% of the onion to create a ‘Pacman’ shape.
  2. In a pot of boiling salted water, cook the onions for 10-15 minutes. Remove and let cool.
  3. Separate the onion layers and place 1 spoonful of the filling in each layer.
  4. Fold each onion into an oval shape, ensuring it is tightly sealed.

Assembly:

  1. In an oven tray, place any leftover cooked onion pieces.
  2. Arrange all the stuffed onions on the tray.
  3. Mix the date syrup with vegetable stock and pour over the onions to cover.
  4. Cover the tray with aluminum foil and bake in the oven for 1.5 hours at 165°C.

Serving:

  1. For the tahini, blend all the ingredients together and adjust the seasoning to taste. Spread the tahini on the bottom of the serving plate.
  2. Arrange the stuffed onions on top of the tahini, garnish with herbs and a squeeze of tomato seeds.