This week’s Vegetable Box Feature: Red Onion, also called Spanish onion or purple onion
Did you know?
- They are crunchy, pungent, sweet, and slightly spicy when raw and when cooked their flavor lessens and grows mildly sweeter.
- The intensity of the pungent flavor varies depending on age, particular variety, and the amount of sulfur in the growing soil or the fertilizer used.
- They contain vitamin C, fiber, iron, and calcium. They also have a high polyphenol and flavonoid content, including a large amount of quercetin, which provides antioxidant properties that contribute to overall health, and sulfur, which promotes anti-inflammatory processes within the body.
- They have more health benefits than white onions.
- They are the most popular type of onions in India, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East, but in Britain white onion is the most common type.
Fun Fact:
- Red onions have earned their “red” name because their purplish skins have historically been used to make reddish dyes.
How to Store It:
The bulbs will keep 1-2 months when stored in a cool, dry, and dark place with good air circulation. When sliced, red onions will keep 7-10 days when stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
How to Use It:
Red onions are best suited for both raw and cooked applications such as grilling, roasting, braising, caramelizing, and pickling. Red onions are milder in flavor compared to the other popular common onions including white and yellow, and are favored for their sweet flavor, used raw by chefs and home cooks on sandwiches, burgers, and salads. The onions can also be chopped and tossed into leafy green salads, minced into salsa or guacamole, or pickled in red wine vinegar and layered on tacos, pizza, and fried rice. In addition to fresh preparations, red onions can be grilled for a smoky flavor.
Recipes:
Creamy Roasted Red Onions
Created By: Miss in the Kitchen
They are an amazing side dish for holiday meals and family get togethers.
Ingredients:
For the onions:
4 medium-sized red onions
1 TBSP olive oil
¼ tsp salt
For the Filling
3 oz cream cheese, softened
¼ cup sour cream
1 tsp salt
1 tsp herbs de Provence
½ tsp grated or minced garlic
For Topping
½ cup Panko bread crumbs
1 TBSP butter, melted
2 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 TBSP fresh parsley, chopped fine
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°.
- Peel the onions. Trim the root ends so they will set upright and cut about ½ inch from the tops. Drizzle olive oil over onions and rub it all over. Season with ¼ teaspoon salt.
- Bake for 50 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.
- Gently remove the centers of the onions leaving a shell (I left 2 to 3 layers).
- Return a slice of the center to each to form a bottom.
- Coarsely chop onion centers.
- In a bowl combine cream cheese, sour cream, salt, herbs de Provence, garlic and chopped onions.
- Spoon filling into shells.
- In a small bowl combine Panko, butter, bacon and parsley.
- Spoon carefully over stuffed onions.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until filling is heated through and bread crumbs just start to brown.
- Serve immediately.
French Red Onion Soup
Created by: Debbie
A perfect addition to soup season!
Ingredients:
4 cups red onion, thinly sliced (can use any type of onion)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 TBSP olive oil
2 TBSP butter
1 dried bay leaf
1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves (or 3 sprigs fresh thyme)
2 TBSP brandy, white wine, or Dry Sherry (optional)
64 oz beef, chicken, or vegetable broth
a splash of Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste
Topping:
Parmesan crisps
12 oz grated Gruyère or Swiss cheese
Instructions:
1. Heat a large pot over medium heat for one minute. Add the oil and butter. Once it melts, add the sliced onions. Season with salt and pepper, then sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden brown, about 20 minutes. Add in garlic and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Deglaze the pan with brandy, white wine, or dry sherry by adding it to the pot and scrape up the browned bits on the bottom and sides of the pot, deglazing the pot as you go.
- Pour in the broth. Add bay leaf thyme. Simmer rapidly for 5 minutes. Turn the heat down to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook 30-45 minutes. Remove bay leaves.
- To serve, ladle the soup into oven-safe bowls or ramekins. Top with Parmesan crisp (5 or 6 crisps, depends on size of bowl/ramekins). Heap Gruyère cheese on top of the Parmesan crisps. Broil until cheese bubble and browns slightly.
Enjoy!
Balsamic-Glazed Red Onions
Created by: Simply Recipes
Such an easy side dish. Great with roast chicken or a vegetarian main dish.
Ingredients:
For the onions:
4 medium red onions (1 1/2 to 2 pounds total)
2 TBSP olive oil
2 TBSP balsamic vinegar
1 TBSP plus 1 tsp chopped fresh oregano
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
For the glaze:
1 TBSP balsamic vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 TBSP olive oil
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
Instructions:
- Prepare the onions:
- Preheat the oven to 400F. Slice off any straggly roots from the onions, leaving the firm root centers intact. Cut the onions in half from tip to root. Peel off the skins until all the papery layers are removed. Cut each half into 4 wedges, slicing through the root so that the wedges stay intact.
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2. Pack onions into baking dish: Pack the onions as tightly as you can into a 1 to 1 1/2 quart baking dish (9-inch round or oval, 8-inch square).
- 3. Sprinkle the olive oil, balsamic, 1 tablespoon of the oregano, salt, pepper evenly over the top. (No need to stir or you'll disturb the pretty arrangement!)
- Roast the onions:
- Cover the baking dish with foil and roast the onions for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue roasting the onions uncovered for 30 minutes more.
- Make the glaze:
- In a bowl, whisk the balsamic, mustard, salt, and pepper. Gradually whisk in the olive oil. Pour the glaze over the roasted onions and return the dish to the oven:
- Continue cooking another 10 minutes, or until the onions are very tender when pierced with the tip of a knife.
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Serve:
Sprinkle the onions with the remaining 1 teaspoon oregano before serving.
