You’ve strolled past them in the produce aisles, you may have even stopped to admire how
pretty they are. The red onion sits there alongside its white and yellow counterparts, and you find yourself wondering about ways to use red onions. Let Nature’s Ninja guide you with these recipes
Bulb onions come in four main varieties— red, white, yellow and sweet (though they are yellow too). Most people gravitate to the yellow onions, which represent 90 percent of the onions grown in the United States.
Don’t let the red onion intimidate you
The red onion, less common in residential cooking, is immensely popular in restaurants and dining establishments. In fact, 48 percent of restaurants use the red onion compared to 5.1 percent using sweet onions and 2 percent using yellow onions, according to a Datassential Menu Trends report. For that reason, red onions may be a bit more intimidating. After all, if a chef prefers it, there must be something more complex about it, right?
If you’ve never cooked with red onions, you’re in for a tasty surprise. Sure, they make the restaurant burgers pretty with their purple color, and they add a little zing diced atop tacos. But when cooked, they evoke a sweetness you probably wouldn’t expect. That’s why they’re commonly used in onion jams and why they are pickled. The sweetness adds a nice tang to savory dishes.
We tried this Asian Plum Onion Chutney recipe, and it was a hit! Now don’t let the word chutney send you reeling —
it’s just a savory condiment. It added a sweetness to any type of meat sandwich or cooked meats. We tried this on a meat and cheese board, too, and it provided a perfect touch of sweetness to the sometimes sharp and savory flavors of the meats and cheeses. Lucky the recipe makes a big batch. This stuff disappeared quick!
Next, we made this Charred Red Onion Salsa. Again, the red onion delivered a sweetness that was surprising, but it was a great way to balance tastes amid the saltiness of tortilla chips.
Another great red onion recipe is this Chinese Style Bao Bun with Pickled Red Onions. It has a few more steps than normal, but nothing too difficult for the everyday cook to try. This recipe makes a great Asian sandwich with the right touches of Hoisin-flavored beef and pickled red onions.
If you want to try other ways to use red onions we found this great list from Taste of Home. Get cooking!
