What Are Onions and How Can I Use Them?

If onions have turned up in a recipe or caught your eye at the store, here's what you need to use them with confidence and how to choose them, cook them, store them, what to substitute, and 12,965 recipes to try them in.

What are onions?

For all varieties of onions, the more phenols and flavonoids they contain, the more antioxidant and anti-cancer activity they provide.

Onions can be found in a large number of recipes and preparations spanning almost the totality of the world's cultures. They are now available in fresh, frozen, canned, caramelized, pickled, powdered, chopped, and dehydrated forms.

Onions can be used, usually chopped or sliced, in almost every type of food, including cooked foods and fresh salads and as a spicy garnish. They are rarely eaten on their own, but usually act as accompaniment to the main course. Depending on the variety, an onion can be sharp, spicy, tangy and pungent or mild and sweet.

Fresh onions are pungent and have a sharp bite. Cooked onions lose this heat and develop a rich sweetness.

Videos

• Jeremy Fox - How to perfectly dice an onion
• Marco Pierre White - How to finely chop an onion
• MPW - How to chop an onion

History

Onions have been grown since before recorded history. They were fed to workers building pyramids and were found in the tomb of King Tut.

Onions are noted in the Bible as one of the foods most longed for by the Israelites after leaving Egypt for the Promised Land. They have been enjoyed by most cultures throughout history.

Christopher Columbus brought Onions with him to the Americas. Their popularity quickly spread among native American cultures.

Storage

Store in cool, dark, dry places.

Use Onions in almost anything except sweets! Dried Onion can be added straight to liquids, but should be rehydrated before being added to drier dishes such as casseroles and stir-fries.

Rehydrating them also increases potency. Onions make the perfect foundation for meats, poultry, soups, salads, and stews. Dried Onions release flavor more rapidly than freshly chopped Onions when added to a recipe.

Nutrition

Where found

Onions are usually found in the produce section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.

Food group

Onions are a member of the Vegetables and Vegetable Products US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.

How much do onions weigh?

Related

Vegetables and Vegetable Products

Recipes using onions

There are 12965 recipes that contain this ingredient.

Burgers with Caramelized Onions

Vegetarian burgers built from Harvest Burger mix and bulgur wheat, bound with tomato paste and parsley, then topped with balsamic-glazed caramelized onions. A satisfying meatless burger with serious chew and sweet-tangy crown.

Chilled Green Pea Soup

Chilled green pea soup blends sweet frozen peas with thyme, onion, and minute tapioca for a velvety low-fat, low-calorie soup that works hot or cold. The tapioca thickens without flour or cream. Five minutes of standing time, twenty minutes total cook.

Goat Cheese & Zucchini Omelet for Two

Eggs & zucchini creamily enveloped by warm and creamy tangy goat cheese and sweet caramelized onion mixture. When you've got zucchini overload and aren't sure what to do, this is my go-to recipe that feeds the need.

Sausage & Broccoli Minestrone Soup

Warm up with this hearty yet thrifty sausage and broccoli minestrone soup. An easy comforting twist on the classic Italian dish, perfect for chilly days.

Awesome Stuffed Mushrooms

Easy mushrooms stuffed with a simple savory, sour cream and bread crumb filling, baked in the oven until juicy and ready for guests in a flash.

Brussels Sprouts with Pecans

Discover this easy sautéed Brussels sprouts with pecans recipe: caramelized onions, garlic, and a hint of lemon for a quick, healthy side dish bursting with nutty crunch and subtle sweetness—perfect for weeknight dinners or holiday meals like "simple Brussels sprouts side dish ideas" or "healthy vegetable recipes with nuts."

Zwiebelkuchen (Onion Pie)

A savory German onion pie featuring a yeasted crust topped with caramelized onions, crispy bacon, and a creamy sour cream custard. Perfect as an appetizer or main dish, especially during autumn or Oktoberfest celebrations.

Combo Burgers

Three-meat combo burgers: ground sirloin, pork, and veal blended with oats, chili sauce, and Worcestershire. Grilled patties with serious depth.

Chow Mein in Chanterelle Sauce with Fresh Herbs

Vegan. I always wondered how would chanterelles taste with typical ingredients of Chinese cuisine. Now I know. Of course I wouldn't be myself if I didn't make it my way.

Gobhi Paratha

Gobhi Paratha: Indian stuffed cauliflower flatbread made with whole-wheat dough and a spiced filling of cauliflower, cumin, turmeric and green chili. Pan-fried in ghee until golden.

Gazpacho (Salad Soup)

Classic gazpacho, the chilled Spanish salad soup, with fresh tomatoes, cucumber, green pepper, olive oil and white wine vinegar. No cooking required, just blend and chill.

Black Olive & Sea Salt Focaccia

Black olive and sea salt focaccia is a classic Italian flatbread brushed generously with olive oil, scattered with chopped olives, and finished with coarse sea salt for that signature crunch.

Secret Ingredient French Onion Soup

A French onion soup that boasts an abundance of caramelized onions and a deep, rich color achieved with a secret ingredient. This addition enhances the depth of color and adds a subtle backdrop to the soup, perfectly complementing the sweetness of the caramelized onions.

Tomato Gazpacho

Chilled Spanish tomato gazpacho blended from ripe tomatoes, garlic, onion, green pepper, and olive oil, sharpened with vinegar and a hit of paprika. No-cook summer soup served with crunchy garnishes.

Beef & Vegetables in Red Wine Sauce

A sophisticated main dish of beef strips marinated in red wine and accompanied by a colorful array of sweet bell peppers, this recipe is a delightful fusion of rich flavors and vibrant colors, a feast for the senses that is as visually stunning as it is gastronomically gratifying.

Winter Squash Soup with Cinnamon & Cloves

Winter Squash Soup with Cinnamon and Cloves recipe

Beef & Peppers

A simple 2 serving beef chunks with green peppers. Simplistic ingredients deliver big satisfying flavor.

Always Loved Vegetarian Chili

Vegetarian Chili with bulgur and vegetables--Vegetarian chili: hot satisfying dish for fans of meatless mains.

Delicious Tabouli

Tabouli salad with bulgur wheat, juicy tomatoes, fresh parsley, lemon, and olive oil. The classic Middle Eastern parsley salad served at room temperature with optional black olives and mint.

All Time Avgolemono Soup

Greek lemon-egg soup with tender chicken and orzo in a silky, tangy broth. This avgolemono takes 40 minutes and tastes like sunshine in a bowl.

Tomato & Orange Soup

Creamy tomato and orange soup with fresh tomatoes, orange juice, orange zest and a swirl of cream. A British-style soup that's bright, velvety and full of citrus warmth.

Mom's Gazpacho

Fresh vegetable gazpacho with tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, and bell peppers. Quick cold Spanish soup ready in 10 minutes, perfect for summer lunches.

Grilled Burgers

Grilled burgers with sour cream, dried thyme, and parsley mixed right into the patty for extra moisture and herby savor. The juicy weeknight cookout staple in 20 minutes.

Kettle River Gazpacho

Kettle River gazpacho with fresh tomatoes, cucumber, green pepper, garlic, and chili sauce. A hot-and-spicy chunky version of the Spanish classic that works chilled, room temperature, or gently warmed.

Meatballs with Sauce

Cheese-stuffed meatballs simmered in a roux-thickened tomato sauce with white wine. Made with ground sirloin and cheddar, served over spaghetti or rice.

All 12,965 recipes