Onion Substitute

[lisagail5]

I am making a soup that calls for one medium onion. I am not an onion lover. What can I substitute for the onion?

 

[CharlieD]

Just skip

 

[GotGarlic]

Do you like shallots? They're milder than onions. Or you can use chives.

 

[lisagail5]

thanks

 

[WhateverYouWant]

I don't think chives would stand up if added at the same point in the recipe as an onion (which is usually very early on). Celery, fennel, and leaks would be good aromatic substitutes as well.

 

[GotGarlic]

I don't think chives would stand up if added at the same point in the recipe as an onion (which is usually very early on). Celery, fennel, and leaks would be good aromatic substitutes as well.

Good point. I would finish the dish with them.

 

[cowgyrl]

I don't really like biting into an onion, but virtually everything I cook has them. Depending on the recipe, I try to cut the onion into bigger chunks so they impart the flavor, but are easy to pick around.

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

Most soup recipes call for a mirepoix (French), sofrito (Spanish), or soffritto (Italian), which is equal amounts of small diced onion, celery and carrot, so you could double the celery and leave out the onion, or you could replace the onion with leek, shallot or scallion. I have acid reflux problems with onion, but I have found that, if I sauté the onions over medium heat until they are just starting to brown, I don't get agita.

 

[Rocklobster]

You can puree the onion in a blender and they will just melt into the soup..I couldn't imaging not eating or cooking with onions...

 

[pepperhead212]

Just skip

Couldn't put it better! If you don't like the flavor, leave it out.

However, there is something that can be used to sort of replace the onion, if it's the texture, or the cutting up of onions burns your eyes so bad that nothing seems to help, or a digestive problem, from the onions. It's asafoetida, or hing - an ingredient used in a lot of Indian dishes. The Ayurveda Hindus (and probably some other sects) refrain from using onions and garlic in their cooking, and use a lot of the asafoetida, which gets an onion like flavor after cooking for a while - it's definitely not something you want put in raw food! I often use this when cooking some dried beans or lentils, for a salad, or something like that, that would call for cooking with a whole onion - a lot easier and cheaper than an onion, and it tastes like I cooked an onion in it!

 

[blissful]

Couldn't put it better! If you don't like the flavor, leave it out.

However, there is something that can be used to sort of replace the onion, if it's the texture, or the cutting up of onions burns your eyes so bad that nothing seems to help, or a digestive problem, from the onions. It's asafoetida, or hing - an ingredient used in a lot of Indian dishes. The Ayurveda Hindus (and probably some other sects) refrain from using onions and garlic in their cooking, and use a lot of the asafoetida, which gets an onion like flavor after cooking for a while - it's definitely not something you want put in raw food! I often use this when cooking some dried beans or lentils, for a salad, or something like that, that would call for cooking with a whole onion - a lot easier and cheaper than an onion, and it tastes like I cooked an onion in it!

+1, yes asafoetida, smells like dirty socks and garlic and onions when uncooked. No one uses it uncooked. It is used to reduce gas (indian culture), and produces a gentle sweet garlic and onion flavor when cooked. It is quite nice. When packaged with rice flour, it is called "HING". It comes from a latex type of plant, like fennel or celery. I keep it on the spice shelf for making lentils.

 

[salt and pepper]

Onion cubes, onion powder, onion juice.

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[Just Cooking]

Interesting, S&P.

Happened to see that today, while rushing through the store, making sure we had what we need for the, maybe, coming ice storm.

I didn't take time to look closely but will, next shopping trip.

Ross

 

[CharlieD]

I don't really like biting into an onion, but virtually everything I cook has them. Depending on the recipe, I try to cut the onion into bigger chunks so they impart the flavor, but are easy to pick around.

Interesting. I do completely the opposite. I hate onion. But cannot imagine cooking without.
I cut/dice onions so small that by the time they are done there is nothing left of them.
And still, I think if a person doesn’t like onions, they can be simply skipped.

 

[cowgyrl]

Interesting. I do completely the opposite. I hate onion. But cannot imagine cooking without.
I cut/dice onions so small that by the time they are done there is nothing left of them.
And still, I think if a person doesn’t like onions, they can be simply skipped.

My husband loves all things onion, so it's a compromise


Is asafoetida a dried product or an actual vegetable? I've never heard of it but am definitely intrigued.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

I don't really like biting into an onion, but virtually everything I cook has them. Depending on the recipe, I try to cut the onion into bigger chunks so they impart the flavor, but are easy to pick around.

Welcome to DC, cowgyrl. You can also cut the onion into quarters, making sure to keep the root end intact. The quarters might divide into clumps of leaves, but it's easier than picking big pieces out of the dish.

BTW, you live in one of our favorite parts of the country we drive through. You know, back when we could actually travel. *sigh* Soon, again, I hope

 

[GotGarlic]

My husband loves all things onion, so it's a compromise


Is asafoetida a dried product or an actual vegetable? I've never heard of it but am definitely intrigued.

Hi and welcome to Discuss Cooking [emoji2]
It's a dried powder. Here's more information about it.
https://www.thekitchn.com/inside-the-spice-cabinet-asafoetida-or-asafetida-140001

 

[pepperhead212]

cowgyrl If you ever do decide to buy any asafoetida, be sure to look closely at the ingredient list, and get something that has asafoetida as the first ingredient. Many have other ingredients listed first, sometimes two of them! I've seen gum arabic and rice flour listed before the asafoetida. Years ago, even the Indian supermaket in my area didn't have the good stuff, so I ordered it from India! lol It was listed as 85% pure, and believe me, that stuff is potent! However, now Amazon has some with asafoetida as the primary ingredient. I still don't see the pure stuff, however, which is in cube form - something else I got from the same place in India. One Indian cookbook author I saw didn't even recommend using the powder, only the block form, broken off in little pieces, but I have yet to see it around here.

 

[cowgyrl]

Welcome to DC, cowgyrl. You can also cut the onion into quarters, making sure to keep the root end intact. The quarters might divide into clumps of leaves, but it's easier than picking big pieces out of the dish.

BTW, you live in one of our favorite parts of the country we drive through. You know, back when we could actually travel. *sigh* Soon, again, I hope

Thank you for not traveling. Sadly, WNC hasn't missed a beat with our tourism numbers. Sidewalks packed shoulder to shoulder all week.

Hi and welcome to Discuss Cooking [emoji2]
It's a dried powder. Here's more information about it.
https://www.thekitchn.com/inside-the-spice-cabinet-asafoetida-or-asafetida-140001

Thanks!

cowgyrl If you ever do decide to buy any asafoetida, be sure to look closely at the ingredient list, and get something that has asafoetida as the first ingredient. Many have other ingredients listed first, sometimes two of them! I've seen gum arabic and rice flour listed before the asafoetida. Years ago, even the Indian supermaket in my area didn't have the good stuff, so I ordered it from India! lol It was listed as 85% pure, and believe me, that stuff is potent! However, now Amazon has some with asafoetida as the primary ingredient. I still don't see the pure stuff, however, which is in cube form - something else I got from the same place in India. One Indian cookbook author I saw didn't even recommend using the powder, only the block form, broken off in little pieces, but I have yet to see it around here.

Interesting. I'll make sure to check closely.

 

[pepperhead212]

Here is a photo of the asafoetida, in powder form, and solid. The solid is in two colors, and the light is for dissolving in water, and the dark for putting in oil, like when making a tarka. I am not sure what they do differently to them, but I have only occasionally used the solid - when I run out of powder, I may make my own, with the solid, and some rice flour, in a mortar, just to use it up!
Asafoetida, 85 percent powder, and the two solid types. by pepperhead212, on Flickr