Onions are so good for you and for your gut microbiome. They are a rich source of prebiotics, which are types of fibre that beneficial gut bacteria can use as food, helping to support a healthy gut microbiome and have positive effects on digestive health.
Unfortunately they are also one of the hardest foods for the gut to cope with when your microbiome is in complete disarray as mine was. I was given a lovely bag of organic onions and wanted to turn them into something that I could use slowly. Also cooking breaks down some of the compounds that can be difficult to digest, making them less likely to cause gas and bloating.
I’ve always been a big fan of caramelised onions but wanted to make it without sugar – which is possible if you cook them really low and slow. Adding sugar speeds the process up but it is just caramelising the sugar rather than the onions. Sugar isn’t necessary and isn’t good for you.
The recipe takes a bit of time (about an hour) but is very simple. You just need:
1kg onions
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Peel the onions, removing all the dry, papery outer layers.
Slice the onions thinly. Mine were small so I just cut thin rings. If they are larger, cut them in half first before slicing.
Heat the olive oil on a medium high heat.
Add the onions and salt. Keep moving them around with a wooden spatula until they become soft and juicy.
Leave for 1 to 2 minutes without stirring. You should get some browning, scrape the pan with the spatula and leave again for 2 minutes.
If you still down’t get a little browning after a second 2 minutes, turn the heat up a little. Be careful not to burn the onions at this point. You should settle on a heat where you can leave the onions for 2 minutes and they develop some browning.
Keep going with this process of leaving for 2 minutes and then stirring to incorporate the brown caramelised bits. You will see the onions go from soft to juicy to browning to caramelisation. After around 50 minutes you should have a deeper brown colour and perfect caramelisation.
Remove from the heat and stir in the balsamic vinegar.
These will store in the fridge in a sealed container for up to a week and freeze really well.
Caramelised onions are definitely worth the time it takes to make them. They are a perfect condiment to serve with so many different things. They are great on the base of a pizza, in or alongside a frittata, and with whatever meat you are having. You can add them to soups and stews for a delicious flavour boost. Add them to your salads, burgers or serve with cheese on sourdough bread.
Below is a series of photos showing the onions gradually softening, browning and caramelising:
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- Caramelised onions (without sugar)
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