Onion Varieties and What To Do if You Don't Have the Right One

Do you know your onion varieties?

The common onion, a household staple that’s been one of the most commonly used foods throughout the world for over 3,500 years. And for good reason – not only are onions easy to grow and add flavor and texture to cooking, they’re also nutrition superstars.

The National Onion Association lists various research studies indicating benefits include the prevention and treatment of common diseases like cancer, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cataracts, osteoporosis, asthma and allergies. That’s pretty impressive. And even for people like me, who don’t like raw onions, there are plenty of nutritional benefits to be had from cooked onions.

Even though they may lead us to tears and leave our hands a little smelly, it’s worth exploring these gems in more detail.

Onion Varieties

My mom was a no fuss cook. She prepared meals based on what was available; in this case, yellow onions. Salads, dips, dressings, sauces, soups, entrees, sides, sandwiches, breakfast, lunch and dinner all featured the yellow onion. There was one exception – springtime.

The time when chives and green onions were available in the garden. Oh, how I loved spring cooking when that harsh onion flavor in salads and dips was replaced with the much milder flavor of chives and green onions. It was my first lesson on choosing the right onion for the right job.

Yellow Onions
– an all purpose, versatile cooking onion (eg. Spanish onion)
– strong pungent flavour and smell
– their high sugar content makes them sweeter when cooked, ie. an excellent choice for caramelized onions
– best choice for storage
– have the highest sulfur content, which means it’s most likely to induce tears
– best choice for onion soup and most cooked dishes

Red Onions
– mild flavoured onion
– best used in raw dishes like salads and sandwiches
– red color gets washed out if cooked too long
– if not over-done, red onions are great on the grill

White Onions
– crispier and more pungent than yellow onions
– a little more water content than yellow onions, leading to shorter storage life
– can be used like yellow onions in cooking
– are a little more tender than yellow onions when cooked
– often used in Mexican cooking eg. salsa

Sweet Onions
– look similar to yellow onions with a golden brown papery skins
– often sold under the name Vidalia, Walla Walla or Maui
– typically available from April to August in North America
– mild, sweet and crisp
– high water content makes them more perishable, ie. not great for storing
– less pungent due to lower sulfur content, ie. fewer tears
– great for use in raw dishes like salads, sandwiches, or burgers

Shallots
– sweet, mild flavored
– grow in clusters like garlic bulbs, but sold as individual cloves
– their smaller size and softening when cooked, make them ideal for sauces, gravies and other dishes where you want onion flavor without the texture
– good for vinaigrettes, salads and other dishes where just a bit of onion flavor is needed

Scallions/Green Onions
– scallions and green onions are the same thing
– long hollow green leaves, without a fully developed root bulb (onion)
– mild onion flavor
– typically used raw or lightly cooked
– ideal in salads, dips, chinese cooking or in finishing a dish such as soup, stew or pasta

What if You Don’t Have the Right Onion?

I do believe there are some recipes where it matters what type of onion you choose. However, you don’t have to be fanatical about it; substitutions are possible. Just think about what the onion is suppose to offer to a particular recipe.

For overall flavor in a cooked dish – just about any onion will do, use larger quantities of mild onions, try other strong flavored spices like curry, garlic, peppers

For just a hint of onion flavor – substitute with another mild flavored onion, use smaller quantities, use onion powder or reduce the pungency of strong flavored onions by soaking in water for 1 hour before using

For texture – consider using cabbage or shredded carrots and onion powder

For sweetness – consider using shredded carrots and onion powder

Have you tried all of these varieties? Do you have a favorite?