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Red onion

Vegetables · Alliums

Red onion

Purple-skinned onion with milder, sweeter flesh, prized raw in salads, salsas and pickles.

Also called: purple onion, spanish onion

A kind of onion

111 recipes with it

Photo: Svklimkin, via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA-4.0)

What it is

Red onions have deep purple outer skin and white flesh ringed with purple. They are milder and sweeter than brown onions, so they are used raw in salads, kachumber and salsas, and quick-pickled until pink. They can be cooked like any onion, though the colour turns dull.

Allium cepa

How it’s used

  • Sliced raw in salads and kachumber
  • Diced into salsas and guacamole
  • Quick-pickled as a topping
  • Grilled or roasted in wedges
  • Used as the cooking onion in many South Asian kitchens

Characteristics

Taste
Mild, sweet and less sharp than brown onion.
Appearance
Purple skin; layers edged with purple-red.
When cooked
Loses its colour and turns brownish when cooked; soaking slices in cold water softens the raw bite.
Sold as
fresh
Cooking uses
Usually eaten raw, Commonly cooked, Suitable for grilling, Used as a garnish

Kinds in our pantry

Storage

Cool, dry and dark. Store like other onions in a cool, dry, airy spot; refrigerate cut pieces wrapped.

Diet, allergens and safety

No major allergens in typical versions.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Nut-free
  • Soy-free
  • Caffeine-free

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy
32 kcal
Protein
0.8 g
Carbohydrate
7.55 g
Fat
0.08 g
Fibre
0.9 g
Sugars
5.02 g

USDA FoodData Central: Onions, sweet, raw.

Substitutes

Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.

  • Onion — Fine cooked; for raw use soak slices in cold water to tame the bite.
  • Shallot — Good raw in dressings and salads.

Related ingredients

Recipes with red onion

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