What kind of onions for salad?

Onions are a versatile vegetable that can be used in many dishes, but when it comes to salads, not all onions are created equal. Choosing the right type of onion for your salad can make a big difference in texture, flavor, and how long the salad holds up. Here’s an overview of the most common types of onions and tips on selecting the best onions for your salad.

Onion Varieties for Salad

Sweet Onions

Sweet onions are mild, juicy, and slightly sweet – perfect for eating raw in salads. Popular sweet onion varieties include:

• Vidalia – Named after Vidalia, Georgia, these onions are perhaps the most famous sweet onion. They have a light, sweet flavor.
• Walla Walla – Originating from Walla Walla, Washington, these onions have a delicate, crisp texture.
• Maui – Grown in Hawaii, Maui onions are crisp and juicy with a mild, sweet taste.
• Texas 1015 – Texas 1015s are one of the most popular sweet onions, prized for their large size and very mild, sweet flavor.

Yellow Onions

Yellow onions, also sometimes called brown onions, have a stronger taste and sharper bite than sweet onions. Popular varieties include:

• Yellow Globe – One of the most widely available types, yellow globe onions have a pungent flavor.
• Granex – Granex are a yellow onion hybrid prized for their flavor and long storage life.
• Spanish – Spanish yellow onions have a mild, sweet flavor and larger size.

Shallots

Shallots are small, teardrop shaped onions closely related to garlic. They have a mild, sweet, and oniony flavor. Shallots are more expensive than regular onions but prized in salad for their delicate flavor.

Scallions

Scallions, also known as green onions or spring onions, are young onions harvested before the bulb fully forms. They have long green stems and a small white bulb. Both the green tops and white bottoms can be used. Scallions add a fresh onion flavor and crunch to salads.

Red Onions

Red onions have a bold, spicy flavor thanks to their high sulfur content. They add great color and flavor to salads. Popular varieties include red globe, red torpedo, and red baron.

How Onion Type Affects Salad

Here’s a quick rundown of how the different onion varieties can affect your salad:

Onion Variety	Flavor	Texture	Appearance
Sweet Onions	Mild, sweet	Crisp, juicy	Light yellow to white
Yellow Onions	Pungent, strong	Crunchy	Golden yellow
Shallots	Delicate, subtly sweet	Crisp	Small, teardrop shape
Scallions	Mild, fresh	Crunchy	Long green stems, small white bulb
Red Onions	Bold, spicy	Crunchy	Vibrant purple-red

Picking the Right Onion for Salad

Certain onions work better for certain salad styles and ingredients. Here are some tips for selecting salad onions:

• Sweet onions like Vidalias are great for fruit salads and salads with sweet ingredients like dried cranberries or mandarin oranges. Their mild flavor complements the sweetness.
• Shallots are perfect for upscale, gourmet green salads where you want subtle onion flavor without overpowering other greens and veggies.
• Scallions add a fresh onion punch to lighter composed salads with ingredients like cucumbers, tomatoes, and carrots.
• Yellow and red onions have a stronger onion flavor that stands up well to bold salad ingredients like olives, cheese, nuts, and dressing. They work well in chef salads.

Cutting Onions for Salad

Cutting the onions properly helps distribute their flavor throughout the salad and achieve the right texture.

Slices

Thinly slicing onions, whether sweet, yellow, or red, gives you small pieces that disperse nicely through salads like chef salads. Go for 1/4 inch thick or thinner.

Chopped

Chopping onions into small pieces allows them to blend into composed salads like tuna or chicken salad. Go for 1/4 inch or smaller.

Diced

Dicing onions about 1/4 inch results in pleasant, small bits suitable for grain and veggie salads. Diced red onions are also popular on taco salads.

Scallions

For scallions, chop both the green tops and white bulbs into small rounds. Keep lengths about 1-2 inches.

Shallots

Thinly slice shallots or chop into quarters or eighths depending on desired size.

Storing Salad Onions

Properly storing your onions helps keep them fresh longer once sliced or chopped for salad:

• Place sliced/chopped onions in an airtight container and refrigerate. Glass or plastic containers work well.
• For maximum freshness, use sliced onions within about 4-5 days.
• Soak cut onions in ice water for 30 minutes before adding to salad to crisp them up.
• If onions start smelling strong or appearing slimy, it’s time to throw them out.

Popular Onion Salads

Onions make so many salads tastier. Here are some popular recipes featuring onions:

French Onion Salad

This composed salad features sliced red onions, green beans, tomatoes, and a red wine vinaigrette.

Cobb Salad

Chopped sweet or yellow onions add flavor to this classic salad with chicken, bacon, eggs, and blue cheese.

Taco Salad

Diced red onions lend a tasty crunch to taco salads along with classic lettuce, tomato, cheese, and ground beef.

Potato Salad

Chopped yellow, white, or red onions add great flavor to potato salads, cut through the rich mayo, and complement the potatoes.

Greek Salad

Thinly sliced red onions balance the strong flavors of olives, feta, and Greek dressing in this Mediterranean favorite.

Onion Alternatives for Salads

If raw onion flavor is too overpowering for you in salads, consider these milder alternatives:

• Cook the onions – Quickly sautéing or grilling onions brings out their sweetness.
• Soak in water – Soaking raw onions in ice water 30 minutes mellows their bite.
• Green onions – Scallions have a milder onion taste.
• Garlic – For just a touch of allium flavor, add minced garlic.
• Onion powder – Sprinkling on just a dash of onion powder allows control over onionyness.
• Shallots – Shallots contain less of the compounds that make onions pungent.

Conclusion

Onions add so much flavor, color, and texture to salads when used properly. Selecting the right onion variety and cutting style allows you to customize flavor and texture for any salad. Sweet onions, scallions, shallots, yellow, and red onions all have their place depending on the ingredients. With proper storage and handling, onions can take your salads from dull to delectable. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different types of onions to enhance your favorite salads.