Are you looking to substitute onion in your diet? Read no further, I have compiled the complete guide to finding the best substitute for onion, no matter what you are cooking.
Personally, I needed to find substitutes for my onion allergy. Yes, you can be allergic to onion! The good news is I don’t miss it at all, and I haven’t found anything that I can’t replace onion in.
There are many other reasons to substitute onion in cooking as well. First and foremost, you just may not like it!
Another good reason to find substitutes for onion in cooking is a low FODMAP diet. Read on to know everything you need to know about low FODMAP onion substitutes!
Substitute for onions in cooking
First of all, let’s think of what onions do in cooking. They are mainly an aromatic when cooked, and provide a nice crunch if they are served raw. They are also part of mirepoix, a French cooking staple (by the way, the other two friends of onion are celery and carrot).
To replace onion mirepoix, just leave it out and add extra celery. I also like to add some sprigs of parsley. You may also want to try adding some fresh thyme, oregano, or rosemary to your mirepoix to bring out some additional flavors.
Some rules of thumbs are be sure to cut your substitute for onion the same way you would cut onion itself. By providing a similar mouthfeel and texture, it will be easier to transition away from onion.
Substitute for raw onion
To substitute for raw onion, simply use raw celery.
Make sure the celery is cut just like you would cut the onion in size and shape, to provide a similar mouthfeel to what you are used to.
You may want to add a dash of vinegar to whatever you are making to further replace some of the strong flavor of the onion.
Be sure to try my potato salad, which is a huge crowd pleaser, and doesn’t have onions or mayonnaise in it.
Substitute for onions in meatballs
I’ve removed onion from my meatball and meatloaf recipe ages ago, and haven’t missed it.
The great thing about meatballs is that you really can put just about anything in there.
Here are some of my favorite substitutes for onions in meatballs:
- Carrots
- Kale
- Parsley
- Red pepper
- Celery
You can easily experiment with any combination of the above, or really anything you’d like It may take some trial and error to find the perfect substitute, but it can be great to also get the kids involved.
You can try multiple things at once by dividing your meat into four portions, and trying a different substitute for each. It really will make mealtime fun as you can discover your favorite onion replacements together.
Substitute for onions in soup
Soup is probably one of the easiest things to replace onion is. I just use extra celery, and sometimes extra carrot as well.
Onion substitute in stuffing
I make a great classic bread stuffing without any onion at all!
I simply chop carrots finely, and chop celery just like I would onion. Then I add fresh parsley and sautee. It really is a great stuffing that the onion is not missed in. I think part of is is because I use my home made gluten free chicken stock – and guess what, that doesn’t have any onion in it either.
Green bean casserole french friend onion substitute
Around the holidays, many people get upset about missing out on the French fried onions on green bean casserole.
The good news? You won’t miss them once you try potato sticks on top! I promise!
These are some of the mostly common things I’ve used as onion substitutes, and cover almost everything I have encountered when cooking.
Like any dietary change, it does take time to get used to, but I don’t miss onions at all!