{"id":4191,"date":"2025-03-05T23:31:49","date_gmt":"2025-03-05T23:31:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/8-varieties-of-onions-and-their-benefits.html"},"modified":"2025-03-05T23:31:49","modified_gmt":"2025-03-05T23:31:49","slug":"8-varieties-of-onions-and-their-benefits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/health\/8-varieties-of-onions-and-their-benefits.html","title":{"rendered":"8 Varieties of Onions and Their Benefits"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The humble onion is an incredibly versatile vegetable \u2014 you can eat it in endless ways: raw, caramelized, grilled, saut\u00e9ed, fried, and more. Adding onions to a recipe can boost the flavor and texture. But which types of onions are the best for cooking? Which onions are best to eat raw?<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ll cover the nutrition benefits and help you pick the best onion for your recipe.<\/p>\n<h2>1. Yellow Onions<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p>When in doubt, yellow onions (very similar to Spanish onions) are the safest pick for recipes that don\u2019t specify the onion type.<\/p>\n<p>They\u2019re very versatile and can be tucked into soups, stews, and roasts. Yellow onions are more balanced between sweet and spicy.<\/p>\n<p>But, they can have a pungent enough flavor that you may not want to eat them raw unless you try this trick: To tame the onion bite, try slicing them ultra-thin and soaking them in a bowl of cold water 15 minutes before serving.<\/p>\n<h2>2. Red Onions<\/h2>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-134350\" src=\"https:\/\/bod-blog-assets.prod.cd.beachbodyondemand.com\/bod-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Types-of-Onions.red_.600.jpg\" alt=\"Red onions in a ceramic bowl \" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<p>Red onions have a slightly crisper texture and are a deep ruby color. The color comes from\u00a0anthocyanin, a powerful antioxidant.<\/p>\n<p>With crisp and color, red onions are often used for salads and pickling. You\u2019ll also see them sprinkled over tacos and pizzas for a pretty pop of color.<\/p>\n<p>Want to quick-pickled red onions? Simply soak thin-sliced red onions in apple cider vinegar.<\/p>\n<p>Soaking the onions in an acidic liquid can reduce the strong onion flavor and introduce a new vinegary taste.<\/p>\n<h2>3. White Onions<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-178091\" src=\"https:\/\/bod-blog-assets.prod.cd.beachbodyondemand.com\/bod-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/15113037\/types-of-onions-600-white-onion.jpg\" alt=\" | Types of Onions\" width=\"540\" height=\"426\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<p>So, what\u2019s the big difference between white versus yellow onions? White onions have a sharper, spicier onion flavor.<\/p>\n<p>They\u2019re often used in Mexican cuisine (tacos, salsa, guacamole) and served on hot dogs, burgers, and sandwiches.<\/p>\n<p>To tame the onion-y flavor, you can use the same water-soaking trick as noted above.<\/p>\n<h2>4. Sweet Onions<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-178097\" src=\"https:\/\/bod-blog-assets.prod.cd.beachbodyondemand.com\/bod-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/15113112\/types-of-onions-600-sweet-onion-vidalia.jpg\" alt=\"sweet onions vidalia | Types of Onions\" width=\"598\" height=\"399\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<p>Some onions have a higher sugar content and are known as \u201csweet onions.\u201d Their sweetness makes them perfect for making golden, caramelized onions, braised onions, or onion rings.<\/p>\n<p>To find sweet onions at the grocery store, look for specific\u00a0varieties\u00a0such as:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Vidalia<\/li>\n<li>Bermuda<\/li>\n<li>Maui<\/li>\n<li>Walla Walla<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>5. Pearl Onions<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-178096\" src=\"https:\/\/bod-blog-assets.prod.cd.beachbodyondemand.com\/bod-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/15113105\/types-of-onions-600-pearl-onion.jpg\" alt=\"box of pearl onions | Types of Onions\" width=\"598\" height=\"399\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<p>Pearl onions are little baby onions about an inch across. These onions have a mild flavor and are sweeter than normal-sized onions.<\/p>\n<p>They\u2019re commonly used in soups and stews \u2014 and you can even use them as a martini garnish!<\/p>\n<p>They\u2019re typically cooked whole \u2014 the tricky part is making sure to peel them clean.<\/p>\n<p><strong data-redactor-tag=\"strong\">Pro tip for peeling<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Cut the tips off the onion, then boil them in water for 2 minutes.<\/li>\n<li>Once they\u2019re cool enough to touch, squeeze the onion from the root end until it pops out of the skin.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Not keen on peeling? Try our recipe for\u00a0caramelized pearl onions\u00a0using the frozen, pre-peeled kind.<\/p>\n<h2>6. Shallots<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-178095\" src=\"https:\/\/bod-blog-assets.prod.cd.beachbodyondemand.com\/bod-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/15113057\/types-of-onions-600-shallots.jpg\" alt=\"bowl of shallots | Types of Onions\" width=\"600\" height=\"398\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<p>These bulb-shaped onion cousins are mild but distinct flavor and taste like a cross between onion and garlic.<\/p>\n<p>Shallots are more common in Asian cooking but versatile enough to include in any cuisine.<\/p>\n<p>In almost any recipe, you can replace onions with shallots and vice versa \u2014 just go with what you have on hand.<\/p>\n<h2>7. Scallions<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-178094\" src=\"https:\/\/bod-blog-assets.prod.cd.beachbodyondemand.com\/bod-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/15113050\/types-of-onions-600-scallion.jpg\" alt=\"scallions on white | Types of Onions\" width=\"575\" height=\"383\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<p>Also known as \u201cgreen onions,\u201d scallions are sweet with substantially less onion bite, so they\u2019re perfect for eating raw. Chopped scallions are good for garnishing soups, stir-fries, pasta, omelets \u2014 basically any food that needs a pop of green!<\/p>\n<p>Scallions are very similar to spring onions, which are milder and sweeter in taste and have a pronounced bulb of white flesh at their base.<\/p>\n<h2>8. Leeks<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-178092\" src=\"https:\/\/bod-blog-assets.prod.cd.beachbodyondemand.com\/bod-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/15113044\/types-of-onions-600-leeks.jpg\" alt=\"leeks on white | Types of Onions\" width=\"565\" height=\"375\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<p>Leeks look like giant stalks of scallions and are much milder than your standard onion. They are a hearty winter vegetable you classically see in soups, casseroles, and roasts.<\/p>\n<p>Since the leaves on leeks are tightly packed, they notoriously trap a lot of dirt so make sure you rinse them well.<\/p>\n<h3><strong data-redactor-tag=\"strong\">To prep:<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Trim off the tops<\/li>\n<li>Lightly slice stalks in half<\/li>\n<li>Clean the layers under cold water<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>What Makes Onions Healthy?<\/h2>\n<p>Onions are a nutritious kitchen staple: They contain\u00a0allyl sulfides\u00a0and are a\u00a0source\u00a0of vitamin C and magnesium.<\/p>\n<p>White, red, and yellow onions\u00a0contain quercetin, an\u00a0antioxidant-like compound.<\/p>\n<p>There are actually hundreds of onion varieties, but that\u2019s just information overload.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, we listed the common types of onions, plus a few tips for cook and prep.<\/p>\n<p>Lucky for you, no matter which onion type you eat, you\u2019ll still score nutritional benefits.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The humble onion is an incredibly versatile vegetable \u2014 you can eat it in endless ways: raw, caramelized, grilled, saut\u00e9ed, fried, and more. Adding onions to a recipe can boost the flavor and texture. But which types of onions are the best for cooking? Which onions are best to eat raw? We\u2019ll cover the nutrition [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4192,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4191","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health"],"blocksy_meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4191","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4191"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4191\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4192"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4191"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4191"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4191"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}