- Hide menu

Balsamic Caramelized Onions

LoadingFavoriteAdd to favorites

raw vegan Balsamic Caramelized Onions displayed in a cast iron pan

~ raw, vegan, gluten-free, nut-free ~

Over the years, I have shared a few recipes that use balsamic vinegar.  This is not a raw product, but it is much-loved in our house. It is a dark, glossy, sweetly sour, condiment that is wonderful for almost anything.  One thing that Bob and  I have learned over time is that not all balsamic are the same.

 This is definitely one of those foods that unfortunately the more you spend, the better it tastes.  Try to avoid any balsamic kinds of vinegar that have caramel coloring or added sweeteners.   The very best balsamic have grape must as the only ingredient, however, that is usually too expensive for most recipes.

Ok, Amie Sue, I sliced and cried over my onions, I marinated them, and I just finished dehydrating them, now what?   I am glad that you asked, here are some ideas.

Salads: Caramelized onions add great texture and flavor to just about any type of salad.  Here are a few ideas…

Sandwiches: A layer of these tender onions are perfect for veggie burgers and sandwiches.  Turn something simple into something decadent.

Ingredients:

Yields 5 cups

Preparation:

  1. Slice all the onions into 1/4″ slices.  A mandolin comes in handy for this.  Place in a large bowl.
  2. Whisk together the olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
  3. Pour over the onions and with your hand’s mix and mix and mix.  Be sure to coat each onion.
  4. Cover and place in refrigerator for 24 hours to marinate.
  5. Place a mesh colander inside of a large bowl and drain the marinade sauce off the onions.
  6. Place the onions on the teflex dehydrator sheets and dry at 145 degrees (F) for 1 hour, then reduce to 115 (F) for 4-6 hours.  Or until they soften and take on a cooked appearance.

18 thoughts on “Balsamic Caramelized Onions

  1. ben says:

    Looks amazing. I should try soon. You can also easily make a balsamic reduction: simply out the vinegar in a glass bowl with a TBS. or so of agave and dehydrate overnight until syrupy.

    • amie-sue says:

      Hi Ben, well that sounds interesting. Thanks for sharing the tip!! What type of vinegar do you use? Have a blessed weekend, amie sue

      • ben says:

        Depends on what’s cheapest & looks least interfered-with (preservatives, added sugar are no-no’s) in the market. Thanks. Good weekend to you as well.

  2. ben says:

    As a P.S. to my previous post: any balsamic vinegar at Whole Foods would fit the bill & work.

  3. pia says:

    They look yummy. How long can you keep them? Guess they have to go into the fridge.

  4. Lindsay says:

    This recipe looks amazing! But if I didn’t have a dehydrator and wanted to make them in the oven, which heat temperature would you suggest using and for how long? Thanks

    • amie-sue says:

      Hi Lindsay, I can tell you that if you do them in the oven, they won’t be raw at that point. Some people use their ovens on the lowest setting and keep the ajar. I haven’t tried these in the oven, so as far as time goes, I would set the timer for 10 mins and then just keep an eye on them. Or do them on the stove top as traditional caramel onions are done. Have a great weekend! amie sue

      • Lindsay says:

        Thanks! So I have been a vegan for nearly 21 months now and I’ve been loving it! I have been (over the pasts about 8 months) starting to convert from vegan, to raw/raw. I especially love using ground cauliflower as the “carb”/”grain” in crusts and other desserts! I do have a question please. About how much of the nutrients are lost when food is cooked versus dehydrated? Because the reason why I haven bought a dehydrator yet is because of the price. Haha because I’m a University student and can’t exactly afford one at the moment. Thanks!

        • Lindsay says:

          EDIT: vegan/raw instead of raw/raw

        • amie-sue says:

          Hello again :)

          I can’t really answer your question as to how much nutrients is lost when cooked. There is quite a bit of controversy out there regarding that, and not to sure that there are any scientific back ups to those claims (either direction). Is is known that some is lost. But the better approach to this is how YOUR body absorbs nutrients and how you feel when you eat cooked or raw foods. To me, that is what it is all about. I use to be 100% raw but my body didn’t respond well to that. It did for a bit but then my digestion shifted and I had to bring some cooked foods back in. When that happened, through my journey of 100% raw, I learned how to select the best quality of foods to eat; the source, is it organic, and so forth. Take your journey slow and really learn to tune into your body. Don’t let labels of raw, vegan or whatever define you. I do however feel that it is important to add in as many raw foods as your body can handle, fresh, vibrant, organic (if possible)… just do your best with the resources you have.

          As far as obtaining a dehydrator, have you ever checked your local craigslist? I have purchased 2 of them at a fraction of the price. Just an idea. :) I hope this helps. Have a great weekend! amie sue

  5. Greta says:

    Thank you so much for this recipe. It’s wonderful. Enjoying them stuffed in a swiss chard wrap, along with grated cauliflower, bell pepper, avocado and kale chips!

  6. Rhondy says:

    Hello Amie,

    As you I have shared in the Raw Veggie Chowder and Caramelized Onion soup posts, I am on a raw soup quest for week’s menu dishes. Your site is awesome and I cannot tell you how greatly I have been helped by it since “discovering it” almost two years ago now.

    As I prepare to prep for the Balsamic Caramelized Onion Soup, I have several questions regarding the Balsamic Caramelized Onions:

    1.) May I use yellow onions in place of the white? The white are bit more expensive as I am planning to make the larger batch.
    2) Also, I am making the Caramelized Onion Corn Bread which calls for non-balsamic caramelized onions. What do you think about using the balsamic caramelized onions in the cornbread recipe. This would make the prep more efficient saving time and providing ease. However, my family loves your raw cornbread that is now a staple in our home, and I would not want disappoint or disrupt their like for it. So, again what do you think?
    3.) Final question…How long can the marinating onions sit in the refrigerator? I want to prep them two or three days ahead and dehydrate them closer to the day I plan to make the Caramelized Onion Soup.

    Please know that thank you and respect the time you take to not maintain this exquisite site, but to answer the many questions that are shuttled your way by me and other followers like myself.

    Thanks Amie.
    Blessings

    • amie-sue says:

      Hello there… :)

      Q. May I use yellow onions in place of the white? The white are bit more expensive as I am planning to make the larger batch.
      A. You can Rhondy… I sort of touched this on the last comment I answered without knowing that you were asking about it here. hehe My main caution is to make sure that the onions are not too hot in flavor.

      Q. Also, I am making the Caramelized Onion Corn Bread which calls for non-balsamic caramelized onions. What do you think about using the balsamic caramelized onions in the cornbread recipe. This would make the prep more efficient saving time and providing ease. However, my family loves your raw cornbread that is now a staple in our home, and I would not want disappoint or disrupt their like for it. So, again what do you think?
      A. Personally, I would like it but I am a huge lover of balsamic vinegar. But if you are the bit hesitant, why not get the onions all cut for the marinades, then divid them… then marinate them with the separate ingredients? It only takes a minute to pull those ingredients together.

      Q. Final question…How long can the marinating onions sit in the refrigerator? I want to prep them two or three days ahead and dehydrate them closer to the day I plan to make the Caramelized Onion Soup.
      A. It should be fine to make them up a few days ahead of time. Just keep them well sealed.

      You are making me hungry with all these questions. lol Love and hugs, amie sue

  7. andrew says:

    Hello Miss Amie-sue,

    How would you personally compare this to the normal caramelize onions thats use the tamari?

    I am personally trying to stay away from overly salty foods and am very interested in this recipe and would love to try this one!

    • amie-sue says:

      Hello Andrew,

      I don’t normally make caramelized onions with Tamari so I can’t compare it to that. The recipe that I shared here worked as a wonderful substitution for cooked onions. I recommend giving it a try. :) amie sue

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *