What Is Purple onion and How Can I Use It?

Here's everything worth knowing about purple onion and how to pick it, what it is, how to store it, and what to use instead, plus 18 recipes to cook tonight.

Recipes using purple onion

There are 18 recipes that contain this ingredient.

Lime & Dill Seafood Skewers- Calvert's

Lime and dill seafood skewers alternate scallops, shrimp, and halibut with corn, carrots, and purple onion. Marinated in garlic-lime-sesame and finished with dill mustard glaze.

Portobello Mushroom Burgers

It is a vegetarian burger, all the vegetables mix very well, tasty and healthy.

Caviar, Dill & Purple Onion Dip

A creamy no-cook dip blending cream cheese and sour cream with caviar, fresh dill, purple onion, and lemon juice. Garnished with chopped hard-boiled egg for an elegant party appetizer.

Tarragon Chicken Salad

Tarragon chicken salad dressed in a light yogurt sauce built on a white wine, shallot, and fresh tarragon reduction, then plated with new potatoes and crisp green beans. A composed, mayo-free chicken salad.

Grilled Garden Sandwiches

Grilled garden sandwiches: a loaded grilled cheese stacked with sauteed mushrooms and red onion, fresh tomato, and two melting cheeses, griddled in butter until golden and crisp. A hearty meatless lunch.

Walnut Orange Salad

Walnut orange salad with honey-cinnamon marinated oranges, mixed greens, radishes, and purple onion dressed in olive oil. A bright, no-vinegar salad with natural citrus dressing.

Shrimp Pasta Salad

Cold shrimp pasta salad with wine-poached shrimp, fresh basil, sweet peas, and bell pepper in a Dijon-garlic vinaigrette made from the shrimp poaching broth. A no-mayo pasta salad packed with fresh flavor.

Colorful Whole Grain Salad

Whole grain salad with brown rice, wheat berries, red and green bell peppers, and purple onion in a creamy mayo-yogurt dressing. A fiber-rich, colorful cold side dish.

Hbanero Tomato Guacamole

Habanero tomato guacamole: ripe avocados blended smooth with a whole habanero, fresh garlic, cilantro, and cumin, then folded with diced tomato and red onion. A fiery Mexican party dip.

Black-Eyed Pea Crab Salad with Ruby Grapefruit

Black-eyed peas simmered in ham hock broth, tossed with sweet crabmeat, crispy bacon, tri-color bell peppers, and fresh herbs, then ringed with juicy ruby grapefruit sections. Southern elegance on a platter.

Creamy Purple Onion & Basil Dip

Herb-loaded cream cheese dip with fresh basil, purple onion, and shredded carrots. No cooking required, just mix, chill, and serve with chips, crackers, or crudites.

Caribbean Shrimp-Bean Salad

Caribbean shrimp and black bean salad: poached pink shrimp ringed around a chilled black bean salad punched up with picante, lime, honey, cilantro, and red onion. Make-ahead summer plate.

French Potato Salad with Bacon

French potato salad with crispy bacon, shallots, red wine vinegar, and olive oil tossed with warm new potatoes. No mayo, just a tangy vinaigrette that soaks right in.

Tasty Black-Eyed Pea Salad

Southern black-eyed pea salad with spinach, pecans, Monterey Jack, and mushrooms in a smoky vinegar dressing. A make-ahead side that gets better overnight in the fridge.

Ma-Po's Bean Curd

Ma-po tofu, silky bean curd and ground pork simmered in a fiery sauce of fermented chili and ginger, thickened glossy and finished with sesame oil and scallion. The Sichuan classic, hot, spicy and tender.

Pasta Primavera Gregory

Room temperature pasta primavera with green and white fettuccine, prosciutto, snow peas, and a raspberry vinegar dressing. Finished with Parmesan and citrus zest.

Cuban Chicken

Cuban chicken stir-fry with rice, ham, pimento-stuffed olives, peas, and tomatoes served on a platter with sliced avocado. A fast one-wok meal using cooked chicken and leftover rice.

Pappasito's Poblano Soup

Copycat Pappasito's creamy poblano soup with sauteed peppers, carrots, and onion in a butter-cream roux, finished with melted Monterey Jack cheese. Rich, spicy, and restaurant-quality.

All 18 recipes