Here are 15 budget meals where onions take centre stage
Thea Everett
A bag of onions can cost as little as 85p, and while onions are often the backbone of so many meals, they can actually make a brilliant centrepiece, with a little ingenuity.
From classic dishes like French onion soup to bean and caramelised onion stew, there are so many ways to make this thrifty ingredient stretch. Master the basics like how to caramelise onions and how to make onion gravy below, then try our 15 favourite recipes where onions are the star ingredient.
How to caramelise onions
Caramelised onions crop up in many of the below recipes, and offer intense sweet and savouriness that brings many dishes alive. Caramelising onions is not a complicated process, but it is one that takes time and should not be rushed. We find the best way is to start with lots of onions sliced thinly. It’s easiest and quickest to cut an onion in half horizontally then do this on a mandolin, but if you don’t have one, slicing in half vertically and following the onions natural grooves with a sharp knife will achieve good results too.
Get a heavy bottomed pan on a low heat and add plenty of butter or oil. It’s important to cook at least 3 onions at a time, as the quantity in the pan vastly affects the cooking process. You need the liquid from the onions to seep out and stop them from burning, and to create a silky, soft result. Add the sliced onions to the pot, along with a pinch of salt then allow to slowly cook, stirring every 5-10 minutes, for at least 30 minutes. You can add a tablespoon or two of sugar or a splash of balsamic or wine vinegar to the dish. Once cooked, you can store the onions in a container or jar in the fridge for up to 5 days. Use on pizzas, in sandwiches, in pies or in omelettes. Or in one of the tasty dishes below…
How to make onion gravy
The best onion gravy can turn an ordinary meal into something special. To make the most delicious onion gravy, we recommend reducing stock until it’s thick gravy as it’s so much more flavourful than using a thickener such as flour. The process is simple: melt butter, add sliced onions with a big pinch of salt, stir until the onions are all coated in the fat and then add a splash of water, cover and cook on low for 20 minutes.
Add any flavourings such as balsamic vinegar, sugar, thyme leaves, bay leaves and pink peppercorns, then pour plenty of chicken, beef or veg stock to cover, scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Bring to the boil, then turn down to a simmer and leave for at least 45 minutes to gently reduce. For an intense gravy, you want to reduce the amount of liquid by half.
15 ways with a bag of onions
Onion recipes don’t get much more indulgent than French onion soup, which is rich and velvety and alongside a bag of onions needs only beef stock, cider or wine, butter and some woody herbs. We count ourselves lucky we live in the same world as this soup.
These simple and elegant stuffed onions are a perfect vegetarian recipe, and even better, they’re fancy enough for dinner parties. The nutty filling provides plenty of protein, but do serve these with a good serrated knife to get through the onions outer layers.
You’ve got to give it to them, the French do seem to know the value of a good onion… In this Provençal dish, sweet caramelised onions are paired with sharp anchovies and olives for an impactful dinner to serve 4.
Prebranac (caramelised onion baked beans)
This recipe is one of the cheapest of the lot at just 51p a portion. It’s a Serbian dish of slow-cooked butter beans with caramelised onions – think homemade baked beans served with crusty bread for a filling (and vegan) dinner.
Sausages and sticky balsamic onions
Patience will reward you: don’t try to rush the caramelised onions as time is a key ingredient. We love the addition of balsamic vinegar, and this is perfect served with buttery mash.
Pizza dough is inexpensive, and you can top yours with whatever you like! Here we’ve used crème fraîche, pancetta and two types of onions, but chillies and onions is also a great pairing if you need your pizza to be vegetarian.
Onion porridge! Don’t let the name scare you, this clever recipe from Gill Meller takes humble ingredients for a mighty result.
Fried eggs with spicy onions and spinach
A simple, one-pan dinner that costs just £1.70 a portion, evidence that “brinner” (breakfast for dinner) is always worth considering…
French onion soup but with red onions… we would. Good quality stock is the key here, but you could easily swap beef stock out for a vegetarian alternative if you prefer. Serve with cheesy sourdough melts and watch the crowds queue up…
Vegan mains don’t come much more delicious than our caramelised onion tart made with cashew cream and a kale, spinach and slow cooked onion filling. Onions do not need to be caramelised in butter after all.
With just eggs, peppers, and the stars – both spring and red onions – you can create a flavoursome and filling dinner for 4. Plus we have it on good authority that frittata never goes out of fashion.
Bored of the same old dishes? May we present: pork, fennel, apple and sage stuffed onions. These beauties will get your guests talking and all you need on the side is nice golden roast potatoes.
Feeling pangs for panade? If you’ve never had one before, think layers of bread, cheese, and slowly caramelised sticky onions… A one pot wonder.
This five ingredient marvel is a thrifty cook’s friend, made with inexpensive puff pastry, onions, rosemary, a little butter and splash of sherry. It tastes so much richer than the sum of its parts, at 99p a portion!
This easy dinner takes 3 red onions and turns them into something far more extravagant with the flavours of pale ale, balsamic vinegar and crème fraîche. Topped with parmesan or crumbled goat’s cheese, it’s an easy winner of a winter dinner.
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