Red Onion Relish

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This red onion relish is a soft sweet-sour chutney made by caramelizing the onions with sugar and balsamic vinegar, the perfect complement to Burgers, Barbecued Beef, Roast Beef and even matured cheese like Pecorino, Gruyère or Comte.

Jump to:

• Why red onions
• What do you serve with it
• How to make onion relish
• What is balsamic vinegar
• Top tips
• More onion recipes
• 📋Red onion relish

Why red onions

I like to use red onions for this recipe as they have a soft sweet flavour that nicely balances the balsamic vinegar. This relish gently breaks the strong taste of grilled meat or matured cheese softening their flavours.

You can substitute with regular yellow onions but the flavor will be stronger and slightly more acidic, although still a nice soft sweet and sour topping to add to your meat.

What do you serve with it

When I make these caramelized onions, I always make a large batch. They last at least 3 to 4 days and my sons used them with different types of meat.

I may make it as a topping for roast beef or barbecued beef, and my sons will use them the following days to top their hamburgers or even their hotdogs.

You can also serve the red onion relish at room temperature with a cheese platter, it is perfect with strong matured cheese or to top a simple quiche with goat cheese.

You can find a wide selection of French cheese in the article: French Cheese.

At Christmas, I like to serve the red onion relish with the foie gras over a slice of cinnamon bread-brioche, a special bread they make here in France specifically for the foie gras.

This year I made the foie gras terrine myself with the foie grass my friend Anna brought me from Toulouse.

I will publish the recipe on time for you to try to make it for next Christmas.

How to make onion relish

1. Cut the onions into vertical slices, and fry them at medium heat with butter and olive oil
2. Once they become translucent lower the heat,
3. Add the salt, sugar and balsamic vinegar
4. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring from time to time.
5. You can serve it immediately with a warm meal, or at room temperature in a sandwich.

What is balsamic vinegar

Balsamic vinegar is very different from regular vinegar as it is more complex to make and requires at least 12 to 25 years to mature.

The balsamic vinegar you buy at the supermarket is probably not real balsamic vinegar. The low price cannot justify the real procedure of Balsamic vinegar.

Check the labels, make sure it is Made in Modena and it is a DOC. You can use the supermarket Balsamic vinegar for cooking, that is fine.

But if you want to use it for seasoning you should try the real one. I buy mine at the Acetaia San Giacomo and you can find it on Amazon.

Top tips

• Use a good balsamic vinegar from Modena, not the commercial one
• Simmer the onions at medium heat to make sure they don’t burn
• Turn then regularly
• They will keep for 3 to 4 days
• You can serve them warm or at room temperature but not straight from the fridge
• If you are cooking the onion at very low heat, it may take longer than 20 minutes. Taste them to make sure they are properly cooked and caramelized

More onion recipes

If you like onions, here are some recipes you should definitely try.

The Pissaladiere Nicoise is a specialty from Nice, Cote d’Azur. It is a pizza topped with plenty of caramelized onions and flavored with anchovies.

You can serve it as an appetizer cut in small squares, as an afternoon snack, or for an informal lunch with a salad on the side.

Chelsea Market Heidi Pie is a vegetarian pie filled with caramelized onions and squash mixed with goat cheese. The sweetness of the onions well combines with the creamy cheese.

Sicilian Caponata is a mix of creamy summer vegetables in a sweet and sour sauce. You can serve as a side of a barbecue or as a bruschetta topping.

If you are making this red onion relish, leave your comment below I would like to hear from you. You can find more delicious ideas if you FOLLOW ME on Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest and Instagram or sign up to my newsletter.