Roasted Cipollini Onions in Thyme
We’re excited about this Roasted Cipollini Onions recipe. Fingers crossed, there will be an cipollini onion bumper crop in a few months, without all the onion breath. Plenty of Walla Walla sweets are coming up ever-so-cutely in the garden and we’re excited, it’s hard to resist not yanking them out of the dirt too early during their growing season.
Roasted Cipollini Onions
If you’ve never had a sweet onions of any kind, you’re living in a culinary cave! Yes, onion-haters, there are many wonderful varieties of sweet onions that are very mild on the onion flavor and high on the sugars.
Cipollini onions are perfect specimens of mini-flat orbs of cuteness and when roasted in the oven, the result is a platter full of gorgeous, caramelized bites of sweet poetry. Every bite is rich with roasted flavor, a kiss of fragrant thyme, sea salt and a texture that is soft, supple and a satisfying chew. I adore roasted onions and I promise you will too.
Treat roasted cipollini onions like you would any vegetable and you’ll be pleased with how much depth they can add to a dish. Fear not, roasted cippolinis make a fabulous vegetable side dish.
Last Saturday’s trip to the farmers market was a visual feast of sweet onions: white, red, small, large, sweet, all with their green leaves attached, roots dangling in the open air and equally stunning. There’s something awe-inspiring about root vegetables and their relationship with dirt. Growing under ground, nurtured beneath the earth and finally emerging, covered in dirt, as a gorgeous culinary specimen. Dirt is a beautiful thing.
We look forward to finding more ground space (yeah, right) to grow more varieties of onions, especially cippolinis. For now, there’s a ton of fresh leeks growing in a pot and if they don’t get harvested soon, we’ll have a vase full of leek flowers. Onward to leek recipes!
-Diane
Roasted Cipollini Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400º Roast
- Toss onions and thyme with olive oil and place on a baking sheet or other oven safe dish. Sprinkle with sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste.
- Roast in oven for about 35 minutes, turning every 10 minutes to brown sides evenly. Remove when tender and golden.
Nutrition Information per Serving
Check out more of our vegetarian recipes here.
Both photos and recipes make my heart beat faster, am falling hard for both!
Absolutely beautiful. I never was much of an onion fan until a farmer introduced me to Candy Onions, and now I am hooked on sweet onions 🙂 Love Cipolinis but they are a little harder to come by for me. Will definitely try this with the Candy Onions I have.
Vivian- as a matter of fact, I think the onions we just planted are a cross between walla walla sweets X candy onions!
Caramelized onions are to die for so absolutely sweet.
Those photos are stunning. I will try this recipe if I can get hold of some Cipollini onions .. i’ve never seen them here in New Zealand.
dominic- if you can’t get cipollini onions, you can use any variety of sweet onion.
We planted some Chipolini’s as well – first time so am hopeful we’ll have some to roast! And of course I’ve planted some good old Walla Walla Sweets – Love that pan!
I love all kinds of onions. I’m an onion freak! Cipollinis are no exception. Great recipe Diane.
Magda
I love roasted onions, especially with a drizzle of good balsamic vinegar. I guess I will be going to the farmers market tomorrow to search for onions. Too bad my school schedule gets in the way of going to the better farmers market.
Dig that pan…
This is my favorite way to eat cipolini onions too. 🙂 Love how the table has this deep chocolatey hue.
These are lovely! There is nothing better than carmelized onions with just a bit of herbs. Simple and delicious. Good luck with your onion growing!
Roasting really brings out the best flavor. The perfect addition to almost any meal.
I love onions and I really love cipolini onions. I have never tried caramelizing them at home but have had many times when dining out. I saw a bunch “bumper crop” of them at the market the past weekend as well … next time I will have to pick some up, They would go nicely with a roasted piece of meat! Great photos as well. Love the frying pan!
I doubt I’ll be planting onions anytime soon; my older neighborhood and the growth of neighbors trees has left my once prolific garden a bit too shaded for veggie success. BUT, herbs seems to thrive here and I recognize thyme…an herb I could not do without. So easy to grow and there is simply no comparison between fresh and dried. If you’ve got the onions…I’ve got the thyme!
I like these kind of recipes. A reminder of the power of olive oil and sea salt with just about anything. And, yes, it’s awe inspiring to think about the power of dirt and what it can bring us.
I love roasted cipollinis. They do add wonderful flavor to dishes.
I adore cipollini onions! Well I love all onions, but cipollini are one of my faves! Someday I will get my hands on some Walla-Wallas. I really am an onion freak.
I can grow leeks in a container? I always thought they had to be in the ground? I am so growing them if that’s the case.
Ours have been fine in pots. They seem to grow slow, however they are still healthy plants and delicious.
I loved the photos Diane. Love the composition. Absolutely outstanding. The conversation of the elements in these photos is beautiful. Great story. Love the dark background here. The backlit photos with white background are so common that these photos with dark background leave a lasting impression. Great photos.
Thanks for sharing Diane,
Neel