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.
Wish I was able to chat at the Eggplant feast. Your hubbie was so gracious with the light reflector. Until we meet again!
Warmly – K
I’ve never tried these types of onions, but after reading your post, I really want to!
Those are some wonderful photos! I love them! 🙂 Petra
If Vermeer had a been a food photographer he’d model his shots after these. What gorgeous photos! So moody! So inspiring! Oh, and of course, cipolini’s rule. I can’t wait to roast some!
I used to be an onion hater, but realized a few years ago that it was only because I’d been scared by raw onions in salads and sandwiches. These look fabulous! I love your dark rustic wood background! Would you mind giving me advice about where to find such background wood and stone pieces? I’ve looked on Etsy and Ebay to no avail. Also, although I have a large window where I shoot, the light never seems to penetrate far into the room (maybe because of the direction of the window?). Do you have any tips for getting better illuminated photos (I already use white foam boards to bounce back light)? Sorry for all the questions. Thanks in advance! -XL
We shot the cipollinis on an old serving tray we found at an antique store. They tend to be great places for finding thing with character.
Best advice we can give you without seeing your shooting location is to photograph as close to the window as possible. It may seem awkward, but many times you just have to go to where the light is.
Good luck!
T & D
What?? There are onion haters?!? Ah, I forgot, I’ve cut them out of my life already 😉 (just kidding.) Caramelized is certainly the way to win them over!
Killer photos as always! And the recipe couldn’t be any simpler. So jealous of your garden. Not that I have a green thumb but a garden I could admire each day would be a pleasure.
fantastic recipe guys. And the photography? OMG the best I have seen in a very, very long time. LOVE roasted onions. Wish our garden was as far along as yours is!
My family used to plant green onions when I was a kid. But I don’t know if I’m brave enough to try planting onions now. Of course, it might be the one food that squirrels won’t eat. I’m chronicling my squirrel diaries in my blog. It’s an epic battle between the squirrels and me (as I try to protect my fruit trees, tomatoes, flowers…you name it). To add irony, we’re vegan so it’s not like I can do any physical harm to them. Oh, please. Look at me. Talking about the squirrels again.
Well, your post has inspired me to try planting something I THINK might actually survive in my garden. Thanks much!
We planted both red and yellow onions this year, Red Zeppelin, and Yellow Copra, and they’re coming along swimmingly. Getting rain here today, and I’m sure the garden is enjoying it.
I adore cipollini onions – their flavor, their shape, their size. Sadly, not enough people are giving this little jewels their due. Imagine my excitement when I saw them featured on your blog! I also love roasting them, and a wonderful way to serve them as an appetizer is to wrap each onion in a strip or two of good, thick bacon and roast on a rack. Heaven!
Love your recipe for the Roasted Cipollini Onions & I like your idea of using fresh thyme!!
What a lovely and delicious way to use cipolini onions!
Love these roasted onions! Actually whenever there’s roasted onions with kebabs or whatever, I eat the onions and leave the rest! Thanks for the idea !
Simple, beautiful, and totally delicious- I love this post. I have been a long-time fan of Cipollini onions and this is such a great way to showcase their great flavor potential. The classic combination of thyme and caramelized onions is lovely. Your photos are so elegant, just like the recipe!
You had me at “Roasted Cipollini Onions…”