A simple and quick no-cook way to create delicious pickled purple onions. Stored in the refrigerator, these perfectly pickled purple onions are great additions to buddha bowls, salads, sandwiches, burgers, wraps, and avocado toast, and more!
These Perfectly Pickled Purple Onions are for all my friends out there who think purple onions are sometimes a little too potent to enjoy raw. If you were here, you’d see me raising my hand sheepishly this time.
Seriously, have you ever bit into a salad or a sandwich to find a very potent and bitter onion flavor at odds with everything else on your taste buds?
I know I have. And I’ll be the first to tell you that I absolutely love onions. I really enjoy eating them in many foods, ways, and using them recipes. But sometimes, they’re just way too strong for the recipe or for me. Either way, these Perfectly Pickled Purple Onions quickly remove all nuclear potency and bitterness.
Also, this recipe title may be a little misleading. These aren’t pickles or anything like pickles. For one thing, we’re using onions instead of cucumbers. And another reason is that there’s no cooking involved. Plus, we aren’t using a pickling seasoning.
No cooking? Nope! Many recipes call for heating the vinegar solution; but this version does not. Instead, these Perfectly Pickled Purple Onions take minimal effort and time to prepare. In fact, they are super easy and extremely simple.
To make these Perfectly Pickled Purple Onions, all you have to do is peel and slice the onions. Then pour a water and vinegar solution over top. Allow them to rest for at least thirty minutes, though they are optimal in two hours.
And that’s all there is to it.
I’d like to share a few notes. You can use this easy soak for any type of onion, including purple, red, yellow, white, Vidalia, Spanish, and so on. It really depends on what you have on hand.
As for the types of vinegar, my favorite flavor combination is white wine vinegar and white vinegar. Though you can use apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar, or distilled vinegar. Again, it depends on what you have on hand and the flavors you prefer.
I include the salt and red pepper flakes are optional. If you follow a low sodium diet, you can reduce or omit the salt. I never add salt to mine and I think they are delicious. Same goes for the red pepper flakes. Feel free to add some red pepper flakes if you like the added heat. Either way, they’re great.
This recipe makes three pint-sized jars of pickled onions, but so much depends on how small or large your onions are, how you slice your onions, and the shape and size of your jars.
Speaking of jars, these Perfectly Pickled Purple Onions are stored in in an air-tight jar or container in the refrigerator for up to one week. I recently found these awesome clamp jars with air-tight seals at IKEA. They’re perfect for these Perfectly Pickled Purple Onions. Plus, they’re big enough that I only need two.
How do you enjoy your Perfectly Pickled Purple Onions?
Great question! They’re great additions to buddha bowls, salads, sandwiches, burgers, wraps, and avocado toast, and so many things. Basically, you can enjoy them in just about any recipe that calls for raw onions.
I hope you enjoy this Perfectly Pickled Purple Onions as much as I do.
I would love to see your results! Please leave a comment and rate it down below, tag a picture @pebblesandtoast and #pebblesandtoast on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and Facebook! Enjoy!!
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Ingredients
- 2 purple onions
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup white wine vinegar*
- ½ cup white vinegar*
- 3 Tbsp maple syrup or agave
- 1 tsp salt (optional)**
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)**
Instructions
- Peel the onion and cut off both ends from each onion. Slice the onions thinly using a sharp knife or mandolin.
- Distribute the sliced onions among 3 pint-sized jars.***
- In a large measuring cup or jar, combine the remaining ingredients well.
- Pour the sweetened vinegar solution over the sliced onions so that they are fully covered, leaving at least ½ inch space from the rim of the jar. (This is especially important if your lid is metal.)
- Cover the jars with air-tight lids and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
- Store in in an air-tight jar or container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
* You can use apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar, or distilled vinegar.
** The salt and red pepper flakes are optional. If you follow a low sodium diet, you do not have to include the salt at all. I never add salt to mine and they are delicious. Same goes for the red pepper flakes. Feel free to add some red pepper flakes if you like the added heat. Either way, they’re great.
*** This recipe makes 3 pint-sized jars of pickled onions, but it really depends on how small or large your onions are and the shape and size of your jars.
Perfectly Pickled Purple Onions
Ingredients
- 2 purple onions
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup white wine vinegar*
- ½ cup white vinegar*
- 3 Tbsp maple syrup or agave
- 1 tsp salt optional**
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes optional**
Instructions
- Peel the onion and cut off both ends from each onion. Slice the onions thinly using a sharp knife or mandolin.
- Distribute the sliced onions among 3 pint-sized jars.***
- In a large measuring cup or jar, combine the remaining ingredients well.
- Pour the sweetened vinegar solution over the sliced onions so that they are fully covered, leaving at least ½ inch space from the rim of the jar. (This is especially important if your lid is metal.)
- Cover the jars with air-tight lids and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
- Store in in an air-tight jar or container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.