Caramelized Onions without the Tears

Rosle ChopperProduct Reviewed:
Rösle Onion and Vegetable Chopper

Over the past few months, I’ve become progressively more obsessed with caramelized onions. They are now, officially, my favorite “condiment.” I mix them in with scrambled eggs, put them on pizza, sandwiches and wraps and sometimes just on some good crusty bread.

The only drawback to this new favorite of mine is that you need a ton of onions to make just a little bit of caramelized onions. If you’ve never caramelized onions, it’s sort of like when you’re cooking greens – you start with a massive amount and it cooks down into next-to-nothing. Plus, onion-chopping is not my thing; it never fails that 10 seconds into the process, my eyes start burning, tears stream down my face and I’m left squinting between chops. Not safe, not good.

Balsamic Glazed Onion DipEnter the Rösle Onion and Vegetable Chopper. This mighty little chopper saved me! I knew it was a winner after I had tested it out on an onion. It took me a minute, but then I realized: no tears, no burning eyes!

With this gadget, the onion stays under the plastic container, keeping all the onion vapors contained. Plus, it is much quicker than a knife. After just three or four presses, the whole onion was diced in seconds. And it’s simple to use, easily cleaned, and I think it’s much safer for an onion-crier like me – I’m not tearing up, looking away or squinting while using a sharp knife.

You don’t need a lot of practice to get the hang of using the Rösle Onion and Vegetable — it’s quite self explanatory. After a few practice runs, I knew immediately that I would making a big batch of my Balsamic Glazed Caramelized Onion Dip. It requires two large diced onions and I knew the Rösle would be the best piece of equipment to get the job done.

Balsamic Glazed Caramelized Onion Dip

Recipe by Maria Tadic, RD

Ingredients
2 large yellow onions, diced
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. fresh thyme
3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup light whipped cream cheese
Light olive-oil based mayonnaise

Instructions

  1. Heat the olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat.
  2. Add onions, thyme, salt and pepper and sauté for 25 minutes.
  3. Add in the balsamic vinegar and continue to cook for another 5 minutes or onions are thick and sticky.
  4. Set onions aside and allow to cool.
  5. In a medium bowl mix together the cooled onions, cream cheese and mayo. Stir vigorously until the onions, cream cheese and mayo are mixed thoroughly.
  6. Taste dip and adjust for seasonings. Serve at room temperature with crackers, sliced baguette or crudités.
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Maria Tadic, RD
Maria Tadic, RD, is a registered dietitian currently working in the field of Bariatric Surgery and Nutrition. She lives in Northern Virginia with her husband. She's a foodie, runner, blogger and self proclaimed home chef! Read more from Maria on her blog, Bean A Foodie, or follow her on Twitter, Facebook or Pinterest.