One of the beauties of cooking is that even a simplistic dish can be a flavor-filled pleasure. Don’t get me wrong, I certainly enjoy making those dishes which have two million elements to them and dirty every dish in the kitchen, but I also have a lot of admiration for a simple, clean dish.
One such avenue of simplicity worth exploring is the world of pickling. I think many shy away from pickling because they view it as time-consuming and complex, when in reality it can be quite the opposite. One such recipe is quick-pickled onions. This recipe comes together in as little as 5 minutes and then just sits and soaks in the lovely acidity of the vinegar as the flavors of the onion quickly transform into something new and exciting!
Quick-Pickled Onions
½ cup apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp sugar
1 ½ tsp kosher salt
¾ cup water
1 red onion, thinly sliced
Combine the first four ingredients in a small mason jar and microwave for 2 minutes.
Add the sliced red onions to the jar, draining off any excess liquid as necessary.
If using immediately, first let the onions sit in the pickling solution for 20 minutes. If not using immediately, chill in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use them! These puppies will last for weeks in the fridge, even months sometimes.
Pickled onions are a really wonderful add-on to so many dishes. These can be slapped on a salad, tacos, a pizza, a sandwich, rice, burgers, potato salad, and so much more! Pickled onions add a really bright, beautiful zing and color to any dish and are definitely worth a try.
My favorite preparation with pickled onions came from one of the tastiest bites I had all summer. At Taste of Chicago, I visited the Farmer’s Fridge stand and was blessed with this delight that is definitely worth re-creating – avocado toast on pumpernickel bread with Cotija cheese and pickled onions.
Interested in taking your pickling skills to the next level? Sign-up for The Chopping Block’s demonstration class, Summer Canning and Preserving, at Lincoln Square on September 17th!
