How to Choose the Best Onions at the Farmers Market

The best line to ever come out of Food Network’s Chopped was when a contestant was asked, “we noticed you started by sautéing some onions?” The contestant responded, “Well, onions are the underwear of cooking. You have to have them.” That line has stuck in my family, and we continue to refer to onions and garlic as the “underwear of cooking.”

It’s true! Onions provide a great base layer to almost every dish; it is important to line up the right onion for the job! That’s why I’ve put together this guide to the best onions at the farmers market.

Cipollini Onions

Cipollini onions are squat ovoids, not the round spheres we normally think about with onions. They can be either red or yellow, but I have seen red cipollinis most often. These onions can be used interchangeably with their round counterpoints.

I frequently use cipollini onions as a salad “ornament.” No recipe to link here; just thinly shave the onions on a mandolin and add to just about any salad recipe.

These Marinated Red Onions from No Crumbs Left are fantastic on just about everything, especially steak salads. Side note: I met Teri at one of her book signings, and she’s as lovely in person as she is on social media.

Sweet Onions

When in doubt, go with a sweet yellow onion. These onions are milder in flavor than white onions or red onions, and are a good choice for blending into background flavors. Sweet yellow onions will not overtake the flavor in any dish.

Sweet yellow onions are the perfect background balancer for my Stuffed Acorn Squash. The onions melt into the background and let the other flavors shine through, but the onion still gives an important savory feel to the dish.

These onions are also the best onions for this slow cooker method for caramelized onions from Emma Christensen. I love using this method because caramelizing onions always takes way longer than anyone admits, and this method is really hands off (like, overnight). Freeze the caramelized onions in an ice cube tray and pop a few cubes into a sautee pan whenever you want that sweet and savory onion flavor. 

Vidalia Onions

These onions are named after the town in Georgia where they were first developed. They’re known for being exceptionally sweet and have somewhat of a cult following.

Vidalias are federally protected and trademarked; these onions can only be sold as “vidalias” if they are grown in a few counties in Georgia. You’re unlikely to find any Vidalia onions at the farmers market unless you’re attending in one of these counties.

Walla Walla Onions

Another well known sweet onion variety is the Walla Walla, named after the town in Washington where the seeds were developed. 

Walla Walla Sweet Onions, like Vidalias, are federally protected and trademarked. Unless the farm is located in a certain part of Washington State, these onions cannot be sold as “Walla Walla” sweet onions. However, I have seen multiple seed catalogs sell Walla Walla seeds, so it is entirely possible that a lot of sweet onions are grown from Walla Walla seeds, but are not allowed to be marketed as such.

Italian Torpedo Onions

Torpedo onions have more sweet flavor up front, with the onion sharpness in the background. These action-packed onions can be used the same way shallots are used. 

Replace the shallots in my Spicy Carrot and Cabbage Slaw with torpedo onion bulbs. Save the tops to make a broth or stock.

Use torpedo onions to make these crunchy fried “shallots.” One of my favorite garnishes, especially on turnip risotto (or anything really). Make double what you need, since you’ll be snacking on these as you make them. Or, at least, I do.

Ramps

Ramps, also known as wild leeks or wild onions, are an early spring crop, and are usually foraged. They’re native to the Eastern United States (and parts of southeastern Canada), and are typically only readily available in those areas – sorry, West Coasters!

While their season is short, typically just April thru early May, ramps pack in a lot of flavor. These pungent vegetables have an intense onion flavor, and can be a little gamey. They definitely have a “wild” flavor to them. 

The entire ramp is edible, from bulb to leaf. In many areas, only the leaves are harvested so that the bulbs can continue to grow; this is more sustainable for the wild foraging process. If you’re able to buy ramps with the root end attached, that root can be buried in soil and grown at home.

Try substituting ramps for the garlic scapes in my Garlic Scape Pesto recipe. Use the entire ramp to maximize flavor.

If only leaves are available, try this Creamed Ramp Greens recipe from Health Starts in the Kitchen.

Leeks

Leeks are very mild in flavor, and is often the go-to onion when pairing with other delicate flavors. They can be very quickly overpowered by other flavors, like red meats; in order to let the leeks shine, pair with chicken or seafood.

Wash your leeks thoroughly! Leeks are grown in very sandy soil, and all that grit gets stuck inside the layers. The best method I have found to wash leeks is to cut them in half, and then rinse the cut sides under cold water. 

The dark green tops, while not pleasant to chew on, are perfect for making stock and adding to soups to flavor the broth. These can be saved in the freezer until ready for use.

Vichyssoise is a classic French soup. It consists of pureed potatoes and leeks, and is most often served chilled. Tasting Table has a modern twist on this dish with the addition of many herbs and lime juice to brighten the dish.

The delicate flavor of leeks pairs well with the similarly delicate sea scallop in this risotto recipe from Serious Eats. I’m not the biggest scallop fan, but the combination with leeks is perfect.

Spring Onions

Spring onions can be either red or white; the color does not make much of a difference here. The entire onion can be used, from the root end all the way to the dark greens. These onions are sturdy, and can handle hotter (and longer) cooking processes where you want to use the entire onion.

When I think of spring onions, my mind immediately goes to Cebollitas Asadas (Mexican Grilled Onions). These grilled onions can be chopped and added as a garnish to any grilled meat, or even served as a standalone side dish.

Scallions

Wait, what? Aren’t spring onions and scallions the same thing? Nope!

Generally, scallions refer to any early harvested onion, where the bulb has not yet developed, whereas spring onions are a specific onion variety. Scallions are more pungent than spring onions, and do not have the same bulbous root end. 

The entire scallion can be used. The white and light green portions are stronger in flavor than the darker greens, but the entire onion is tender and can be eaten either raw or cooked. 

I use scallions in my Heirloom Tomato and Cilantro Soup recipe. This provides a fresh onion flavor to the soup and helps balance the sweetness from the tomatoes.

Chives

Chives are an easy way to brighten and add freshness to almost any dish. The onion flavor here is sharp at first, but mellows quickly, which is why it is often used as a garnish.

Chives are typically used raw; cooking them will break down their flavors into nothingness. My favorite way to use chives is to chop them finely and add to sauces and dressings.

Don’t ignore the chive flowers; they have an even milder flavor than the green stalks and can be included in salads as a garnish. Really, they’re much prettier than they are tasty, but they are completely edible. And it’s fun to eat flowers, right?

I use chives in the herbed tahini dressing for my Whole30 Broccoli Salad. The chives add a nice oniony flavor without taking over the entire dish.