How To Caramelize Onions Without Oil Or Butter

Caramelized onions are the sweet, velvety cherry on top of a wide range of recipes. Although they can take a painfully long time to make, we cannot imagine going without them. While not much can be done about the lengthy cooking time, you can get caramelized onions to be a little healthier by whipping them up with vegetable broth. If you're trying to limit the amount of oil and butter you consume, you do not have to rid your diet of these cooked-down veggies. Fats help the alliums along when they are browning, but oil and butter are not completely necessary. Caramelization occurs when heat breaks down the vegetable's walls, coaxing its natural sugars out. As long as you have some kind of liquid present to prevent any sticking to the pan, you can make foolproof caramelized onions without oil or butter.

Think of it like sauteing with vegetable stock — add enough broth to coat the bottom of the pan without completely submerging the diced onions. Keep the alliums at a medium-low heat and stir them every now and then, ensuring that they are evenly browning. When the broth begins to dry up, add some more in to keep the onions from sticking. For a slightly faster process, turn the heat up to medium-high and cover the pan so the onions wilt more quickly. Once they're wilted, bring the heat to medium-low and stir occasionally until the onions have browned.

Not only does vegetable broth make caramelized onions a little healthier, but it also imbues the alliums with an umami-rich flavor. If you use an ultra savory option like that includes mushrooms along with the veggies, the caramelized onions can dress up the simplest of meals. Use them to punch up your grilled cheese sandwiches or to sweeten burgers. With veggie broth being plant-based, caramelized onions made with the liquid can amplify the savory taste of vegan French onion soup.

For recipes that require baking, heat the onions until they are slightly browned, then finish them up in the oven. Dishes like a cheesy caramelized onion tart or veggie pizza are cooked at high temperatures, so the alliums can continue browning as they are baked. If you do not want to go through the long browning process every week, make them in bulk and store the caramelized onions to use at a later date. You can stick them in an airtight plastic bag and keep in the fridge for five days, or add them to an ice tray and thaw the cubes whenever you need them.