by Kendra Parker.
If you were to ask anyone what their favorite vegetable is, you’d receive many responses. Fresh tomatoes straight from the garden. A crunchy cucumber. Earthy, red beets. Fall sweet potatoes. It’s unlikely that many would even consider the onion worthy of being a favorite vegetable. Why is that? Save for French onion soup, alliums rarely have a starring role in a dish and are often forgotten. Although not the main attraction when cooking, onions are frequently the backbone of a meal and never get the recognition they deserve. In fact, the average person consumes about twenty pounds of onions a year!
When cooking, almost every meal I make begins with an onion. I remember one time accompanying a friend to the grocery store and watching incredulously as she selected one onion and put it in her cart. I’d never seen just one onion purchased before. Doesn’t everybody buy a three-to-five-pound bag every week? Apparently not (but they should!). In fact, making a dish that was solely based on alliums became a bucket list item for me after this trip.
If you are in the one-onion-per-week camp, I’d like to convince you to join the allium side. Making a soup, stew, or stir-fry? Start with an onion. The same can be said if you’re scrambling eggs, marinating meat, or preparing a pasta sauce. Onions add a nice base flavor to many dishes. However, the standard yellow or red onions are not the only options out there when you’re looking for an allium to add some flavor to a dish. Garlic, leeks, shallots, and scallions are all delicious additions to most dishes. And honestly, is there a better smell than frying up some onions and garlic with butter?
As well as being delicious, onions also offer some health benefits. As with most vegetables, they are a good source of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Some studies have shown those who eat the most onions have greater bone density and lower risk of certain cancers. Onions, especially those with color, such as red onions, are loaded with flavonoids, including quercetin. Flavonoids are rich in antioxidant activity, which is important for a healthy body. Although there aren’t any conclusive studies, onions and garlic are often used as home remedies for cold and flu. Fire cider anyone?
To show my appreciation for the humble allium, I’ve crafted a recipe that uses pretty much all of them. Despite being loaded with onions, they don’t overwhelm the recipe, as they are cooked and used in a few different ways. This chicken and five-onion pizza (technically four-onion if we don’t consider garlic an onion… ) can be a little bit time consuming to make, so I wouldn’t recommend it for a quick weeknight dish. Store-bought crust or dough can definitely cut down on the time spent in the kitchen. Caramelized onions also take a little bit of time to make, but they are absolutely worth it in the end. The caramelized onion sauce is to die for, and this does make enough for some leftovers. Use it up on an egg sandwich instead of cheese, or elevate that brown-bag lunch sandwich with the deep, rich flavors of a slow cooked onion. Enjoy!
Chicken and Five-Onion Pizza
Ingredients
Dough
- 2½ cups (12 ounces) all-purpose flour
- 2 cups (9 ounces) whole wheat flour
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 1¾ cups warm water
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
Chicken
- ¼ cup avocado oil
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 shallot diced small
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sizedpieces
- 2 leeks
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
Caramelized onions
- 3 pounds onions halved and sliced
- ¾ cup water
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda plus 1 tablespoon water
Pizza topping
- 1 pound mozzarella cheese grated
- Caramelized onion sauce
- ⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons white vinegar
- ⅔ cup caramelized onions
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 bunch scallions diced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°
Dough
- In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients. Stir in water and oil, forming a soft dough—adjust water as needed. Knead a minute or so on a lightly floured counter. Place dough in a large bowl and cover with a towel. Keep in a warm place for at least one until doubled.
Chicken Marinade
- Combine oil, vinegar, garlic, shallot, Dijon,salt, and pepper. Place chicken in a shallow container and cover with marinade. Refrigerate.
Caramelized Onions
- Bring onions, water, oil, and salt to a boil in a large skillet or dutch oven. Cover and cook until most of the water has evaporated, about ten minutes. Uncover, reduce heat to medium, and use a spatula to press onions against side and bottom of skillet. Cook for about 30seconds, and then stir and press. Repeat this process until onions are browned and softened, about 30 minutes. Combine baking soda and water in a bowl and then stir into onions for about one minute.
- To make the sauce, combine yogurt, mayonnaise, vinegar, ⅔ cup caramelized onions, salt, and pepper to taste in a food processor.
Leeks & Chicken
- Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Slice off tops of leeks. Cut each leek in half lengthwise, and then cut into half moons. Cook in skillet for about 2 minutes, until beginning to soften. Remove chicken from refrigerator and add to skillet with leeks. Cook until no longer pink.
Pulling it all together
- Divide pizza dough in half and roll out. Place on pizza pans. (I like to use stone bar pans). Cover each pizza with shredded mozzarella, leek/chicken mixture, and caramelized onions.
- Bake the pizza for about 15 to 20 minutes, until crust is golden brown.
- Let pizza cool slightly before topping with caramelized onion sauce and scallions.
- Makes two pizzas serving 6 to 8 people.
