Nothing brings people to the kitchen like the smell of caramelizing onions. They feel like such a savory indulgence, but everyone -- from vegan to keto -- can enjoy them! If you’re looking for a plant-based way to inject some umami flavor into your winter cooking, look no further. Be sure to let your caramelized onions take their time -- depending on the age and variety of the onions you select, they may take up to an hour to reach peak caramelization.
In this recipe, we toss together caramelized onions and lentils cooked in bone broth to form a simple, nourishing salad. Fresh parsley, balsamic vinegar, and lemon juice add brightness and they balance out the rich onions. This salad is filling enough to enjoy on its own as a light meal, but it also pairs well with roasted meat or fish or a baked sweet potato.
Onions are a remarkably nutrient-dense vegetable with special benefits in regards to liver health. Diets that regularly include onions (and legumes like lentils!) can help minimize the risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, even offsetting the stress caused by factors like obesity and high sugar intake. (1, 2) Both onions and lentils are also excellent sources of fiber, which can help your body gently detoxify from the inside out.
Warm Lentil Salad with Classic Caramelized Onions
Serves 4
Ingredients: (Click here to print!)
2 tablespoons olive oil (I like this brand)
2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
¾ teaspoon salt, divided
1 cup green lentils
2 cups bone broth
Fresh ground black pepper
Large handful fresh parsley, finely chopped
Lemon wedges, for serving
Step 1:
Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onions. Cook for thirty to forty minutes, stirring every five to ten minutes, until deeply caramelized and fragrant. The onions should look just shy of burnt. Once they’re cooked to your liking, deglaze the pan with the balsamic vinegar and sprinkle the onions with ½ teaspoon salt.
Step 2:
While the onions are caramelizing, cook the lentils. Add lentils and bone broth to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook until tender, approximately 25 minutes. Drain the lentils and stir in ¼ teaspoon salt.
Step 3:
Assemble the salad. Gently stir warm lentils and caramelized onions together. Season with pepper (and more salt if desired), sprinkle with parsley, and serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side. Salad will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week and it’s delicious served cold as well.
Bridgit Danner, LAc, FDNP, is an acupuncturist turned functional health coach and has worked with thousands of clients since 2004.
She is the founder of FunctionalDetoxProducts.com and the author of The Ultimate Guide to Toxic Mold Recovery: Take Back Your Home Health & Life, available in audiobook, Kindle and paperback on Amazon.
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