Roasted Cipollini Onions with Thyme

Roasted Cipollini Onions with Thyme are easily prepared. They are perfect as a vegetarian starter or as a great accompaniment to steak or poultry.

Pronounced chip-oh-LEE-knee, this is an Italian heirloom onion variety. Their name, in Italian, means “little onion”. Cipollini is a more uncommon variety of onion. I bought these from the Adelaide Central Market but I have seen them in good greengrocers and some supermarkets. Believe me, they are worth seeking out. Whilst more expensive than regular onions, they are worth paying a little more to have as an occasional treat.

The onions are a flat, saucer shape with thin, papery skins. These onions contain more natural sugar than regular white or brown onions. As such, I love to enhance their flavour by roasting. They caramelise beautifully. You will find the onions become incredibly soft and sweet. To balance the caramelisation I have added the savoury flavour of thyme.

To prepare the onions –

Firstly, it is necessary to peel them. To begin with, this can take a little more effort than a regular onion. (The thin, papery skins should be gradually eased off.) Toss the onions with fresh thyme and olive oil, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and roast in a hot oven until they’re tender.

I like to serve the Cipollini on a bed of rocket, drizzled with Balsamic Glaze and some fresh goat cheese. The mild acidity of the goat cheese beautifully complements the sweetness of the onions.  The addition of the Balsamic Glaze makes this a sophisticated dish. The resulting platter is aesthetically pleasing. The beautiful Cipollini, rich with caramelised flavour, sit on a bed of mildly bitter greens, the Balsamic Glaze is drizzled across and small cubes of fresh goat cheese are randomly scattered.

I adore this dish of caramelised onion sweetness; I think you will too.

Xx Alex and Faye

P.S. Love vegetables as much as we do? Give our Baked Stuffed Mushrooms a try!

Roasted Cipollini Onions with Thyme

Caramelised, sweet, roasted Cipollini onions are served on a bed of rocket, topped with small cubes of fresh goat cheese and drizzled with Balsamic Glaze. They are perfect as an appetiser or as a side dish.

5 from 27 votes

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Course: Entree, Side Dish

Cuisine: Italian, Mediterranean

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Servings: 3 people

Calories: 185kcal

Author: Alexandra

Ingredients

• 3 Cipollini Onions about 270 grams
• 3 tbsp olive oil extra virgin, divided
• 6 stalks fresh thyme
• 50 gm rocket leaves more if you desire
• sea salt and black pepper to taste
• 40 gm fresh goat cheese cut into small cubes
• 1 tbsp balsamic glaze

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 200 Degrees C (400 F).
  
• Remove the thin, papery skins of the Cipollini. 

  Trim the root, but leave most of it on so the onion retains its shape.
• In a small roasting tin or cast iron skillet, toss the Cipollini and the fresh thyme with 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. 
  

  Season the Cipollini with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Put the roasting tin or skillet in the preheated oven. Roast the Cipollini for about 35 mins, turning several times to ensure the sides brown evenly.
• Test with a skewer or the point of a sharp knife to ensure they are cooked. Remove from the oven.
• Place rocket on a serving platter. Arrange onions on the rocket and scatter over the cubed goat cheese. 

  Drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and Balsamic Glaze.

Notes

*You could use a commercial variety of Balsamic Glaze. However, our recipe is simple to make and contains just two ingredients. I ensure that I always have a bottle of Balsamic Glaze on hand. It is a very useful condiment, brightening and complementing the flavours of many dishes.

*This recipe is easily customised. Make larger quantities by easily doubling or tripling the ingredients. Omit the rocket and goat cheese if you would prefer to serve the Cipollini alone, drizzled with Balsamic Glaze, alongside a steak.

Nutrition

Calories: 185kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 55mg | Potassium: 117mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 630IU | Vitamin C: 7.9mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 1mg

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