I recently received a question from a reader that is allergic to onions and I am hoping that some of you can help her out.
I am allergic to onions, but my husband is not and loves salsa/mexican food. Do you have a quick and easy way to make salsa without onions.
Thanks for your time.
My family deals with tree nut, peanut, and sesame allergies so I totally get food allergies and the desire to adapt foods to make them work for your needs, but I have never had to deal with an onion allergy.
I am hoping though that some of my readers will have some ideas for you? I am guessing that there are others out there that deal with the same problem. What suggestions do you all have?
I love to cook and bake, and my family loves to eat. Lynn’s Kitchen Adventures is all about sharing my love of cooking, recipes, tips, and ideas of how I combine this cooking passion with a busy life. [
We make salsa using canned Rotel tomatoes and green chilis. We whir it in a mini food processor with ice cubes and salt. If you need to brighten the flavor you can add lemon juice or vinegar. We don’t buy pre-made salsa anymore!
Check the ingredients to make sure onions aren’t in there (I don’t think they are).
Some Rotel varieties include onion or garlic. Definitely double check the ingredients on the can!
Hi folks here is my recipe ,2 cans diced tomatoes,1 small an tomatoe paste,2 cloves garlic,2 tbsps Brown sugar 1green pepper,1 red pepper ,or more. I always use the green for the color, also you can cut up whatever vegetables you like. 1 tsp basil,1 tsp oregano,1 tsp cumin,again you can use other spices. 1/4 cup vinegar. cook in microwave for 35 minutes. I also use fresh tomatoes when I have them. This salsa is very user friendly, and low sodium,and no fat.
Thank you for sharing! That sounds great.
Garlic is in the allium family. If you are allergic to onion, you are likely also allergic to garlic. FYI
Your recipe for salsa says to cook in the microwave for 35 minutes, won’t the whole thing explode!/ Do you mean 35 seconds? I’m just curious……
I would just use any homemade salsa recipe, but omit the onions and add a bit more fresh garlic and hot or mild green peppers to enhance the flavor. My dad was not allergic to onions but he did not react well to them for a while, so we used to just omit the onions from recipes. Then we realized that the flavor was a little bland in some recipes if you just omit onions. I think the key is to add a little more of the other ingredients that also have strong flavor, so that they help bulk up the recipe once the onions are gone.
I was thinking the same type of thing. Extra peppers and garlic would make up for a lot of the flavor.
I don’t have a recipe, but a friend of mine is allergic to onions & can eat the El Pinto brand salsa. I think there are a few that have onion in them, so check the ingredient list!
You could always experiment with an existing recipe & replace onions with green Chiles, jalapenos, & maybe a little celery if you like chunky salsa.
I stopped adding onions to my homemade salsa a long time ago because the onions I was finding at the store were far too bitter. We don’t miss the onions at all — and we’re Californians born and bred, so we know our salsa. 😉
I will agree Californians know there salsa and make some great ones!
My family hates onions, so I know how you feel. I have the easiest salsa recipe all it takes is a can of dived tomatoes, a can of fire roasted dived tomatoes, a handful of Cilantro, jalepeno slices to taste and juice of half a lime. I drain the tomatoes, slice the Cilantro and put all the ingredients in a border pulse until a good consistency and that’s it. So good.
That sounds great!
I have to mess around with recipes constantly b/c of my youngest’s long list of anaphylactic food allergies. I’d say just make any homemade fresh salsa and be a bit heavier handed on peppers or cilantro or use a couple of varieties of tomatoes (different colors) to help with the color.
Where a non Top Eight food allergen is concerned, I do NOT trust labels. Companies do not have to label for allergens or specific ingredients if it’s not a Top 8 food, so onion may be listed in a generic “flavors” or “spices”.
Using different varieties of tomatoes for extra flavor is a great idea!
I use Pioneer Woman’s recipe and it has very little onion in it. You could leave it out and add in some green peppers or something in place! Good luck… We love salsa!
I cannot have onions either, not can I have peppers. I use fennel bulb instead. Just dice it like you would an onion. Our favorite salsa, is a can of fire roasted tomatoes, black beans, corn, fennel, celery, oregano, parsley, cumin, sea salt, sugar, lime juice. I sauté the fennel and celery in a little olive oil, add tomatoes, beans and corn. Then add herbs, salt and sugar to taste. Simmer for about twenty minutes, and let cool. Very tasty. I also use fennel in soups, sauces, stir frys, just about anywhere I would normally use onions. Play with ingredients to develop a taste you like. For me, I had to let go of the idea of trying to replicate things to taste exactly the same as I remember. I wish you luck.
Thanks for the ideas and information. I love roasted vegetables. They add so much flavor.
You can substitute onion with onion. You get the crunch but no onion!
You can substitute onion for celery!