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The Kitchn recipe producer Jan Valdez reports that a sweet onion is the inexpensive, unexpected ingredient she adds to a homemade salad dressing. In the recipe inspired by Sheldon Simeon’s Cook Real Hawai’i, the onion is blended with oil, apple cider vinegar, sugar, Dijon mustard and celery salt; Valdez says it helps create a creamy texture and sweet-tangy flavor.
The Kitchn recipe producer Jan Valdez has highlighted a homemade salad dressing built around one inexpensive but unusual addition: a whole sweet onion. Inspired by Sheldon Simeon’s cookbook Cook Real Hawai’i, the dressing combines the onion with oil, apple cider vinegar, sugar, Dijon mustard and celery salt, which Valdez says produces a creamy texture and a sweet, tangy flavor.
Valdez wrote that the whole onion caught her attention while she was looking through Simeon’s cookbook. She had previously added minced shallots or grated garlic to vinaigrettes, but had not used an entire onion in a dressing. After trying the recipe, she said she had changed how she thought about bottled dressing. That is her personal assessment, not a reported comparison test of commercial products.
In Valdez’s account, the onion does more than add flavor: when blended, it helps the oil and vinegar combine and gives the dressing a creamy texture without mayonnaise or yogurt. The sweet onion also contributes natural sweetness. Apple cider vinegar, granulated sugar and Dijon mustard provide a tangy-sweet balance, while celery salt adds a savory note that Valdez describes as an especially welcome surprise.
The recipe calls for neutral oil, but Valdez says she used olive oil and liked the result. She also suggests experimenting with other mustards or replacing some of the sugar with honey or maple syrup. Those are adaptation ideas from her report; the source does not provide comparative measurements or testing results for each variation.
A Whole Onion Changes the Dressing
The report offers home cooks a simple alternative to dressings that rely on cream or mayonnaise for body. Valdez says blending a whole sweet onion into the mixture helps it emulsify, giving the oil-and-vinegar dressing a creamier consistency while adding sweetness and savory flavor. The approach may appeal to people who want to make dressing at home with familiar pantry ingredients, though it is not presented as a nutrition comparison or a claim that homemade dressing is always cheaper.
Valdez also describes uses beyond leafy salads, including cabbage slaw, roasted vegetables and grain bowls. That flexibility matters for cooks who want one dressing to work across different meals. Her examples are suggestions based on her experience, rather than a tested set of serving rules.
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From Simeon’s Cookbook to the Kitchen
The dressing idea came from Cook Real Hawai’i by Sheldon Simeon, according to Valdez. She says she was already familiar with the cookbook and had made other recipes from it before the sweet onion dressing prompted her to try a new technique. The Kitchn identifies Valdez as an associate recipe producer who writes and updates recipes and recipe roundups, and who has 10 years of experience in research-and-development test kitchens and food publishing.
Valdez names Maui, Walla Walla and Vidalia as examples of sweet onions suitable for the recipe. She says she served her version with kale and apple, where she liked the dressing’s sweet-tangy flavor alongside the crisp fruit. Other pairings she proposes include Cobb salad, spinach with tart apples and walnuts, and crunchy cabbage slaw.
““It calls for something I’ve never used in a dressing: a whole onion.””
— Jan Valdez, The Kitchn associate recipe producer
Recipe Testing Details Not Provided
The source report presents Valdez’s personal experience but does not include the complete ingredient quantities, preparation steps, yield or storage guidance in the material provided here. It also does not give a side-by-side test of sweet onion varieties, oils or sweeteners, or independent evidence measuring how well the onion keeps oil and vinegar emulsified. Readers should consult the original recipe for exact proportions and handling instructions rather than infer them from the ingredient list.
The source describes the ingredient as cheap, but gives no onion price, location or comparison with the cost of bottled dressing. The dressing’s nutrition and shelf life are also not specified.
Try the Dressing With Different Salads
The report does not announce a follow-up test or a new recipe release. For readers interested in making the dressing, the next practical step is to use the full recipe linked in The Kitchn report for ingredient amounts and method, then follow its storage instructions. Valdez’s suggested variations include olive oil in place of neutral oil, a different mustard, or swapping some sugar for honey or maple syrup.
She says the dressing worked with kale and apple and proposes trying it with Cobb salad, spinach and walnuts, cabbage slaw, roasted vegetables or a grain bowl. How those pairings turn out will depend on the recipe proportions and individual taste; the report does not rank them or claim that one is the best match.
Key Questions
What is the inexpensive ingredient in the dressing?
It is a whole sweet onion. Valdez names Maui, Walla Walla and Vidalia onions as examples.
What else goes into the dressing?
The source describes oil, apple cider vinegar, granulated sugar, Dijon mustard and celery salt alongside the onion. It does not provide ingredient quantities in the material supplied here.
Why add a whole onion instead of minced onion?
Valdez says the blended onion helps oil and vinegar combine and gives the dressing a creamy texture without mayonnaise or yogurt. She also says it adds natural sweetness.
What can the dressing be served with?
Valdez says she tried it with kale and apple and suggests Cobb salad, spinach with tart apples and walnuts, cabbage slaw, roasted vegetables and grain bowls.
Source: thekitchn.com
