What to use instead of onion
It depends entirely on what it's doing in the dish. Here's the job, what else does it, and what to skip.
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Sweated base that builds the savoury bottom of a dish
Heat drives off the water and turns the sharp sulphur compounds sweet, and the sugars brown into the fat. Everything added later sits on top of that.
ShallotsRan out
3 medium shallots per 1 medium onion
Finer, sweeter and less watery. They soften 2 minutes sooner and catch if you walk away.
Leeks, white and pale green onlyRan out
2 medium leeks per 1 medium onion
Mild and sweet with no bite, and they melt down to a purée instead of holding as pieces. Wash the grit out of the layers first.
Fennel bulbRan out
1 small bulb per 1 medium onion
Sweet with an aniseed background that stays audible in the finished dish. It holds its shape longer than onion does.
Onion powderRan out
1 tbsp per 1 medium onion, added with the liquid
Gives you onion flavour and none of the bulk or moisture, so the dish comes out thinner and you lose the texture the onion would have contributed.
What doesn't work: Dried onion flakes. They rehydrate in the pan liquid but they never brown or sweeten, so they float through the finished sauce as chewy translucent shreds.
Raw crunch and bite in a salad, salsa or sandwich
Uncooked cells hold their water so they snap, and the sulphur compounds stay sharp on the tongue.
ShallotRan out
1:1 by volume, sliced thin
Milder, sweeter and less watery, so it does not dilute a dressing the way onion can.
Scallion whitesRan out
1:1 by volume
Gentler and greener with a lighter crunch that goes soft within a couple of hours in an acidic dressing.
Pickled onionRan out
1:1, drained
Keeps the crunch and loses the harsh aftertaste, and it brings vinegar and sugar with it. Pull acid out of the dressing to compensate.
Celery, where you only want the crunchRan out
1:1 by volume, diced fine
Snaps harder and holds longer in mayonnaise-based salads. Tastes green and salty with no onion character.
What doesn't work: Onion powder in a salsa or a slaw. It dissolves into the liquid, thickens it slightly and leaves a cloudy, faintly gluey texture with no crunch anywhere.
Soaking sliced raw onion in cold water for 10 minutes pulls out most of the harshness and leaves the crunch.