Substitute Onion Purée For Cream To Get A Brighter Flavour

From sour cream to creme fraîche, there are a wide variety of creams that add lusciousness and body to all sorts of dishes, like soups, salads, and nachos. Here’s another option worth adding to your repertoire: a naturally vegan and low-fat onion puree.

Photo by Food52.

The idea to use pureed onion in place of cream comes from Grant Lee Crilly, co-founder of ChefSteps. He roasts onions, removes the skins, blends their insides with lemon, oil, and salt, then uses it in place of cream in savoury applications to lighten up foods, and add a tongue-coating creaminess that wouldn’t otherwise exist.

Food52 editor Kristen Miglore puts the technique to the test, writing:

It’s not exactly a cream substitute – you’d never mistake one for the other. But it might be an even better alternative. Because as much as some of us love cream for adding richness and body, it can wash out all nearby flavours … instead of obscuring flavours, [onion purée] enhances them, like a well-made stock.

We can’t wait to use this method to garnish our next pea soup, or to add a dollop on top of a platter of pierogi. Head to the links below for more details on how to make the onion puree, as well as other ideas for using it.

Swap Cream with Onion Purée for Better, Brighter Flavour [ChefSteps via Food52]

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