TL;DR
Get kitchen staples and gadgets delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
The Kitchn recipe producer Jan Valdez reports that a sweet onion is the standout ingredient in a dressing adapted from Sheldon Simeon’s cookbook, Cook Real Hawai‘i. Blended with oil, apple cider vinegar, sugar, Dijon mustard and celery salt, the onion helps create a creamy texture, according to Valdez; the recipe’s results are her assessment, not a comparative test.
The Kitchn recipe producer Jan Valdez has highlighted a sweet onion as the key ingredient in a homemade salad dressing adapted from Sheldon Simeon’s cookbook, Cook Real Hawai‘i. Valdez says blending in a whole onion helps the oil and vinegar combine and gives the dressing a creamy texture without mayonnaise or yogurt; those are her observations from trying the recipe, not results from a published comparison test.
Valdez writes that the recipe caught her attention because it called for a whole sweet onion, rather than the smaller amounts of shallot or garlic she had used in dressings before. She tried the recipe after finding it in Simeon’s cookbook, which she says she had already used for other dishes. The source does not provide a full ingredient list or exact measurements for the dressing.
The reported flavor combination includes apple cider vinegar, granulated sugar and Dijon mustard, with celery salt supplying a savory note. Valdez says the onion blends into the mixture and helps emulsify it, bringing the oil and vinegar together. She describes the resulting texture as surprisingly creamy, though the article offers a personal account rather than laboratory or side-by-side recipe testing data.
The recipe calls for neutral oil, but Valdez says she used olive oil and liked the result. She also suggests trying different mustards or replacing some of the sugar with honey or maple syrup. These are presented as options, not tested guarantees that every variation will produce the same flavor or texture.
A Whole Onion Changes the Dressing
The recipe offers home cooks a simple way to build body and sweetness into a dressing using a familiar, inexpensive ingredient. Valdez’s account may appeal to people looking for an alternative to creamy dressings based on mayonnaise or yogurt, although the source does not establish that the dressing is lower in calories or otherwise healthier.
It also gives cooks a flexible base for several meals. Valdez says she tossed the dressing with kale and apple and suggests it could work with Cobb salad, spinach, apples and walnuts, cabbage slaw, roasted vegetables or a grain bowl. Those serving ideas extend its use beyond a single salad, but remain suggestions rather than independently tested pairings.
Products Worth Considering
Vitamix Ascent X3 Professional-Grade Blender, 3 Programs, Shadow Black
Vitamix Propel Series 750 Professional-Grade Blender, 4 Programs, Black
Vitamix Propel Series 510 Professional-Grade Blender, 3 Programs, Black
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
From Simeon’s Cookbook to Home Kitchens
The dressing comes from Cook Real Hawai‘i, by chef and cookbook author Sheldon Simeon. The Kitchn’s Jan Valdez says she discovered the recipe while looking through the book and decided to try it because the whole-onion method was unfamiliar to her. Her account is framed as a recipe discovery and personal cooking report, not as a new commercial product launch or a formal review of the cookbook.
Valdez identifies Maui, Walla Walla and Vidalia as examples of sweet onions suitable for the recipe. The source does not specify whether one variety is preferred, how large the onion should be, or whether the dressing’s proportions need to change with different onion sizes. It also does not give storage instructions or a stated shelf life.
““I haven’t looked at bottled dressing the same way since.””
— Jan Valdez, associate recipe producer at The Kitchn
Recipe Details Still Missing
The supplied source excerpt does not include exact quantities, preparation steps or blending time, so readers cannot reproduce the dressing precisely from the excerpt alone. It also does not report a formal taste panel, nutrition analysis, cost breakdown or direct comparison with bottled dressing. Valdez’s description of the onion’s emulsifying effect and the final texture should be understood as her account of the recipe.
The source does not state how long the dressing can be refrigerated, whether it separates during storage, or whether it must be shaken or blended again before serving. Those details are not confirmed in the material provided.
Find the Full Cookbook Recipe
Readers seeking measurements and complete instructions will need to consult The Kitchn’s original article or Simeon’s cookbook; the supplied source material links to The Kitchn report but omits the recipe itself. Valdez’s suggested variations—olive oil, other mustards, or honey and maple syrup in place of some sugar—can be treated as ideas to try rather than definitive recipe instructions.
No further testing, publication update or follow-up from Simeon is identified in the source. Until more recipe details are available, the exact proportions, storage guidance and consistency across onion varieties remain open.
Key Questions
What is the inexpensive ingredient featured in the dressing?
It is a whole sweet onion. Valdez names Maui, Walla Walla and Vidalia onions as possible varieties.
What does the onion do in the dressing?
Valdez says the onion blends into the dressing and helps emulsify the oil and vinegar, producing a creamy texture without mayonnaise or yogurt.
What other ingredients are mentioned?
The source mentions apple cider vinegar, granulated sugar, Dijon mustard, celery salt and oil. It does not provide quantities in the supplied excerpt.
Can the recipe be adapted?
Valdez says she used olive oil instead of neutral oil and suggests trying other mustards or substituting some sugar with honey or maple syrup. These are her suggested variations, not tested guarantees.
How long does the dressing keep?
The source material does not give refrigeration or shelf-life guidance. Readers should consult the full recipe or another reliable food-safety source for storage instructions.
Source: thekitchn.com
