Spice Free Garlic-Herb Quick-Pickled Red Onions
Sharp, jewel-pink, and impossibly versatile, these quick-pickled red onions are the kind of condiment that makes everything on the plate look and taste more exciting. The brine is a simple blend of apple cider vinegar, water, honey, and sea salt — no chili flakes, no peppercorns, no warming spices that can sneak heat or irritation into a sensitive diet. Instead, the flavor comes entirely from fresh thyme, rosemary, and smashed garlic, which give the onions a fragrant, herbaceous depth that feels anything but plain. The process is genuinely quick: a warm brine, a packed jar, and about thirty minutes in the fridge is all it takes before those onion slices turn a gorgeous deep pink and soften into something tangy and tender. Because every ingredient is whole and straightforward, there's no guesswork about hidden blends or seasoning mixes that might contain something unwanted. Pile them onto grain bowls, tuck them into sandwiches, or layer them over roasted vegetables — they brighten just about anything without adding any heat or spice-forward punch.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- 1 medium red onion, very thinly sliced into half-moons
- ¾ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly smashed
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
Instructions
- 1
Pack the sliced red onion into a clean 16 oz glass jar, pressing gently so the slices fit snugly.
- 2
Tuck the smashed garlic cloves, thyme sprigs, and rosemary sprig down into the jar among the onion slices.
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