Dehydrated Caramelized Onions Are The MVP Of Soup Toppings

From the springy tomato basil to the cold-curing chicken noodle, soup can make any day of the week more comforting. Between their brothy warmth, juicy proteins, and the occasional soft starches, many soups are missing one key element: crunch. As delicious as a silky smooth pot of soup can be, sometimes we're left desiring a more complex mouthfeel. However, with the right toppings, you can achieve a well-rounded soup-eating experience with textures that complement the velvety weightlessness of juicy soups. Enter dehydrated caramelized onions.

When onions are caramelized, either by roasting or sautéeing, their natural sugars are intensified for a more bold and rambunctious flavor profile accented by a sugary sweetness without compromising their savory allium flair. Similarly, dehydrating foods facilitates a more concentrated flavor, including caramelized onions. Put two and two together, and you have a sweet, savory, ultra-crunchy soup topper that works well with just about any recipe. Not only do dehydrated caramelized onions diversify the texture and flavor profile of soups, but they also act as an edible garnish, adding an appetizing visual appeal to your favorite spoonable meal.

While you may be able to locate a jar of dehydrated caramelized onions at specialty grocers or a farmer's market, your best bet for sourcing this savory-sweet soup topper is by making them at home. Although a dehydrator machine is ideal for removing moisture from caramelized onions, not every home kitchen is armed with one. Luckily, if you don't have a proper dehydrator, there are other tools for moisture removal that you likely already have installed in your kitchen.

The most accessible means of dehydrating carmelized onions is your oven. Once you've diced your caramelized onions with a knife or food processor, spreading them in an evenly-spaced layer across a parchment-lined baking sheet ensures that they'll dry uniformly. You'll want to keep the oven below 200 degrees Fahrenheit to avoid burning the caramelized onions, and leaving the oven door ajar by about two inches will promote air circulation. The entire process can take up to three times as long as a dehydrator machine would, so plan ahead! You can also dehydrate smaller volumes of caramelized onions in an air fryer for a slightly faster drying process, just make sure to keep the temperature below 115 degrees Fahrenheit.

Once the onions are crispy, breakable, and free of any moisture, it's soup time! Store any leftover dehydrated caramelized onions in an air-tight container and keep them in a cool, dry place such as a pantry or cupboard where they'll be good for at least a couple of years.

Sure, dehydrated caramelized onions make for a great midday snack on their own, but that's not why you're here. You're a soup sommelier looking to add a crumbly little crunch to your favorite pot of soup. Lucky for you, onions are one of the most versatile veggies in the game, so you're certainly not limited to a small scope of soups with this crispy garnish.

Are you a real onion head? French onion soup, with its rich beef broth and decadent melted cheese, benefits from a generous coat of dehydrated caramelized onions as it bolsters that mouthwatering allium flavor and adds a gentle touch of sweetness to its savory machismo. Don't feel like going onion crazy tonight? A bowl of creamy tomato soup topped with dehydrated caramelized onions culminates in a blend of sweet, tangy, and umami-forward flavors as the crunchy onions provide the juicy soup with a pleasant textural contrast. If neither of those options floats your boat, use your dried caramelized onions to top off a batch of silky-smooth potato soup. Because spuds are naturally mild in flavor and softer than a storm cloud, your caramelized onions can give the soup more structure and flavor. 

Soups are easy to make and just as enjoyable as they are laid-back. But why not revolutionize your soup game with dehydrated caramelized onions? Trust us, your tastebuds will thank you.