Pickled Red Onions -easy and blood sugar friendly
These pickled red onions are easy to make, add a delicious zing to just about any dish, and are blood sugar friendly. One of the first things that I learned when I first began using a continuous glucose monitor, is that most pickled vegetables are made with tons of sugar! Both restaurant made and homemade pickled vegetables can be a sneaky source of sugar and "ruin" an otherwise healthy, blood sugar balanced meal. This recipe was inspired by Zuni Café’s (a famous San Francisco restaurant) Red Onion Pickles. I love the balance of spices along with a hint of sweetness. The perfect combination of tangy and sweet to accompany a frittata, salmon, a breakfast sandwich, scrambled eggs and avocado or falafel and garlic hummus. However you enjoy pickled red onions, I hope you love my blood sugar friendly version.New to Nest Wellness? Welcome! I'm Beth Bollinger — holistic nutritionist, recipe developer, and someone navigating my own vibrant aging journey in real time. Every recipe here is low-glycemic, refined sugar-free, and tested with my own CGM, so you can trust that what's on your plate is actually working for your blood sugar.Want more? Subscribe to the Nest Wellness Substack for CGM-tested recipes, practical metabolic health tips, and a community that proves eating well can be genuinely delicious.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups apple cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups allulose granulated
- 3-5 cloves
- 3-5 allspice berries
- 3-5 black peppercorns
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick smashed
- 1 star anise
- 1/2 tsp Aleppo pepper
- 1 pound red onions sliced thin
Instructions
Make the brine
- Combine vinegar, allulose, cloves, allspice, peppercorns, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, star anise, and Aleppo pepper in a 4-quart (or larger) non-reactive pot.
- Bring the ingredients to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 3 minutes. Cover the pot, turn off heat and allow the spices to infuse for 10 minutes.
Prep the red onions
- While the brine is steeping, prep the red onions. Peel the onions, trim root and stem ends and slice the onions into 1/4 inch thick slices. Discard any green centers or leathery outer rings.
- Bring the brine back to a boil. Add the onions to the brine and turn off the heat. Stir well to coat and submerge the onions.
- Leave the onions and the brine to steep, covered, until the mixture cools.
- Pour the onions and the brine into mason jars and refrigerate for at least 24 hours before serving.
- Enjoy with tacos, scrambled eggs, sandwiches, salads, or falafel and hummus.
Notes
Doubling this recipe will make 3 one quart jars of red onion pickles. They last for months in the refrigerator so if you love pickles, go ahead and make a double batch!
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!