I have always loved the bite that red onions give a salad. I find it equally welcome in a summer panzanella as in a more wintery affair, with spinach, toasted walnuts, and cheese. In either scenario, the red onions provide welcome contrast with the rest of the ingredients, punctuating every few bites and keeping your tastebuds engaged.

But…but…I have a confession: I’ve always found the bite to be a touch too strong when I’m eating the salad. And I really, really hate the way the raw onion sits in your stomach for hours after you finish your meal, creating bad breath and a burning tummy.

Judging by the red onions that I always see leftover on my meal partners’ plates (and, okay, strangers’ too, because I notice these things), I think it’s safe to assume that other people carry are involved in a similar love/hate relationship with red onions.

I hope this tip will change your salad game as it did mine.

Lessen the bite of red onions

Picked up somewhere on the Internet five-ish years ago

Ingredients

Red onion
Bowl
Water

Instructions

Chop red onion as desired. Place chopped onion in bowl. Pour water over onion in bowl. Let sit for  2-10 minutes. (This is really all about personal taste, so taste an onion every few minutes until you get them how you like them.)

Drain, toss with salad, and enjoy. Then continue on with your day free of the burning onion tummy and bad breath.