Harvest season is the culmination of all of your diligent work for the year in your garden. Unfortunately, too often, those hard-earned crops go to waste if you don’t have a good plan to use them. Here’s a delicious collection of recipes for making the most of your onion harvest.
Double-Dipping Onion Rings
Learn how to make onion rings without baking powder.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings.
- 2 large onions (any variety works)
- Oil or fat for high-heat frying
- 2 cups spelt, kamut, or whole-grain flour (or your preferred flour)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons seasoning (e.g., all-purpose, taco, chili, or Cajun; add more if you like a spicy onion ring)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 eggs
- Slice the onions into 1/2-inch rings, cut horizontally across the grain, and separate the rings.
- In a cast-iron skillet, heat 1-1/2 inches of the fat or oil over medium-high heat.
- In a medium bowl, mix flour and seasonings together.
- In another bowl, beat the eggs.
- Dip each onion ring in the beaten eggs, then into the flour, then into the egg batter, and then a final coat in the flour.
- Fry until the onion ring is golden-brown, turning if necessary.
- Remove with a slotted metal spatula onto paper towels to drain excess grease. Enjoy hot. These can also be frozen. Reheat in the oven by placing on a cast-iron skillet or cookie sheet and broiling for 2 to 3 minutes.
Onion and Wild Mushroom Soup Recipe
Yield: 6 servings.
- 2 tablespoons high-quality fat (olive oil, butter, avocado, or tallow)
- 1 large onion, diced into 1/4-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups wild mushrooms, diced (chicken of the woods, chanterelles, hen of the woods, or oysters,)
- 6 cups chicken or beef broth
- In a large Dutch oven (I use cast-iron), heat the fat over medium heat.
- Add onions, salt, and pepper, and sauté until translucent.
- Add mushrooms, and continue to sauté for 10 minutes. Add in broth and simmer on low for 1 hour.
- Serve as-is or purée with an immersion blender until smooth. Serve with hot biscuits, cornbread, or crackers. You can also freeze this soup as a base. Optionally, add in cream cheese and cheese for a heartier soup.
Jenny Underwood is a homeschooling mama to four lively blessings. She makes her home in the rural foothills of the Ozark Mountains with her husband of 20 years. You can find her reading a good book, drinking coffee, and gardening on their little fifth-generation homestead.
Originally published in the September/October 2025 issue of Grit magazine and regularly vetted for accuracy.
