Homemade Onion Rings

Homemade onion rings are a task, but they are well worth the effort. These onion rings are cholesterol free and not deep fried. Baking the onion rings is a healthy alternative to using a fatty deep-fryer. Make sure to use a sweet onion such as Vidalia for the best flavor. The onions should be cut into thicker (3/4") slices in order to have the quickest, cleanest and best experience. Make sure to place a sheet of parchment paper on the bottom of your baking sheet for easy clean-up & to guarantee that the onion rings do not stick to the sheet.


4 Servings

Ingredients

2 Vidalia Onions (about 1 pound total)
1/2 cup plus 2 TBSP of all purpose or whole wheat flour
2 TBSP Cornstarch
1 cup cold Soy Milk (flavored or vanilla)
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
1 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp olive oil


Slice the onions into 3/4 inch-thick rings. Place into a larger bowl. After you cut the onions move onto preheating the oven. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, spray with cooking spray and then set aside.

You will need two bowls for the batter and breading process. Dump the flour and the cornstarch into one bowl. Add about 1/2 of the soy milk and stir with a fork until it dissolves. Add the rest of the soy milk and the apple cider vinegar, stir & set aside.

In the other bowl, mix together the bread crumbs and the salt. If you want to add a kick to your onion rings, throw in 1/2 tsp of Paprika, 1/2 tsp black pepper, & 1/2 tsp chili powder. Drizzle in the olive oil and mix.

You are going to make these on a conveyor belt system. From left to right, arrange the onions, the flour mixture, the bread crumb mixture, and then the baking sheet. This is the messy part if you are not careful! You can either use one hand as the wet hand and one hand as the dry hand to place the onions on the tray OR you can cheat like I did and use a pair of tongs. Don't try to do a bunch of onion at once, take your time. Coat the onion thoroughly and then roll it in the bread crumbs. Arrange the finished product on the baking sheet on a single layer.

After you arrange the rings, spray them with a light coat of fat-free cooking spray and bake for about 12 minutes. Flip, and bake until they reach desired crispiness. Serve with low-sodium ketchup.

Total Calories per serving: 190 Total Fat: 4 grams