Preparation Time
- Prep: 10 minutes
- Cook: 1 hour
- Total: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 4 large sweet onions (Vidalia if available)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (about 1 tablespoon per onion)
- 4 bouillon cubes (chicken, beef, or vegetable)
- Salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Fresh chopped parsley or chives (optional, for garnish)
A quick note on the two ingredients that matter most: the onion and the bouillon are carrying almost all the flavor here, so they’re worth choosing well. A true sweet onion (Vidalia, Walla Walla, Maui) is the difference between mellow and sharp. And since the bouillon is essentially the seasoning for the whole dish, a good one — cube or a spoon of concentrated paste — pays off. Match it to what you’re serving: beef bouillon alongside steak, chicken with roast chicken, vegetable to keep it meat-free.
Instructions
Step 1 — Prep the oven and onions
Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a baking dish or tray with a large sheet of foil.
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Peel the onions. Trim the root end just enough that each onion stands upright on its own — but no more than that. Cut too deep and the onion falls apart as it bakes; you want it staying intact so it holds all that buttery broth inside.
Step 2 — Cut the cavity
With a small paring knife, cut a shallow cone-shaped well into the top center of each onion — like coring an apple, but only partway down. It only needs to be big enough to hold a bouillon cube and a pat of butter. Don’t hollow it out; you’re making a pocket, not a bowl.
