Onion Confit
If you've got leek and fresh parsley, you're most of the way to this vegetarian: about 60 minutes of cooking across 6 steps. You'll find the full ingredient list (with a scaler to change the servings), 6 steps of method, substitutions, and ideas for what to serve alongside.
You'll mainly reach for pan. At medium difficulty across 6 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, it's meat-free.
What you'll need
Shopping list (2)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
🔁 Unit converter
How to make it
- Peel the onions and slice them thinly and evenly so they cook at the same rate. Trim and wash the leek thoroughly, then slice the white and pale green parts finely.
- Tie the thyme, parsley, and bay leaves into a small bundle and lightly crush the peppercorns so they release their aroma.
- Melt the butter in a wide heavy-based pan over low heat, add the onions, leek, herb bundle, and crushed peppercorns, and stir to coat everything in the butter.
- Add the water and a pinch of salt, cover with a lid, and let the onions sweat very gently for about 25 minutes, stirring now and then, until they collapse and turn soft and translucent.
- Remove the lid and continue cooking slowly for a further 30 to 40 minutes, stirring frequently, until the liquid has evaporated and the onions are meltingly soft, jammy, and pale gold.
- Discard the herb bundle, taste and adjust the salt, and serve the confit warm as a condiment or cool and refrigerate it in a sealed jar for up to one week.
You'll use: Pan
Ingredient substitutions
- Butter
- olive oil (¾ the amount) · coconut oil · margarine
Tips & common questions
How long does Onion Confit take to make?
About 60 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 6 steps and 9 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of butter?
Try olive oil (¾ the amount). See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Onion Confit vegetarian?
Its ingredients contain no meat or fish, so it's suitable for vegetarians. Check any cheeses for animal rennet if that matters to you.
Related recipes
Onion Confit is an original recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Red wine onion confit (27629897452).jpg by Karen and Brad Emerson, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top — how we source recipes.