So, you want to chop onions without crying? There are many ways to do this.
And if you’re reading this article, chances are good that you need some help!
Here’s how I use Vitamix to make my onion chopping experience as painless as possible.
Can You Chop Onions In A Vitamix?
Yes, you can chop onions in a Vitamix. Many people have done it many times. And I’ve done it plenty of times in the past when I didn’t have an immersion blender or food processor.
The speed and blade design will take care of the job quickly and efficiently for you!
Related Read: How To Use Your Vitamix As A Food Processor
How To Chop Onion In Vitamix
The short answer is that if you are asking how to do something with your Vitamix, usually just add everything to the container in small pieces or slices (with any liquid for sautéing), then hit the slowest speed.
Performing this task manually would be quite time-consuming without tears; but because onion vapors are so pungent, chopping onions makes many people cry.
The worst part of the process is that you have to wait for your eyes to recover before going back into the kitchen!
The Vitamix machine has a specific speed and program designed just for sautéing onion without crying, which incidentally also works for other vegetables as well.
Chopping Onion In Vitamix Blender
- Cut off the stem end of the onion.
- Stand your Vitamix blender upon its base, and turn it to setting 1.
- Place the onion halfway down into the blades, making sure that all of the onion will be able to fit without touching outside blades or anything sticking over the edge of the container.
- Put the lid on securely and leave it alone while you count to 10! If there’s too much resistance while blending, then stop immediately, or you’ll burn out your motor.
- When finished blending, check for any remaining large chunks that need to go through again in another 2-second increment…or just use this blended mix for what you cooking!
- When I’m done, there are no tears to wipe away! No more stinging eyes.
Tips To Chop Onions Without Crying Or Stinging Eyes
Here’s a couple of tips that I’ve learned to make my onion chopping experience stress-free.
- If I’m going to be chopping a large number of vegetables, I chop the onions first so that my eyes won’t sting as badly after the rest is complete.
- If you’re chopping a large number of onions or other vegetables, make sure to stand close to your exhaust fan.
- If you don’t have an exhaust fan, then turn on any kind of open-air appliance that can pull air away from you…like a bathroom fan, the kitchen range hood, stove vent/hood, etc.
- To keep tears at bay as long as possible, only cut the stem end off of one onion per session. When I’m done chopping that one onion, wipe my eyes clean before processing the next one. By the time I get to cutting up all those onions for whatever recipe I’m making that day will be complete!
- Make sure not to have overhead lighting directly above the cutting board. The light will sting your eyes even worse!
- If I happen to get a little onion juice in my eyes, it stings for less than 5 seconds before quickly wearing off.
- If you are chopping more than one type of vegetable, make sure that they are cut into similar sizes or shapes so that everything will blend up at the same speed!
- The larger the feeder tube on your blender pitcher, the bigger chunks you can chop efficiently. Just remember to keep large things small enough to fit through without touching the sides of the pitcher!
- Cut vegetables whenever possible (if applicable) before adding them to your Vitamix container and pulse until chopped smaller, just like when cooking over a stovetop or with a food processor.
- If you’re making salsa, chop the onion first and then pulse it in your Vitamix blender along with your other diced vegetables one at a time before adding the rest of the ingredients and blending into the sauce!
Related Read: How To Chop Vegetables In Vitamix
Which Vitamix Blender Is Best For Chopping Onions?
The one that has the largest feeder tube or widest blade span, of course!
If you already have a Vitamix blender that doesn’t meet this criterion, then simply cut your vegetables into smaller chunks before adding them to the container. Or if necessary, ‘pre chop’ your onions with a cutting board and standard knife first before using them in your Vitamix blender.
There are always tricks for making these things work to best suit your lifestyle.
Recipes You Can Make With Chopped Onions
Chopped onions can be used for more than just salsa…of course, but here are some of our favorite recipes made with chopped onions as an ingredient:
Onion Dip Recipes – when blended into a dip, onions add a sweet flavor without adding spiciness.
Frequently Asked Questions About Chopping Onions In A Vitamix
1. How Many Onions Does This Recipe Require?
This recipe calls for two onions, but it can be doubled, tripled, quadrupled…etc if you have a large group of people to feed!
2. What Size Is Your Vitamix Blender? How Big A Container Do You Use?
We use a 5200 Series 64-ounce container with Self Detect Technology. That’s the largest container that will fit on our countertop.
3. Will This Onion Chopping Technique Work In My Model Of Vitamix Blender?
All Vitamix blenders are designed to blend the food in their containers efficiently no matter what size or shape they are; therefore, yes, this technique should work flawlessly regardless of which model machine you currently own (or plan to purchase) as long as it’s a Vitamix.
4. What Is The Best Vitamix Model To Use For Chopping Onions?
The base model (5200 Series) of all Vitamix machines can chop, slice, dice, and grate vegetables…so any machine you purchase should work fine. That’s what makes this brand so great!
Chopping Onion In Vitamix – Conclusion
Now you know how to chop onions in a Vitamix blender successfully with less chance of stinging eyes or tears being shed.
What is your favorite way to use chopped or blended onions? Please tell us about your experience in the comments below so that we can all benefit from the knowledge shared in the comment section!
