Vidalia Onion Stir-fry Sauce

Name: Vidalia Onion Stir-fry Sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 10
Ingredients: 1 large Vidalia or other sweet onion, finely chopped; 6 cloves garlic, minced; 2 1/2 tablespoons fresh ginger root, peeled and minced; 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth; 3/4 cup apple cider or apple juice; 1/4 cup gluten-free tamari or soy sauce; 1 tablespoon tomato paste; 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar; 1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil; 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste; 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

Recipe GLPR1dd8d5cde37615

Sauce & Condiment

35 min

29 cal

Servings: 10

Stovetop

SNAP eligible

A savory-sweet Asian-inspired sauce built on caramelized Vidalia onions, fresh garlic, and ginger. The mixture is partially blended for a smooth, velvety texture with subtle sweetness from apple juice and depth from soy sauce, tomato paste, and dark sesame oil. Perfect for drizzling over stir-fried vegetables, tofu, or grain bowls.

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Ingredients

1 large Vidalia or other sweet onion, finely chopped

6 cloves garlic, minced

2 1/2 tablespoons fresh ginger root, peeled and minced

1 1/2 cups vegetable broth

3/4 cup apple cider or apple juice

1/4 cup gluten-free tamari or soy sauce

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

Directions

Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped Vidalia onion and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until soft and slightly caramelized, about 4 minutes.
Add the minced garlic and ginger to the onion and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute until fragrant.
Pour in the vegetable broth and bring to a simmer. Continue cooking for 5 minutes. Carefully transfer about half of the onion-broth mixture to a blender. Secure the lid and blend on low speed, gradually increasing to high speed until the mixture is completely smooth. Be cautious—the mixture is hot.
Pour the blended sauce back into the saucepan with the remaining cooked onions and broth. Stir to combine. (If you prefer a completely smooth sauce throughout, you may blend the entire mixture instead.)
Add the apple juice, tamari, tomato paste, red wine vinegar, red pepper flakes, and black pepper to the saucepan. Stir well to combine all ingredients.
Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sauce reduces slightly and thickens, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in the dark sesame oil until evenly distributed.
Use the sauce immediately by drizzling over stir-fried vegetables, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. About 1 cup of sauce generously coats a large wok of vegetables.

Comments

Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff4.25

Vidalia onions are North Carolina-adjacent (Georgia grows them commercially, but they show up reliably at Charlotte retailers like Harris Teeter and Food Lion), and the rest of the pantry—garlic, ginger, tamari, sesame oil, tomato paste—is standard at Walmart, ALDI, and Kroger. The real cost driver is the volume: ten servings of sauce means buying a pound or two of onions plus 4 to 6 tablespoons of sesame oil and quality tamari, landing around $1.50 to $2.00 per serving before whatever protein or vegetable you stir this into. The 35 minutes is honest for chopping and simmering, but call it 40 if you're mincing ginger and garlic by hand rather than using pre-minced. This is a freezer-friendly concentrate that reheats beautifully over a weeknight stir-fry, making it a smart move-ahead sauce for busy families, though you'll want to thin it with a splash of broth or water when you use it.