Oven-roasted or air-fried mushrooms and onions

An easy and speedy vegetable dish!

While I am presenting this to you as a great side dish for grilled or roasted meat or fish, to be perfectly honest, it’s also a great standalone meal for brunch or lunch too, that would surely please vegetarians or omnivores. About a dozen medium-sized mushrooms are needed and recipe could easily be doubled. Peeling pearl onions can be a finicky job, but it’s one made much easier if you blanch the onions in boiling water for about 30 seconds and then transfer them to a bowl of ice water and let sit for a minute or two. Pinch each onion at its stem end, and it should just slip out of its skin. Super simple to make in an air fryer, the mushrooms and onions can also be roasted in a 400F oven, but will take a little longer and should be stirred a few times during cooking.

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound (226 g) cremini mushrooms, halved (or quartered, if large)
• 1 cup (130 g) pearl onions, peeled and halved
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) extra virgin olive oil
• Few grinds kosher salt and black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon (.4 g) dried thyme leaves
• 1/4 cup (35 g) feta cheese, crumbled
• Drizzle of balsamic and fresh thyme leaves or chopped herbs, to garnish

Method

• Put the mushrooms and onions in a large bowl and toss with oil, salt, pepper and dried thyme.
• Place the mushrooms and onions in the air fryer basket and air fry at 400F for 7-9 minutes, shaking or stirring at the halfway point. When done, onions should be charred at the edges and just tender in the centre when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife; mushrooms should be softened but not mushy.
• Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle feta over top. Drizzle with balsamic and garnish with thyme leaves or chopped herbs.
• Serve immediately.

Serves 4 as a side dish.