Vegetables
Onion
Κρεμμύδι · Kremmydi

Onion underpins a larger share of Greek savoury cooking than any single herb or spice, providing the base for nearly every braise, ladera dish and meat filling in the repertoire. Its role shifts dramatically depending on how it is used: finely chopped and slowly sweated as an aromatic base is standard practice, but Greek cooking also treats onion as a headline ingredient in its own right in a way many cuisines do not.
Stifado is the clearest example, a beef stew built around a large quantity of small whole or halved shallots or pearl onions rather than a token chopped onion softening in the background. The onions cook down over hours until sweet and soft, thickening the sauce as much as providing flavour, and a version made with too few onions barely counts as stifado at all.
Grated raw onion is the other technique worth knowing: it turns up in Cypriot sheftalia and koupepia fillings, releasing its juice directly into a meat mixture to keep it moist, in a way that finely diced onion, which stays drier and more textured, cannot replicate.
Photo: Mixed onions.jpg by Colin, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Recipes with onion
110 recipes on the site using it.
Greek Main CoursesGreek Moussaka
Μουσακάς · 1h 55m · serves 8
Greek SaladsGreek Salad
Χωριάτικη σαλάτα · 12m · serves 4
Greek Breads and PiesGreek Spanakopita
Σπανακόπιτα · 1h 30m · serves 8
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Σουβλάκι · 32m · serves 4
Greek Main CoursesGreek Pastitsio
Παστίτσιο · 1h 40m · serves 8
Greek SoupsGreek Avgolemono Soup
Κοτόσουπα αυγολέμονο · 1h 30m · serves 6
Greek Main CoursesGigantes Plaki
Γίγαντες πλακί · 2h 5m · serves 6
Greek Main CoursesGreek Pork Gyros
Γύρος · 2h · serves 6
Greek Main CoursesGemista
Γεμιστά · 2h 10m · serves 6
Greek Meze and AppetisersGreek Keftedes
Κεφτέδες · 45m · serves 6
Greek SoupsFasolada
Φασολάδα · 1h 45m · serves 6
Greek Main CoursesBriam
Μπριάμ · 2h · serves 6
Greek Dips and SaucesSantorini Fava
Φάβα Σαντορίνης · 1h · serves 6
Greek Main CoursesGreek Kleftiko
Κλέφτικο · 4h 25m · serves 6
Greek Main CoursesGarides Saganaki
Γαρίδες σαγανάκι · 37m · serves 4
Greek Meze and AppetisersDolmades
Ντολμάδες · 1h 50m · serves 8
Greek Main CoursesGreek Stifado
Στιφάδο · 3h · serves 6
Greek SoupsFakes
Φακές · 1h 7m · serves 6
Greek Meze and AppetisersKolokithokeftedes
Κολοκυθοκεφτέδες · 55m · serves 6
Greek Meze and AppetisersPitaroudia
Πιταρούδια · 45m · serves 6
Greek Main CoursesKoupepia
Κουπέπια · 1h 50m · serves 6
Greek Main CoursesSheftalia
Σεφταλιά · 45m · serves 6
Greek Meze and AppetisersKoupes
Κούπες · 1h 40m · serves 8
Greek Main CoursesMakaronia tou Fournou
Μακαρόνια του φούρνου · 1h 35m · serves 8
Greek Meze and AppetisersTaramosalata
Ταραμοσαλάτα · 15m · serves 8
Greek Main CoursesSpanakorizo
Σπανακόρυζο · 45m · serves 4
Greek Main CoursesPrasorizo
Πρασόρυζο · 50m · serves 4
Greek Main CoursesBifteki
Μπιφτέκι · 40m · serves 4
Greek Main CoursesGiouvetsi
Γιουβέτσι · 2h 55m · serves 6
Greek SoupsMagiritsa
Μαγειρίτσα · 2h 30m · serves 8
Greek Meze and AppetisersRevithokeftedes
Ρεβιθοκεφτέδες · 45m · serves 6
Greek Main CoursesBourdeto
Μπουρδέτο · 55m · serves 4
Greek Main CoursesGiaourtlou
Γιαουρτλού · 45m · serves 4
Greek Main CoursesHylopites
Χυλοπίτες · 2h · serves 6
Greek Breads and PiesBatzina
Μπατζίνα · 55m · serves 8
Greek SoupsGiouvarlakia
Γιουβαρλάκια · 1h 15m · serves 6
Greek Main CoursesSitaraki
Σιταράκι · 35m · serves 4
Greek Side DishesFasolakia Lathera
Φασολάκια λαδερά · 1h · serves 4
Greek Meze and AppetisersNtomatokeftedes Santorinis
Ντοματοκεφτέδες Σαντορίνης · 40m · serves 6
Greek Main CoursesMakarounes Karpathou
Μακαρούνες Καρπάθου · 1h 30m · serves 6
Greek Breads and PiesKefalonitiki Kreatopita
Κεφαλονίτικη κρεατόπιτα · 2h · serves 8
Greek Main CoursesMelitzanes Imam
Μελιτζάνες ιμάμ · 1h 20m · serves 4
Greek SoupsKotosoupa Avgolemono
Κοτόσουπα αυγολέμονο · 1h 50m · serves 6
Greek SaladsMarouli Salata
Μαρουλοσαλάτα · 15m · serves 4
Greek SaladsPatatosalata
Πατατοσαλάτα · 45m · serves 6
Greek SaladsFasolia Salata
Φασόλια σαλάτα · 1h 15m · serves 6
Greek Side DishesBamies Latheres
Μπάμιες λαδερές · 1h · serves 4
Greek Dips and SaucesSaltsa Domatas
Σάλτσα ντομάτας · 40m · serves 6
Greek Main CoursesManti Pontika
Μαντί ποντιακό · 1h 50m · serves 6
Greek Main CoursesMelitzanes Gemistes
Μελιτζάνες γεμιστές · 1h 40m · serves 6
Greek Main CoursesArni Kokkinisto
Αρνί κοκκινιστό · 2h 5m · serves 6
Greek Breads and PiesKreatopita
Κρεατόπιτα · 1h 50m · serves 8
Greek Breads and PiesSpanakotyropita
Σπανακοτυρόπιτα · 1h 25m · serves 8
Greek Breads and PiesHortopita
Χορτόπιτα · 1h 25m · serves 8
Greek Main CoursesMelitzanes Yahni
Μελιτζάνες γιαχνί · 1h 10m · serves 4
Greek SaladsKritharosalata
Κριθαρόσαλατα · 32m · serves 6
Greek Main CoursesGiaprakia Thessalonikis
Γιαπράκια Θεσσαλονίκης · 2h · serves 6
Greek Main CoursesGalopoula Gemisti me Kastana
Γαλοπούλα γεμιστή με κάστανα · 5h · serves 12
Greek Meze and AppetisersKolokithoanthoi Gemisti
Κολοκυθοανθοί γεμιστοί · 1h 10m · serves 6
Greek Side DishesKolokithakia Yiahni
Κολοκυθάκια γιαχνί · 45m · serves 4
Greek Side DishesAnginares me Araka
Αγκινάρες με αρακά · 1h · serves 4
Greek SaladsFakes Salata
Φακές σαλάτα · 45m · serves 6
Greek SaladsRevithosalata
Ρεβιθοσαλάτα · 1h · serves 6
Greek SoupsSoupa Kritharaki
Σούπα κριθαράκι · 40m · serves 4
Greek SoupsFakes Kokkines Soupa
Σούπα φακές κόκκινες · 40m · serves 4
Greek Main CoursesAstakomakaronada
Αστακομακαρονάδα · 1h 15m · serves 4
Greek Main CoursesMelitzanes Ntolmades
Ντολμάδες με μελιτζάνα · 1h 30m · serves 6
Greek Main CoursesLoukaniko Krasato
Λουκάνικο κρασάτο · 50m · serves 4
Greek Main CoursesKotopoulo Giouvetsi
Κοτόπουλο γιουβέτσι · 1h 20m · serves 4
Greek SoupsPatsas
Πατσάς · 4h 40m · serves 6
Greek Main CoursesKalamari Gemisto
Καλαμάρι γεμιστό · 1h 20m · serves 4