Sweet Onions Bring Smiles To Winter Meals (NAPSA)—Twenty-some years ago, two onion brokers were enjoy- work quite well here; include their onion soup one spring day, when one said to the other, “Why can’t OSOSWEET ONIONVEGETABLE SOUP Serves 8 to 10 liquid, whichis full of soluble fiber. ing steaming bowls of Vidalia we have delicious sweet onions like these in the winter?” That casual comment started 2 medium or1 large OsoSweetonion, diced 3 to 4 medium carrots, diced a three-year quest to find just the right seed variety and place 3 to 4 ribs celery, thinly sliced to grow flavorful, supersweet onions that Americans could enjoy all winter long. The search paid off. 2 to 3 cloves garlic, crushed The perfect spot was found at the base of the Andes mountains There are layers and layersofflavor in sweet onion-vegetable soup. soil and ideal microclimate— warm days and cool nights—provide just the right conditions to Oh-So Good For You in Chile, where the rich volcanic produce a world-class sweet onion: The OsoSweet. Twenty Years, No Tears Back in 1989, Americans had a difficult time satisfying their crav- ings for sweet onions. The season was short—from spring to late summer—andoutside of Georgia, where Vidalias are grown, or Texas, where the Texas 1015s call home, they were not easy to find. While America was weathering the cold and snows of winter, it was summer and harvest time south of the equator. And the first OsoSweet onions arrived on Amer- ican shores, bringing smiles to onion-loving Americans. Now, 20 years later, you can enjoy sweet, tearless onions all year long, but the OsoSweet—in markets from January through March—is the most consistent sweet onion available anytime of year. No other onion is pampered like an OsoSweet, whichis still shipped to markets throughout the country in sturdy wood crates. Becauseof their flavor and versatility, onions are the most popu- lar vegetable in the world. In fact, according to the National Onion Association, consumption of onions has practically doubled in the U.S. in the last 30 years, jumping from 11 pounds per person to 20-plus pounds per person. Sweet onions, such as the OsoSweet, now repre- sent almost 30 percent of that total, and are growing. Sweet onions are healthy and contain fiber, calcium, iron, several B vitamins, and more vitamin C than apples. They are rich in flavonoids that may reduce cholesterol, decrease tumor formation and inhibit certain types of can- cers. They can also protect against heart disease. According to health guru Dr. Andrew Weil, they’re one of 11 produce items “You don’t have to buy organic.” Wintertime is OsoSweet onion time and soup time. Here you combine the two in a colorful and hearty wintertime soup full of chunky vegetables. Canned beans or finely chopped 1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary, leaves from 2 sprigs “4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 quarts beef broth or stock 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes 3 cups finely shredded Savoy or other cabbage (4 small head) 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans (white kidney beans) Salt and freshly ground black pepperto taste Place the onions, carrots, celery, garlic and rosemary in a large soup pot along with the olive oil. Heat together and cook over medium heat 6 to 8 minutes or until the vegetables are crisp-tender. Add the remaining ingredi- ents and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to a simmerand continue to cook, par- tially covered, for 30 minutes or until the cabbage is tender and the soup is lightly thickened. Serve piping hot in big bowls. For more delicious sweet onion recipes, visit ososweetonions.com.
