This Martha Stewart Side Is Perfect for Thanksgiving

Every holiday table needs a dish that quietly steals the show, and a veggie side is the perfect fit. This Thanksgiving, we suggest you give Martha Stewart’s Oven-Braised White Onions a try.

Straight from Stewart’s cookbook Entertaining (her very first cookbook set for re-release on November 4), these oven-braised pearl onions are a deliciously savory bite, appearing elegant and complex but are humble in nature. Requiring just three key ingredients, this fall side dish is a simple solution to round out your Thanksgiving menu.

All you need to recreate this gorgeous recipe is 4 pounds of small white boiling onions, a stick of unsalted butter, ½ teaspoon of white pepper and 1 ½ teaspoons of salt. For optional garnish, Stewart recommends 2 teaspoons of snipped fresh parsley to elevate the dish with a pop of color. 

Begin preparing the side by boiling the pearl onions briefly (1 minute and 30 seconds should do the trick) in a saucepan with water and one teaspoon of salt to loosen their skins for easy peeling. Once peeled, cut a small “X” in each root end to help them cook evenly. Spread the onions in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish in a single layer, dotting each one with butter and seasoned with salt and pepper before covering them with buttered parchment paper or aluminum foil and placing them in a 350°F oven.

In 30 minutes, the onions should be nice and fork tender; remove the cover and bake for an additional 10 minutes until they are lightly browned. Serve with your choice of garnish, but just know that the platter will be cleared in no time!

As a natural source of prebiotics, onions are amazing for your gut health, which is especially important to keep in mind during the holiday season. This healthy side will pair well with your Thanksgiving turkey or seasonal roast—if you’re looking for some main dish inspiration, our five-star Herb-Roasted Turkey is a great place to start.