Onion Bread Recipe, Raw Onion Bread Using Chia Seed

This onion bread recipe is a savory substitute for sliced sandwich bread when you need a quick meal. It can also alternatively be used as a burger bun when making vegan nut burgers and imparts a sweet grilled-onion type flavor.

Our first encounter with raw bread using onion was at the "Euphoria Loves Rawvolution" raw vegan restaurant in Santa Monica, California. It is delicious invention achieved by food-processing raw onions and seeds together and dehydrating them into a thin bread-like square or rounded shape.

In our recipe however, we prefer smaller onion pieces rather than whole slices. In addition, we like to use chia seeds instead of the commonly used flaxseed.

Onion bread is not crisp like a cracker but slightly soft and somewhat flexible. This texture is created via a combination of coconut oil, ground chia and the moisture content produced from processed onions. When dried this blend of ingredients provides a softer consistency that holds together very well with condiment spreads and various sliced or grated foods.

If you're used to eating bread, this recipe does not have a "cakey" baked grain-based quality, but is nevertheless very satisfying as a replacement if you are looking to kick the bread eating habit.

It is not only more nutritious, lower in calories and gluten-free, chia seeds also help to satiate the appetite, improve digestion and bowel regularity. This is not the case with most commercial bread products that can actually be quite damaging to the digestive tract when consumed on a regular basis.

Baked bread is also frequently the cause of various gastrointestinal disorders such as bloating, flatulence and constipation.

If you are going to consume bread, we recommend whole sprouted grain varieties over straight grain flour. These selections are slightly more digestible and less likely to turn to "glue" (glu-ten) in your colon.

Did you know that glue can literally be made from flour. According to Wikipedia: "A simple glue can be made at home by mixing wheat flour and water." (Source) So, its definitely not something you want to eat with every meal or even keep in the diet.

For those with celiac disease, IBS or related conditions, gluten-free bread options are a must.

In addition to gluten, many processed breads are packed with hydrogenated and refined oils that are, in our opinion, not a good idea to consume for long-term health. In our bread we only use good fats, like coconut oil and unrefined seed-based fats.

Making the switch from a bread-abundant diet is a step by step process and having a variety of possibilities at your fingertips can make the transition a whole lot easier. While this onion bread recipe might be a viable solution to use on occasion, another common simple substitution also may include rolling up your sandwich ingredients in collard or lettuce leaves as well as nori sheets or coconut tortilla wraps.

This is a very simple recipe, containing only a few basic ingredients: sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, chia, red onion and a touch of salt and coconut oil.

The recipe yields a total of 18 bread slices.

• 3 large red onions, peeled
• 1C soaked pumpkin seeds
• 1C soaked sunflower seeds
  
• 1C ground chia seed (or flaxseed)
  
• 2T coconut oil
• 1 1/2t pink salt or celtic sea salt

1. Process soaked and strained sunflower and pumpkin seeds, coconut oil and salt in food processor until ground to a fine consistency.
2. Add to a large bowl.
3. Process onions in food processor until finely ground, but not too mushy.
4. Add the processed onions to the pumpkin seed and sunflower mixture and mix thoroughly.
5. Stir in the ground chia seed, a little bit at a time to avoid clumping and to integrate evenly.
6. This is your bread "dough". Split the recipe in half and place on 2 separate Excalibur dehydrator trays with a teflex sheet on top of a screen.
7. Spread out evenly into a big square shape, about 1/8 inch thick or less, as far to the edge as possible. (It is good to use your hands for spreading it out initially. Dipping them in water first will avoid sticking.)
8. Score into 9 bread slices (18 total) with the thick edge of a bamboo knife.
9. Dehydrate in a dehydrator for 3 hours then flip over onto a screen, redo score marks if needed.
10. Dehydrate for another 12 hours or until dry and firm, but pliable.
11. Store in an airtight container.

This recipe can be stored in a cool dry pantry location for a week or more, but for longer storage purposes can be kept in the refrigerator or even freezer if needed.

We don't recommended eating onion bread every day for weeks on end, but rather on occasion as a bread substitute along with other mentioned alternatives. Seeds, as wells as onions, can be too acidic to the system when over-consumed, especially when not properly balanced with other foods.

This onion bread recipe makes a great sandwich bread, using either two slices on both ends, or one on the bottom with a lettuce leaf on top. It's delicious with our nut burgers or in a grilled tempeh sandwich.

This bread also makes a savory addition to any soup, salad or can be used to spread cultured seed cheese, hummus or other pâtés.