Onions are known for being bold and strong in flavor due to the onion’s adeptness at absorbing sulfur and other nutrients from the earth. However, sometimes the strong onion taste can overpower a salad, so here’s how to avoid it.

When you soak an onion in a mixture of cold water and one tablespoon of baking soda, it can neutralize the sulfur and lessen the boldness, just be sure to wash off the baking soda. Another trick to soften the onion’s bite is to let the onion sit in salad dressing or icy water for 10 to 15 minutes, or you can also try rubbing kosher salt into the onions to lessen the taste.

Another important consideration to make is the kind of onion you choose for your salad. Yellow onions are popular for caramelizing and cooking while white onions are strong with a slightly sweet taste, and red onions are the mildest tasting of the three making them a good addition to salads.