I'm sorry, my father has this problem and it is a tough one. Try out well-cooked leeks to see if they cause the same problem, but you might want to eat just a little at a time. As Chef-Ono said, well cooked onions are better than raw, which you should avoid at all costs. There is no real substitute for onion flavor that I have found, but most recipes can survive without them.
So what we're talking about is a possible food sensitivity rather than an allergic reaction. My mother has the same problem, indigestion caused by onions. As a result I didn't know what an onion tasted like until I was in high school (I ate just to survive back in those days). Unfortunately I seem to have inherited the problem but I've noticed two things: Cooking them helps a great deal (grilled onions on a hamburger = no reaction, raw onions will do it every time) and selecting sweet onions, known under several names notably Maui, Walla Walla, Vidalia and Texas 1015. There seem to be two issues: the sulfur content (hence the different growing regions, their soils all lacking the element) and the amount of pyruvate (the chemical responsible for causing tears) which can be bred out.
Thanks for the great answers! By "allergic" I meant I seem to get a stomach ache when I eat onions. I am looking for an alternative that will add a similar taste as onions without being an onion. The recipe in particular that I was hoping to adapt was a soup recipe.
Options include shallots, leeks, and green onions, which are milder; garlic; nigella seeds. But I would try to determine if you are really allergic and if the suggestions I mention are also on the 'no can do' list. Do you get short of breath? Break out in a rash? If so avoid and get tested as suggested above asap.
It depends on what you're making. Are you looking for the savory hit, the scent, the texture, or thinking your cooking will be bland? Sometimes other ingredients can be amped up or a new one can be added. It depends on what you are making. For your own safety, as well as peace of mind, it would be wise to get tested by a physician who specializes in allergies to know for sure & to find out if it is a nuisance or a health hazard
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So what we're talking about is a possible food sensitivity rather than an allergic reaction. My mother has the same problem, indigestion caused by onions. As a result I didn't know what an onion tasted like until I was in high school (I ate just to survive back in those days). Unfortunately I seem to have inherited the problem but I've noticed two things: Cooking them helps a great deal (grilled onions on a hamburger = no reaction, raw onions will do it every time) and selecting sweet onions, known under several names notably Maui, Walla Walla, Vidalia and Texas 1015. There seem to be two issues: the sulfur content (hence the different growing regions, their soils all lacking the element) and the amount of pyruvate (the chemical responsible for causing tears) which can be bred out.