What Are Green onions, scallions and How Can I Use Them?
Here's everything worth knowing about green onions, scallions and how to pick them, what they are, how to store them, and what to use instead, plus 3,554 recipes to cook tonight.
Key Points
- A scallion is a young onion with no bulb; the white base is sharp, the green tops mild.
- Cook the whites like a mild onion, and save the tender green tops for raw or last-minute use.
- Green onion is the same plant; a true spring onion is older, with a small round bulb.
- Store wrapped in the crisper for one to two weeks, or stand root-down in a jar of water.
- Swap chives for a raw garnish, or leek whites and a little onion for cooked dishes.
What are green onions, scallions?
A scallion is a young onion pulled before it forms a bulb.
The whole plant is edible, and it comes in two parts with two personalities. The white root end carries a sharp, true onion bite, while the long green tops are grassy and mild, closer to a fresh herb than to a yellow onion.
You will also see them labeled green onions or spring onions. Green onion is the same plant. A true spring onion is slightly older, with a small round bulb at the base and a stronger flavor.
That mild-to-sharp range is why they turn up everywhere here, in more than 3,400 recipes.
How to Use Scallions
Trim off the roots and any wilted tips, then rinse well, since grit likes to hide between the layers at the white end. How you cut and cook them depends on which part you are using.
The white and pale green base behaves like a mild onion. Sliced and dropped into hot oil, it softens into a gentle base for fried rice, noodles, and stir-fries like this Cashew Chicken. It takes real heat without turning bitter.
The dark green tops are more delicate. Heat dulls their fresh flavor and color fast, so they are best raw or added at the last moment. Slice them thin and scatter them over a finished dish, the way they top a bowl of Chicken Egg Drop Soup.
Cut them on a sharp angle for a garnish, or into longer batons for a stir-fry. Left whole, they char beautifully: a few minutes over high heat blisters them and turns them sweet and smoky, good next to grilled meat or folded into Shrimp & Scallion Tortillas.
Pairing Scallions
Scallions lean savory and fresh, so they sit naturally in East and Southeast Asian cooking alongside ginger, garlic, soy, and sesame. They also love eggs, which is why they run through so many omelets and frittatas, and they give soups and seafood a fresh, oniony finish.
The most common mistake is treating the whole scallion as one thing. Add the green tops too early and the heat cooks their fresh flavor right out before the dish is done.
The other slip is tossing the greens out and keeping only the white. The tops carry most of the fresh lift, and they are the part that makes a finished plate look alive.
A handful of raw sliced greens over a rich, eggy dish like a Persian Swiss Chard & Dill Frittata cuts through the richness and adds color.
What to Use Instead
No scallions on hand? Match the swap to the job.
For a raw garnish, chives win.
They carry the same green, oniony freshness, only milder, so use a little more than you would scallions. The tender pale part of a leek, sliced very thin, also works raw in a pinch; skip the tough dark green tops.
For cooked dishes, reach for the white part of a leek, or a small amount of yellow or white onion. Both give you the savory onion base, though they come on stronger, so start with about half as much and add more to taste.
To cover the sharp and the fresh notes at once, use a little white onion for the body and a sprinkle of fresh chives for the green. In spring, ramps or wild garlic can step in with a bolder, more garlicky character.
Buying & Storing Scallions
Look for firm white bases and perky, bright green tops with no sliminess.
Limp or yellowing greens and a soft, bruised base are the first signs of age. As a rule, the thinner the stalk, the milder and more tender it will be.
Scallions are mostly water, so they wilt fast if left loose in the fridge. Wrap the bunch in a slightly damp paper towel, slip it into a loose bag, and keep it in the crisper, where it holds for one to two weeks.
For longer life, stand them root-down in a jar with about an inch of water, the way you would keep cut flowers. Drape the tops loosely with a bag and refresh the water every couple of days.
You can also regrow them. Save the white root ends, sit them in a glass with a little water on a sunny sill, and they push out new green tops within a week. Snip what you need and they keep going for a few rounds.
To freeze, slice the greens and whites and seal them in a bag. They lose their crunch, so save frozen scallions for cooked dishes rather than a fresh garnish.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 cup, chopped (100g)Quick facts
Where to find green onions, scallions: Green onions, scallions are usually found in the produce section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.
Food group: Green onions, scallions are a member of the Vegetables and Vegetable Products US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.
- In Chinese
- 香葱，弹簧或葱
- British (UK) term
- Green onions, scallions
- en français
- échalotes
- en español
- cebolletas
How much do green onions, scallions weigh?
| Amount | Weight |
|---|---|
| 1 cup, chopped | 100 grams |
| 1 tbsp chopped | 6 grams |
| 1 large | 25 grams |
| 1 medium (4-1/8" long) | 15 grams |
| 1 small (3" long) | 5 grams |
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Vegetables and Vegetable Products
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