Chives are fresh herbs that belong to the allium family. It’s used for garnishing purposes usually in soups and salads. It is very easy to grow Chives in your garden. If you don’t have a garden don’t worry, Chives are the most common herb that is easily available in supermarkets. Are you missing the Chives right now and don’t want to go to purchase some in between the cooking process? You can use Chives substitutes in place of the original Chives. It would give a similar taste to your recipe without ruining it.
You just have to know, what are Chives actually? It would be easy for you to choose the best substitute for Chives for your recipe/dish.
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What are Chives Actually?
Chives is an herb that belongs to both onion and garlic. It has a mild and citric flavor. Chives are commonly used as toppings or seasoning in soups, sauces, dips, eggs, and potatoes. To get the rich texture and flavor of Chives, you should add them at the end of the cooking process. The subtle onion flavor of Chives makes it belonging to the Onion family. Chives are healthy because it contains many healthy nutrients such as:
Nutrient Profile of Chives:
- Energy: 0.9 calories
- Vitamin K: 6.38 micrograms (mcg), or 5% of the Daily Value (DV)
- Vitamin C: 1.74 milligrams (mg), or 2% of the DV
- Folate: 3.15 mcg, or 1% of the DV
- Vitamin A: 6.43 mcg, or 1% of the DV
- Calcium: 2.76 mg, or less than 1% of the DV
- Potassium: 8.88 mg, or less than 1% of the DV
- Calories: 1
- Fat: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
- Sodium: 0 mg
- Carbohydrates: 0 g
- Protein: 0 g
Health Benefits of Chives:
- Chives help to prevent cancer.
- It may improve memory.
- It also prevents Osteoporosis.
- Chives may boost immunity.
- It may improve bone health.
What can I Substitute for Chives?
Not having the Chives at the moment may disappoint you sometimes. In that case, you don’t need to go through the stores and waste your time buying some Chives. It’s better to use substitutes for Chives than to waste your time and go through the stores. Here, we have a list of Chives substitutes for you. You can choose according to what you have in the refrigerator/kitchen/pantry right now.
1. Scallions:
Both Chives and Scallions belong to the same plant family. Some people make a mistake when choosing Chives or Scallions because of their similar appearance and flavor. The taste of Scallions is mild as Chives, but a bit more oniony than Chives So, you have to maintain the quantity of using it as a replacement for chives. You can use them earlier in the cooking process and at the end of the process as a topping or garnishing.
2. Leeks:
Leeks also belong to the allium family. The appearance of Leeks is different from Chives. It is apparently bigger than Chives or you can say it’s the bigger version of Scallion. The flavor is pungent and potent. You can reduce their pungency by soaking them in ice-cold water for a few hours before using them. If you are going to use it as a sub for Chives in the salad, you should chop it into smaller pieces.
3. Chinese Leeks:
Chinese Leeks are also known as Chinese Chives. It has the same flavor profile as well as the same appearance as the Chives. Chinese leeks are easily available in Asian stores. Chinese Leeks are smaller than regular Leeks. Using fresh Chinese Leeks as a good replacement for Chives in soups, stews, and meat, egg, rice, and stir-fry works perfectly.
4. Barlauch:
Barlauch is also known as wood garlic, wild garlic, and ramsons. It looks different from chives and has broad leaves. Barlauch doesn’t have the signature taste of onion, but a garlicky flavor that is almost similar to Chives. It’s one of the fresh herbs which makes an excellent addition to salads and mashed potatoes recipes. Chop Barlauch into thin slices for a better result in a recipe.
5. Garlic:
Garlic is very pungent in taste but is also a good antioxidant, antimicrobial, and digestive ingredient. It’s a good choice to use Garlic in place of Chives in your cooking recipe/dish. You should use mashed garlic at the early stage of the cooking process of a recipe/dish. Most people hate the aroma of garlic, so you should always go slow and add a little in starting. You have to maintain its ratio of 1:3 before using it as a Chives alternative. Where 1 refers to the Garlic quantity and 3 refers to the Chives quantity.
6. Garlic Scapes:
If you don’t know how to identify Garlic Scapes. Just go to your garden and look at those green stalks that grow out of the bulbs. Garlic Scapes and Chives are almost similar in appearance as well as in taste. Garlic Scapes are crunchy in texture. You can use Garlic Scapes as a substitute for Chives in a recipe for cooking or decorating.
7. Shallots:
Shallots are also known as Thai Red Onions. There is a huge difference between Chives and Shallot’s appearance. It looks like onions but has a sweeter and more peppery taste than Chives. You can take 1 quantity of Shallots in place of 3 quantities of Chives for a better resemblance of flavor. Don’t use it for garnishing purposes. You can use it at the starting stage of cooking a recipe.
8. Onions:
Both Onions and Chives belong to the same plant family. So, there are a lot of chances to replace Chives with Onions to get a similar flavor. You should use Onions early in the cooking process so that it gets soft and releases its complex flavor. You can use Onions for preparing soups, salads, meat, eggs, and more but don’t use them after for decorating or garnishing purposes.
9. Parsley:
When it comes to decorating/garnishing a recipe, Parsley works perfectly as a great substitute for Chives. The flavor is different but more bitter, sweet, and light citrus. It goes well with dishes/recipes that call for Chives. You should use it at the end of a cooking process and it can be mushy and bitter when you cook for a while. It has some antioxidant and antimicrobial properties that make it a healthy sub for Chives.
FAQ:-
What do Chives taste like?
Chives have an oniony taste but are much milder than regular red or yellow onions. The taste of Chives is very similar to leeks.
What part of Chives can you eat?
The primary edible part of Chives is the long stalks that are great snipped into salads and other dishes.
How long does it take to grow Chives from seeds?
It takes about 25-30 days to grow Chives from seeds, but for Chives seeds to germinate, takes up to 3 months. Sometimes, it takes only 2 weeks to germinate Chives seeds when conditions are favorable.
Now, you know the best Chives Substitute. You can choose according to what you have in the kitchen or you can also buy from amazon. Please! comment down below your questions, and let us know how much informative is this article for you. 🙂
