Green Onions are perfect for garnishing purposes. It gives a kick of fresh onions in a recipe. Green Onions provide a unique flavor to your recipe. If you are asking for Green Onions and you don’t have it right now, then you can use its substitutes. Using a substitute will not only remain the same taste of your recipe but also remain the texture as same as the ordinal ingredient. You have to know about Green Onions and their health benefits so that you can easily swap them with a more similar Green Onion substitute.
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What are Green Onions?
Green Onions belongs to the Allium plant family. Green Onion has two parts. The lower part is white and the upper part is green in color. These onions are easy to grow. They grow back when the bulb and roots are preserved. Green Onion has its own health benefits as you can see down here:
Nutrient Profile of Green Onions:
- Calories: 4.8
- Fat: 0g
- Sodium: 2.4mg
- Carbohydrates: 1.1g
- Fiber: 0.4g
- Sugar: 0.4g
- Protein: 0.3g
Health Benefits of Green Onions:
- Green Onions may decrease the risk of cancer.
- It may lower blood pressure.
- Green Onions are helpful to prevent cold and flu.
- It may boost your immune system.
- Eating Green Onions may help to improve eye health.
What can I Substitute for Green Onions?
If you are cooking a recipe that calls for Green Onions and you run out of it or do not have it around you, then you should use its substitutes to get a similar flavor profile and texture. Here, we have listed the best substitutes for Green Onions you can use in a recipe without losing any flavor and texture. You can choose according to your need and what you have right now in your kitchen/pantry.
1. Chives:
Chives are green in color and have a nutritious green part that can substitute Green Onion easily. It is small and thin like green onions but doesn’t have a bulb part at the bottom. Chives are a bit smaller than scallions, but you may find them in a bit darker color. Chives are not crunchy but you may get a similar taste to Green Onions. When it comes to quantity, you should take a similar amount of Chives same as the Green Onion.
2. Shallots:
Shallots are small onions that have a sweet and mild flavor. The bulb-like structure of Shallots doesn’t make it similar to Green Onions, but the flavor is. It adds sweetness to a recipe. Mostly it is used for deep frying and caramelizing. If you don’t like the big bits of onion, you can use thinly sliced Shallots. Don’t use it for garnishing purposes because it has a strong taste when eaten raw.
3. Yellow Onions:
Yellow Onions are also known as staple onions. These onions are the perfect ingredient for caramelizing. It may provide a hint of sweetness to your recipe/dish. If you are cooking a recipe that calls for Green Onions, you can easily replace it by using Yellow Onions. It’s a great substitute for whole Scallions also.
Yellow Onions must be thin chopped and cooked properly. You can also freeze them for a long time after chopping them. Use Yellow Onions for fried, roasted, soups, paired with sweet potatoes, etc as an alternative.
4. Ramps:
Ramps are also known as wild leeks or weed leeks. Ramps may be difficult to find in a store. If you find it in your nearby store, then it’s a good Green Onion replacement for you. Ramps grow better in wild than cultivated. This is the main reason you may find it difficult in stores. One 1 cup of chopped ramps is enough to replace 1/2 cup of Green Onions in as recipe.
5. Leeks:
Leeks look similar to Green Onions. It’s the less appreciated member of the onion family. The light green and white part of this ingredient can be a nice Green Onion replacement in a recipe. It’s not everyone’s favorite when it is served raw.
6. Garlic:
As we know Garlic and Onion have different flavor profiles. Both of these ingredients are used for the same reason in a recipe like adding more flavor. Make sure to pick the right recipe before using Garlic in place of Green Onion. You can use Garlic as a Green Onion alternative in meat recipes/dishes. Never Ever serve raw Garlic to swap raw Green Onions, it would ruin your recipe.
7. Green Garlic:
Green Garlic is a young version of Garlic. This garlic is harvested before those bulbs have matured. The taste of Green Garlic is milder than the Garlic Cloves used in recipes/dishes. This Green Garlic is used thin chopped as a Green Onion alternative. Green Garlic is a great substitute for Green Onions in terms of texture, but not flavor. If your recipe relies on the onion flavor, then using Green Garlic in your recipe is not a good choice.
8. Red Onion:
Red Onions are cousins of white and yellow onions. It has a peppery taste as well as high sugar content. Red Onions can be used raw. You can use Red Onion in place of Green Onion with caution. Start with a small quantity of Red Onion in starting. These onions add subtle flavor to salads and sandwiches. You can easily use Red Onions as a replacement and enjoy raw and cooked.
9. Green Bell Pepper:
Green Bell Pepper is the most hated Bell Pepper. It has a different flavor profile as compared to its cousin Red Bell Pepper and Yellow Bell Pepper. The flavor is somewhat grasslike or bitter making it a different Pepper than its cousin. If you need Green Onions, you can use Green Bell Peppers to give a crunch and color to your recipe. Green Bell Peppers are the most versatile ingredient, you can use them for grill, frying, and roasting purposes.
10. Dried Green Onions:
You can still use Green Onions even when not having it around. You can order online Dried Green Onions and add them to your cooking. Dried Green Onions have a long shelf life. You can easily find it on the shelves of grocery stores. It works pretty well with soups, stews, roasts, slow cooker recipes, sprinkled-on egg recipes, etc.
11. Scallions:
Scallion is a type of Green Onions. It looks far more similar to Green Onions. Lots of people get confused between both of them when going to a store. Scallions don’t have bulbous structures at the bottom or you can say they are not mature. The green leaves of Scallions can be used raw and cooked. The flavor profile of Scallions is similar to Green Onion but has a mild aroma. Scallions are the most flexible veggies in the onion family.
12. Wild Garlic:
Wild Garlic smells like a clove of garlic. You can use Wild Garlic in both raw and cooked form. The taste and smell are similar to normal garlic. So, this can also be used in any area of your cooking process where Green Onion is needed. You must try it with spicy dishes and hot soups.
13. Spring Onions:
Spring Onions are the older version of Green Onions because it is harvested after a long time so the bulbous structure gets more mature. Spring Onions are longer and more pungent than Green Onions, but they basically taste the same. It is good for garnishing and giving onion flavor to a recipe/dish. Yes, you can easily swap Green Onions with Spring Onions.
14. Celery:
Celery is a good Green Onion substitute for garnishing purposes. It provides crunchiness in a recipe when used raw same as the Green Onion. The flavor of Celery is not the same as the Green Onion. It’s a pretty good alternative if you are trying to add crunchiness to your recipe.
15. Sweet Onions:
Sweet Onions mimic the taste of Yellow Onions. These onions are perfect for caramelizing and frying purposes. You can throw them in a pan with a little olive oil until releasing a sweet fragrance, now add chopped zucchini or fruit or vegetable to make a delicious recipe.
16. Oregano:
There is nothing common between Oregano and Green Onions. Still, we have listed this herb here. Oregano tastes almost similar to the Scallions. It has a grassy and earthy taste with a pungency. So, this is the perfect substitute to give a final touch to your recipe. Using Oregano as a topping on pizza, bruschetta, melted mozzarella cheese, and pasta will be a good choice.
17. Onion Flakes:
Onion Flakes are for those who don’t like to cut onions. These flakes are affordable for everyone. These flakes are super crispy and best for sprinkling on pasta dishes or hotdogs as well. The onion flavor may put you off, so you can also use other substitutes. Onion Flakes are not for those who are allergic to onions, if you are one of them then it’s not for you.
FAQ:-
What is the difference between Green Onions and Scallions?
The bulb part at the bottom of the Green Onion is much larger than the Scallions (looks not so bulbous). This is the only reason that makes them different.
What part of Green Onion do you use?
You should use the white and pale green part of the Green Onion which is just above the roots. But the upper dark green part of Green Onion is used for garnishing purposes in soups and casseroles without any cooking needed.
Now, you know the best Green Onion 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. 🙂
