Scallions aka green onions, are a fresher, sweeter, milder member of the allium family that never develop a true bulb. Easy on the eyes while chopping and in appearance, their bright green and white color and mild sharpness is a welcome addition to salads, stir fries, omelettes, savory baked goods and more.
Like the other members of the allium family, scallions contain Allicin, a compound associated with many health benefits like fighting bacteria and fungi, lowering cholesterol and acting as an antioxidant. A cup of scallions has just 32 calories, only trace amounts of fat, and zero cholesterol. One cup of scallions packs:
Scallions generally store quite well for several days in the crisper drawer. Preventing moisture loss is the key to keeping them fresh so wrapping them in a damp paper towel or placing them in a reusable plastic bag will help. If you have space in your fridge and really want to keep them crisp, try removing the rubber band and putting them root side down in a jar filled with about an inch of water. Then, cover them with a plastic bag and place in the refrigerator.
Scallions are delicious raw, with their herbal quality lending flavor and brightness to salads, salsa, dips or as a colorful garnish. They’re also yummy when cooked, where heat brings out their sweetness in stir fries, curries, soups, biscuits, sauces, savory pancakes and omelettes.
Wash scallions well, trim the root end (save to grow your own!) and peel away any less-than-perfect outer layers. Cut as desired: narrow rings, angled rings, thin strips whatever will suit your recipe!
While slightly different in taste and texture scallions can be substituted for chives or onions in many dishes (avoid braises as they just won’t hold up or develop that caramelized sweetness that slowly cooked dishes require).
Don’t throw those root ends away! You can easily re-grow scallions at home from scraps. Save 1-1/2 to 2 inches of the root end when preparing them to eat. Place the root ends in 1 inch of water and set in a sunny place, such as a windowsill. Change the water every 4 to 5 days. Within a week, you should see beautiful shoots of green rising from the root ends. If you let them grown long enough, you will end up with the same size green onions as you originally purchased. Once the green sprouts show, you may also plant them in soil.