Green Onion is Your Vegetables’ New Best Friend

I like peeking at people’s fridges. Invite me into your home, let me get comfortable, and the next thing you know, I’ll help you out in the kitchen.

The truth is, I want to take a look at your fridge. From there, we can bond over our favorite brand of yogurt, discuss our not-so-secret pleasure of condensed milk-covered fingers and critique the takeout leftover pad thai like pros.

I’m also particularly interested in your crisper, because that’s where we can exchange tips to keep our greens fresh and our herbs perky. The last time I peered into my friend’s fridge, I even learned how to regrow green onions. This is exactly what I need during these days, when dashing out to get a needed ingredient is just not wise.

Green onions are a staple in Vietnamese cooking. My mom and aunts always keep a bunch on hand, and they use them for every dish you could think of, from the obvious to the unexpected. Add some color to a soup, of course. Mix into the meat marinade, go ahead. Crush the white stalks and lay them on top of the fish for aroma please.

That said, we seldom have to buy green onions, as they are often given free of charge by vegetable vendors. “I’ll get this head of cabbage, these carrots and potatoes. Also, give me some green onion and cilantro please.” My mom would slip it in casually to our vegie vendor, who nods in acknowledgment as her hands grab the said herbs from a basket nearby. Oh how I miss that generosity!

The umbrella term for a green onion and its relatives is “hành lá” in Vietnamese, so for a long time, I mistakenly used scallion/green onion/spring onion interchangeably (a quick look at old recipes will reveal that). While they can be used in many recipes with no noticeable differences, the three are not the same. Well, if you don’t know, now you do!

Scallions vs Green vs Spring Onion

Scallions are from young non-bulb producing onion, so their white stalks are slender. They have the mildest flavor among the three.

Green onions look a lot like scallions and are also labelled scallions in some countries. You can recognize them by the slightly curved white stalks.

Spring onions have defined round bulbs and are the most pungent among the three. Some varieties have yellow or purple bulbs.

How to Store Them

The most common variety I came across so far are green onions. Right after bringing them home from the groceries store, I like to brush off any dirt before wrapping them in a damp paper towel. Then, I’ll place the whole bunch in a sealed plastic bag in the vegetable compartment.

Recently, I learned that we can regrow green onions by standing the stalks in a jar, with water covering the roots. Place the jar where there is sunlight and change the water every 2-3 days. 

My Favorite Way to Use Them

There are many ways to use this type of allium, but my favorite application is to make a green onion oil: finely chop a few stalks of onion, add a pinch of salt and pour hot (but not boiling) neutral oil (or lard) over the scallions in a bowl. This produces an aromatic and mildly-sweet accompaniment often seen on many Vietnamese dishes such as bún thịt nướng (vermicelli with grilled pork) and cơm tấm (broken rice).

Meanwhile, the combination green onion oil – roasted peanut is a familiar topping on popular street food items such as grilled eggplants, seafood and snails. I also like to use it on grain bowls and steamed vegetables. The slight richness from the oil contrasts with the grassy and earthy vegetables, and the crunchy toasty peanuts adds more texture. You can use it on asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, or any vegetables you have on hand.

Once made, a batch can be kept in an airtight jar in the fridge for five days before the onion loses its vibrant color. If you finish the onion but still have some leftover oil, keep it for stir-fried dishes or soups.