10 Green Onion Substitutes

Want to replicate that subtle ‘onioney bite’ that makes green onions so delicious when eaten raw? Well, chives are as close as you’ll get.

In fact, they have a similar flavor and appearance, meaning you could use chives as a green onion substitute in most dishes, most notably a salad.

Chives are a little milder in flavor than green onions, so use 1.5 times as much chives as green onion in the recipe.

Spring onions are very similar in taste to green onions and scallions. In terms of taste, they are slightly more intense and, in terms of appearance, they have a rounder bulb.

In fact, they’re kind of the same vegetable – they’re just picked at different times. Spring onions are slightly older – they are left longer to grow and take on a stronger flavor before they’re picked.

Spring onions make a great green onion substitute in salads and other raw dishes. They’d also work well as a green onion substitute when used as a garnish, in soups, for example.

Use ¾ the amount of spring onions to the amount of green onions called for in the recipe. Unless you want a more intense onion flavor, that is; in which case, swap at a 1:1 ratio.

Also known as wild leeks, ramps are commonly found in eastern parts of the US and throughout Canada, although they’re largely unknown in the rest of the world.

While they’re becoming a popular salad ingredient with vegans and vegetarians, ramps are still quite hard to find in supermarkets and grocery stores. The best way to get hold of ramps is to forage for them if you’re lucky enough to live in an area where they grow in abundance.

While their flavor is a lot more intense than the subtle taste of green onion, ramps are absolutely delicious and would add an entirely new dimension to stews, soups and casseroles, not to mention salads.

Use ¾ the amount of ramps to the amount of green onions called for in the recipe. 

Considered the ‘all-purpose onion’ and often known as the brown onion, yellow onions are a very popular ingredient in cooked foods, They have a subtler flavor than white onions, making them a decent substitute for green onions, particularly in cooked dishes.

Yellow onions have a good balance of savory flavor and sweetness when cooked, becoming increasingly sweet the longer they’re cooked. While they’re not the best substitute for green onions, they are readily available, which makes them a good quick fix when you can’t find anything else.

Swap in ½ white onion for every large green onion called for in cooked recipes.

Similar in taste to yellow onions, but a little less intense, red onions are a good substitute for green onions when time and availability of ingredients is an issue. 

If you’re making a salad that calls for green onions and you can’t find any, and you can’t find any of the other substitutes on this list, red onions make a decent substitute. 

If you want to tone down the intensity of flavor, you can either leave them to soak in cold water for 10 minutes, or mix them with a squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of salt. 

Unlike garlic cloves, wild garlic leaves bring a subtle earthy taste that doesn’t overpower a dish. This makes them a decent stand-in for green onion, although there are definitely better choices on this list.

Wild garlic is a great ingredient to base a soup or casserole around. While it’s not readily available in supermarkets or grocery stores, much like ramps in the US, wild garlic grows throughout the UK and is easy to forage for.

When thinly sliced, shallots make for a greet green onion substitute in raw dishes. If you want to tone down the shallot flavor, add the finely sliced shallot to a bowl, along with a sprinkle of salt and a squeeze of lemon juice. Then, massage the salt and lemon juice into the shallot.

Shallots work best as a substitute for green onions in cooked dishes, where they bring a wonderful mellow sweetness – think casseroles, stews, soups and sauces. Use one small shallot for every large green onion called for in the recipe.

Okay, so unless you live in Barcelona or the surrounding areas, you won’t be able to get hold of these amazing little veggies. Availability aside though, calçots are pretty much as good as it gets when it comes to replicating the taste, texture and appearance of green onions.

Pronounced ‘cal-sots’, calçots are native to Catalonia, Spain, and are cultivated especially for barbecuing directly over hot coals. When cooked over a high heat, they take on an incredible sweetness that makes them perfect for stews, soups or simply dipping in the traditional romesco sauce.

If you’re lucky enough to find calçots, swap them at a 1:1 ratio.

If you can’t find any fresh alternatives to green onion, onion powder is a decent alternative. In cooked dishes, like stews or soups where onion is a complementary flavor, it would work well.

Use 1 teaspoon of onion powder for every large onion.

Finally, although it won’t replicate that subtle onion flavor, celery would be a good substitute for those who have allergies to foods from the Allium family – foods such as green onions, leeks, garlic and other types of onions.

Celery brings a similar earthy sweetness when cooked, which makes it one of the better green onion substitutes that comes from outside the family. Substitute a large celery stalk for one green onion.