What can I substitute for spring onion?

Running low on spring onion? Here are the best verified substitutes, including how to adjust your measurements.

spring onion — ingredient substitution guide — Photo by Eleonora Sky on Pexels

About spring onion

Spring onions are young onions harvested before the bulb fully develops, featuring a small white base and long green stalks. Both the white and green parts are edible, with the white end offering a sharper, more pungent flavour and the green tops being milder and fresh-tasting. They are widely used raw in salads, as a garnish, and cooked in stir-fries, soups, and Asian-inspired dishes.

Best substitute

shallots

Shallots have a similarly mild, sweet onion flavour and can replace spring onions in cooked dishes very effectively. Use the finely diced shallot in place of the white part of the spring onion; they lack the green tops so combine with chives if needed.

Use 1 shallot for every 3–4 spring onions called for

sautéingsoupssaucescooked dishesraw garnishdishes needing green tops

Alternative

chives

Chives are closely related to spring onions and deliver a mild onion flavour, making them an excellent substitute for the green tops specifically. They are best used raw as a garnish or stirred in at the end of cooking.

Use an equal amount of chives to replace the green tops of spring onions

garnishsaladsdipsraw applicationsreplacing white bulbstir-fries

What is spring onion called in other countries?

Country	Name
Australia	spring onion
Canada	green onion
New Zealand	spring onion
United Kingdom	spring onion
United States	scallion

Common names for spring onion

scalliongreen onionsalad onionbunching onion

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high-heat cooking

Alternative

leek

Leeks have a mild, sweet onion flavour similar to spring onions and work well as a cooked substitute. Use only the white and pale green parts, sliced thinly, and note that leeks are larger so smaller quantities are needed.

Use ¼ cup thinly sliced leek for every 1 spring onion

soupsstir-friessautéingcooked dishesraw garnishsalads

Alternative

brown onion

Brown onion can substitute for the white base of spring onions in cooked recipes where a more robust onion flavour is acceptable. Dice finely and use sparingly, as brown onion has a much stronger, more pungent flavour.

Use 2 tablespoons of finely diced brown onion for every 4 spring onions

cooked dishessoupsstir-friesraw garnishsaladsdelicate dishes

Alternative

garlic scapes

Garlic scapes are the curly green shoots of hardneck garlic and offer a mild garlicky-onion flavour that works as a niche substitute for spring onions, particularly in Asian-style cooking. Slice thinly and use similarly to the green tops of spring onions.

Use an equal amount of thinly sliced garlic scapes in place of spring onions

stir-friesAsian dishesgarnishraw saladsmild-flavoured dishes