Roasted Green Onions (Roasted Scallions)
These incredibly flavorsome roasted green onions or roasted scallions are served on a bed of creamy polenta with cheese and a drizzle of cream on top! Roasted green onions - where have you been all my life?
- 2 bunches green onions (scallions or spring onions)
- ½ teaspoon hot paprika powder
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika powder
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- 1 cup polenta
- 1 ¾ cup milk
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3.5 oz feta cheese (sheep or cow)
- a few tablespoons of single cream (to drizzle on top)
- Preheat the oven to 425°F/ 210°C.
- Top and tail the green onions, leaving the trimmed green tops on. Wash them and pat them dry. Slice the onions lengthwise in half.2 bunches green onions
- Season green onions: Whisk both kinds of paprika and olive oil. Massage the onions with the mixture and place them on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Sprinkle with coarse salt and roast for 15 minutes, flipping halfway through.½ teaspoon hot paprika powder + 1 teaspoon sweet paprika powder + 1 tablespoon olive oil + 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- Heat the milk and water in a large pot. Add salt to taste, about 1 teaspoon. Just before the liquid starts to boil, add the polenta slowly while stirring all the time.1 ¾ cup milk + 2 cups water + 1 teaspoon fine sea salt + 1 cup polenta
- Cook the polenta according to the packet's instructions. Mine takes about 40 minutes, but the cooking times can differ a lot.
- Assemble the dish: Pour the polenta on a platter, arrange the onions on top, sprinkle with cheese, and drizzle with a little bit of cream, if desired.3.5 oz feta cheese + a few tablespoons of single cream
I love scallions or green onions. I have been eating them all my life, and my favorite way to eat them is raw, dipped in a little bit of salt before each bite, with a slice of bread smeared with cheese and some tomatoes.
Roasting green onions never occurred to me before, but this winter I stumbled upon a few recipes that all featured roasted scallions and green or spring onions. I was intrigued and decided to try something similar right away.
It was amazing!!!! I
Since then, I've roasted scallions several times again, not only as a main dish with polenta but also as a side dish for chicken. They are just so good!!!
Try some Roasted Leeks or a Green Onion Quiche, too! Ingredients: 3 + oil and salt | Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes if also cooking polenta | Servings: 2 | Difficulty: Easy
Differences between green onions, scallions, and spring onions
Green onions and scallions are the same thing: long and slender onions, which are harvested when very young before having the chance to form the bulb. They are less intense in taste than spring onions, so the best way to eat them is raw or slightly cooked.
Spring onions are harvested later, with a plump bulb at the base. They are normally planted in autumn and harvested in spring, so they are called spring onions.
Another reason people might confuse these different sorts of onions is that green onions/scallions are called spring onions in the UK and Canada. So the best way of telling them apart is the bulb: thick bulb - spring onions.
No bulb - green onions/ scallions. Try more recipes using them: Sweet Potato Jackets, Green Onion Pasta, or Baked Mango Chicken.
How to roast green onions? Step #1: Slice the trimmed and washed onions lengthwise in half.
Step #2: Whisk oil and paprika in a small bowl. Step #3: Rub the green onions with the seasoning mixture.
Sprinkle them with salt. Step #4: Roast the green onions for 15 minutes. How to serve roasted green onions?
Very often, I serve them with polenta. When making basic polenta, I normally only use water, less than in this case.
I chose to use some milk and more liquid because I wanted a creamier polenta. Of course, you can make the polenta according to your taste.
Please read the packet's instructions; the liquid amount you need and the time of cooking can vary. If you use only water and leave out the cheese, this dish will be vegan.
Notes
- The cooking time mentioned above includes cooking the polenta. If you only want to roast green onions, they only need 15 minutes in the oven.
- Serving: The roasted green onions can be served as a side dish for many mains. The polenta is optional, but it is such a great combination.