The onion family has many varieties, all with different flavour profiles and uses. White, yellow, red, shallots, spring onions, scallions and leeks. It's easy to get stuck using the same kind of onion instead of trying new ones. So what are the different onion varieties used for? Learn all about it in this 101 – Guide to onions and how to use them.
Knowledge is key
Can you imagen a world without onions? With about a dozen varieties available in most markets, as well as several less common types, it's easy to get overwhelmed or stuck using the same kind of onion instead of trying new ones. As with most things, this often comes down to a lack of knowledge. Which ones do you eat raw? How long should you cook them for? What dishes can you use them for and how long could you store them? These are all valid questions that weigh into our purchasing choice. Shorter cooking times and less food waste are also important parts of everyday shopping choices, but ultimately, it always comes down to flavour. See what you can adapt to your everyday dishes and find new favourites and smart cooking tips.
Yellow onions
Sharpness and flavour:
Yellow onions have a stronger, more complex onion flavour and a firm texture. When cooked, the onion gets a caramelised sweet flavour, excellent for marmalades and chutneys. Eaten raw they provide a crunchy texture to dishes as well as a punchy, strong onion flavour.
Shelf life and storage:
Yellow onions should be stored in a dark, cool, dry place and could be stored for weeks or months.
Cooking usage:
Yellow onions could be eaten raw but due to their strong flavour, these onions are more widely used for cooking purposes. Great in dishes such as grilled kebabs, onion soups, stews, braises and sautéed dishes. Yellow onions are also good to pickle or the making of onion marmalade due to their sweetness and structure.
White onions
Sharpness and flavour:
White onions have a distinct light and mild flavour profile. They are eaten both raw and cooked due to their mildness and sweetness. White onions are cooked in the same way as yellow onions and red onions. When cooked they provide a light, fresh and sour onion taste as well as a caramelised sweetness.
Shelf life and storage:
White onions should be stored in a dark, cool, dry place and could be stored for weeks or months.
Cooking usage:
White onions are good raw in salads or as toppings for burgers and meats. This kind of onion caramelises well and is good in marmalades thanks to its sweetness. White onions are good in dishes such as grilled kebabs, onion soups, stews, braises and sautéed dishes. White onions are also good to pickle or the making of onion marmalade due to their sweetness and structure.
Scallions or Green onions
Sharpness and flavour:
Scallions are crunchy and juicy with a mild onion flavour and a good texture. scallions are finger-shaped and without any onion bulbs. Both the green and white part of the onion is used for cooking or eaten raw.
Shelf life and storage:
Never store fresh scallions in a plastic bag, due to the high moisture content leading them to quickly rot. Put them in the fridge, without covering them, preferably with their roots in water. There they will last for a week or more.
Cooking usage:
With their mild taste, they are excellent raw, in salads and as garnish. The cooking time is short which makes them ideal for quick stir-fry dishes and omelettes. When cooked, they're tender, sweet and great in a combination of bitter or spicy flavours. A versatile onion, good for meat and chicken dishes, seafood dishes as well as vegetarian dishes, and salads as well as providing flavour and structure to dipping sauces.
Spring onions
Sharpness and flavour:
Spring onions resemble scallions with a lovely green top but have a bulb. The bulb has a gentle onion flavour compared to yellow, red and white onions. The green tops are similar to Scallions in their flavour profile. Both the onion bulb and its green tops are eaten raw as well as cooked.
Shelf life and storage:
Never store spring onions in a plastic bag, due to the high moisture content leading them to quickly rot. Put them in the fridge, without covering them, preferably with their roots in water. There they will last for a week or more.
Cooking usage:
Spring onions are young yellow, red and white onion that has been harvested when the skin is still soft and has green tops. With their mild taste, they are excellent raw, in salads and as a garnish. The cooking time is short and is ideal for quick stir-fry dishes, omelettes, seafood dishes and barbeques. When cooked, they're tender and sweet and are great in a combination of bitter charcoal flavours from roasting or barbequing.
Red onions
Sharpness and flavour:
Red onions have a sweeter flavour than white or yellow onions, but still, a quite strong onion flavour compared to other fresh onions. It has a crunchy and firm texture as well as a high sweetness which makes them ideal for eating raw. When cooked, they taste is similar to yellow onions with a distinctly sweet flavour.
Shelf life and storage:
Red onions should be stored in a dark, cool, dry place and could be stored for weeks or months.
Cooking usage:
They are often eaten raw, pickled, grilled, or cooked together with other foods. Red onions are great in salty salads such as feta cheese salad or slightly chard on the barbeque. A good onion for quick pickles as well as in creamy cabbage dishes such as coleslaw.
Shallots
Sharpness and flavour:
Shallots have a mild, aromatic delicate and sweet onion flavour with just a hint of sharpness. This makes Shallots suitable for dishes where the onion flavour shouldn't dominate the dish.
Shelf life and storage:
Shallots should be stored in a dark, cool, dry place and could be stored for weeks.
Cooking usage:
Shallots are often used as a base for sauces such as red wine sauces, Bearnaise and Hollandaise sauces. Due to their small size, they are great to cook whole in stews and braises, soups and on barbecue skewers. Shallots have a semi-firm texture and are good for pickling whole or in slices.
Leeks
Sharpness and flavour:
Leekes have the same base flavour as a yellow onion but far less intense. A very mild flavour with a firm texture that is just as important as its flavour. Boiling turns it soft and mild in taste while frying makes it crunchier and preserves the taste. Leeks are sometimes considered too tough to eat when raw, but they actually bring a nice crunchy texture if used raw in salads or as a topping.
Shelf life and storage:
Put them in the fridge, covering them with a just-slightly-damp kitchen towel, preferably with their roots in water. There they will last for a week or more.
Cooking usage:
The part of the leek normally used is its stem or stalk, but its green top is often used in stocks and should not be thrown away. Leeks are used in soups such as Leek and potato soup och vegetable and chicken soups. Other good dishes using leeks are boiled and served with a vinaigrette, fried and used as crunchy toppings, in stews, braises and sautéed dishes or used in combination with creamy cabbage dishes such as coleslaw.
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