To cut green onions, rinse them, pull off any wilted leaves and trim the root ends, then line up a few stalks on the board and slice straight across. Thin rounds are the everyday cut: Purdue Extension notes that green onions are almost always used raw, sliced in narrow rounds, and that they also suit stir-fries and other dishes with a short cooking time. For longer pieces, slice on a diagonal; for a fine chop, split the stalks lengthwise first.
Green onions and scallions are the same vegetable under two names, as Illinois Extension puts it, and Wikipedia lists spring onions as a third name. Purdue draws one distinction: a spring onion has a larger bulb and is sometimes a young bulbing onion. The cutting method below works for all of them; a bigger white end simply needs one more lengthwise cut before you chop it.
Prepare the bunch
Wisconsin Extension’s fact sheet rinses green onions under cool running water, removes any wilted leaves, and slices off the white ends and about 2 inches from the tops before preparing them. Purdue adds that leaves which have shriveled or turned yellow should not be used. The FDA’s produce advice is to dry produce with a clean cloth or paper towel after rinsing.
Step by step
- Line them up. Lay three or four trimmed stalks side by side with the root ends level, so one stroke cuts all of them.
- Slice thin rounds. Utah State Extension’s knife-skills handout describes a slicing cut that uses the middle of the blade, keeps the tip on the board, and pushes down and away. Move the guiding hand back a little after each cut and keep the rounds as even as the dish needs.
- Cut on a diagonal for longer pieces. Angle the knife across the stalks instead of cutting straight down. Kikkoman’s guide slices Japanese long onion (negi), a larger relative, thinly on the diagonal in the same way.
- Chop finely. Kikkoman’s method for finely chopped Japanese long onion makes lengthwise cuts first, then chops finely across at right angles.
- Gather and move the pieces. Slide the pile onto the flat of the blade or a bench scraper rather than dragging the edge sideways across the board.
Cuts by dish
| Use | Cut | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Raw topping and garnish | Thin rounds | Purdue’s usual cut |
| Stir-fries and quick-cooked dishes | Rounds or diagonal slices | Short cooking time, per Purdue |
| Recipes that call for chopped green onion | Fine chop | Lengthwise cuts first, then across |
| Raw garnish strips | Very thin lengthwise strips | Kikkoman’s “white-hair” cut is for the thicker Japanese long onion |
Kikkoman’s white-hair slicing cuts Japanese long onion into 4 cm lengths, splits each piece, removes the soft core, stacks the outer layers and cuts them into ultra-fine strips. It notes that a 10-minute soak in water, then draining and squeezing, leaves the strips crunchy and milder.
Keep your fingers clear
Mississippi State Extension’s knife basics ask you to tuck the fingertips of the hand holding the food toward your palm. Green onions are thin and light, so hold the bunch with curled fingers rather than pinching the tips, and stop when the remaining piece is too short to hold safely.
Storing green onions
Purdue recommends a plastic bag with a damp paper towel in the refrigerator for about a week. Wisconsin Extension gives 7 to 10 days in the refrigerator.
The knife for this job
Green onions are a job of many quick, straight board cuts, which suits a nakiri’s flat edge; our guide on how to use a nakiri shows the down-and-forward stroke. A santoku does the same work, and for a stalk or two a petty knife is enough. In our wa handle size guide, a 150–190mm nakiri or santoku takes the Mid-size handle and a 105–155mm petty the Compact size. For moving cut pieces, see bench scraper uses.
Sources: Purdue Extension FoodLink, onion, green onion, scallion (narrow rounds, short cooking, spring onions, storage, yellow leaves); Illinois Extension, What’s the difference between scallions and green onions? (same vegetable); Wikipedia, Scallion (names); University of Wisconsin Extension, Scallion/Green Onion fact sheet (rinsing, trimming, storage); Utah State University Extension, Knife Skills handout (slicing cut); Kikkoman, thinly sliced, finely chopped and julienned ultra-fine (Japanese long onion cuts); Mississippi State University Extension, Kitchen Knife Basics (curled fingertips); FDA, 7 Tips for Cleaning Fruits, Vegetables (drying).