What is Shallot?

Shallots are natural plant-based food flavors. Just like onions, they grow into bulbs. They are used to flavor foods and spice up recipes like stew, pasta, meats, and baked products. Shallots are not common in some parts of the world. However, people who know and use them can testify to the sweet and savory flavors they add to foods.

Although shallot is most times unavailable in stores and can be very difficult to find. However, if you want to explore the cooking benefits of shallots but do not have access to them, a number of substitutes have been identified to give you an almost or near experience of what cooking with shallots will give you. In addition, these substitutes are healthy and are perfect substitutes for shallots, as they give your food a great aroma and taste.

Healthy Substitutes for Shallot

The following are 8 healthy substitutes of shallots;

Yellow Onions

Yellow onions are one of the best shallots substitutes. Chefs around the world have confirmed this. It does not have a too sweet or too sharp taste and can give a very similar taste to shallots.

Yellow onions are packed with essential nutrients like vitamin C, fiber, potassium, as well as healthy antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties.

Studies have shown that consuming yellow onions regularly can help lower the risks of certain illnesses like cancers and some fatty liver diseases.

One beautiful thing about yellow onions is the fact that you can use them both in their raw form and in it’s cooked form. They are quite available in stores, unlike shallots.

Some of the recipes you can try yellow onions on include pickled beets and onions, French onion soup, and whole roasted onion soup, among others.

Chives

Chives look like onions as well. However, the only difference is that they are flowing plants, while onions are not. They are similar to shallots in taste. Chives have a mild taste, and this makes them part of the best options to choose from when considering a shallots substitute.

Chives are more delicious when they are eaten raw. They can be used as garnishes for soups and can even be added to salads. Thus, try considering replacing shallot in your recipe list with chives. However, note that when cooking chives, you need to be extra cautious, as chives are milder in texture and taste than shallots. Thus, overcooking them might reduce the standard of your expectations.

Garlic

Garlic is not only a kitchen or food spice. It is also a herbal remedy for a number of health conditions. It is effective both for medicinal and culinary purposes. Garlic can also be used as a substitute for shallots. Although not in all recipes, but in some.

In addition, some of the health benefits you would enjoy from eating garlic include; reduction in the risks of some chronic diseases like metabolic diseases, some cancers, diabetes, and heart diseases.

Garlic is known to contain high anti-inflammatory properties that help prevent avoidable risk factors and triggers of some illnesses, especially heart diseases.

While replacing shallots with garlic, ensure that you pay attention to the recipe to know the method of application of the shallots. If the shallots application in the recipe required shopped raw or fried shallots, then you should also replace the shallots with garlic, but in the same form (chopped raw or fried garlic).

In addition, replacing shallots with garlic might not give you the exact taste of shallots, but at least it would spice up your food and give you all the safest of deliciousness.

If you want to try out garlic in recipes, some of the best recipes to try it out on include;

• Tuscan garlic shrimps
• Lemon and garlic baked salmon
• Spanish garlic soup

Leeks

Leeks have a similar flavor and nutritional profile as shallots. This is why they can be the best match or substitutes for shallots. However, they do not give off sharp tastes like onions. They are quite mild and, when cooked, produce a similar taste as cooked shallots.

Leeks are packed with essential nutrients needed by the body to carry out all of its functions properly. Some of these nutrients include vitamin C, pro-vitamins, vitamin K, and manganese. They are also rich sources of plant-based properties like flavonoids like kaempferol and quercetin. These are properties that have proven over the years to be effective in the protection of the heart against diseases.

Leeks, just like shallots, can also be included in foods like pasta, stews, or soups. All parts of the leeks are useful. You can decide to use the part that has the same look as onions. You can also use the hard green part also to add bulk and stick to your food.

In order to accept the best out of leeks, as regards shallots, slice them thinly, rinse them thoroughly and cook them like you cook shallots.

Garlic Scapes

Garlic scapes are gotten from the garlic plant. They are the stalk that grows from the bulbs of garlic. People who use garlic scapes have confirmed that they taste sweeter than even the garlic itself, and in most cases, the scapes are even milder. This makes them a better substitute for both shallots and garlic itself.

When you cook your food with garlic scapes as a replacement for shallots, you should ensure that if the recipe requires shopped, raw, or boiled shallots, ensure you chop, boil or make your food with raw garlic scapes.

Both garlic scapes and shallots have different tastes and textures. The former is said to be milder. This, however, calls for caution while cooking it to prevent it from getting meshed.

Some of the recipes you can add garlic scalped to include;

Omelette and scrambled eggs

Salads

Pasta dishes, among others

Red Onions

For some people, the best kind of onions to use as a replacement for shallots is yellow onions. However, red onions have also proven to be perfect substitutes for shallots. Compared to yellow onions and shallots, red onions have a sharper taste and are more potent than yellow onions especially.

The best way to substitute your shallots recipe with red onions is by either boiling the red onions or by adding it raw to your raw diets like salad.

According to research, one of the most important properties contained in red onions is the anthocyanins properties. This is a plant compound that gives the onion its red hue. Asides from coloring the red onions, anthocyanins are also known to help in the prevention of certain diseases like heart diseases as well as neuro-generative diseases.

You can add red onions to the following diets;

• Salads
• Chicken breasts
• Pizza

Dried Onions

Another amazing and healthy substitute for shallots is dried onions. Dried onions can add nice flavors to your dishes. However, it is important to note that dried onions do not provide you with the exact taste shallots will give you when you prepare your meals with them.

According to research, dried onions tend to be more concentrated on all of their plant compounds and flavor. Thus, while using dried onions, ensure that you use them with caution, as too much of it can make your food taste weird.

In order to get a better flavor out of your meals, try mixing your dried onions with garlic powder. This combination would spice up your recipes that require shallots.

Some of the foods you can add dried onions to include;

• Onion dip
• Barbeque
• Salad
• Beef stew

Scallions

Scallions can also be used as healthy and nutritious substitutes for shallots. Studies have shown that they are in the family of shallots. Scallions are green onions. More or less immature onions.

All parts of the scallion are edible, ranging from the bulb itself to the greens at the top of the bulb and up to the bottom. This bottom is usually white and has a very similar taste as shallots. The green tops have onion tastes with a little bit of grassy taste.

Be it raw or cooked, scallions give your food awesome tastes and can be incorporated into foods like ;

• Chicken soups
• Pancakes
• Broiled salmon

In conclusion, the shallot is a delicious food spice that gives your food a mouth watery aroma and taste. However, shallots are not easy to come by. Hence the need for shallot substitutes that are natural and can give you the feel and taste that is similar to shallots.