Add Curled Green Onions To Your Salad For A Deliciously Decorative Look

Scallions? Spring onions? Green onions? These vegetables may be mistakenly perceived as identical, or as completely distinct from one another. Green onions and scallions are precisely the same; they can be labeled differently depending on what store you go to. However, spring onions are different: They have a much bigger bulb. Nevertheless, these three share a commonality: Their green tops can be used to create beautiful curls that will elevate your salad.

This effortless garnish is simple to prepare. You only need a knife, a chopping board, and a bowl with ice-cold water. The garnish is perfect for a flash of green color, to add another level to your salad, or even just a playful way to add that essential crunchy texture. While you don't have to worry about which kind of these green onions you use, you do want to ensure you haven't picked up green garlic, which looks mischievously like scallions. Now, let's get decorative!

Always begin by washing your greens: Your grocery store produce is probably dirtier than you realize. Then cut off the green part of the spring (or green) onions — reserving the whites for another dish or a stock. Chop these green pieces in half so they're not so long, then slice them vertically into thin strips. Depending on how big or small your onions are, you may be able to pull strips off with your fingers. Otherwise, you can use a small to medium-sized knife to thinly slice. Ensure you're not using a blunt knife, as this will make it challenging to get those perfectly thin strips, and could potentially lead to losing control over the blade.

Put the sliced onion greens into a bowl of ice water, and voilà: They curl up on their own. It only takes a few minutes, so it's great to do this trick for guests as you're about to serve. You can pat the curls dry before you pop them onto your salad. This will prevent your salad dressing from diluting in the extra water. This trick also works well with thin strips of carrot, which can be placed in ice water for around 20 minutes for a similar effect. The ice bath alone is perfect for injecting a fresh crunch into your onions or carrots.

Why stop at curling spring onions? There are plenty of other ways to get dynamic and fun looks from your salad without turning it into a lifesize peacock. Fresh carrot ribbons are a colorful way to play with curls. After removing the skin, thinly peel the carrot lengthwise to get large strips. Then roll these into swirls and place them inside your salad with enough support around then so they keep their shape. This process can be repeated with cucumber, eggplant, radishes (daikon or other large variety), or any other sufficiently sized vegetable. Just peel where it's appropriate.

Remember, whenever you're preparing a salad, you want it to reflect the colors of the rainbow. Different colors in vegetables and fruits represent the different phytonutrients (plant-derived compounds that provide health benefits) they contain. According to Harvard Health, naturally green vegetables are abundant in compounds that help prevent cancer, while orange ones have beta cryptothanxin, which "supports intracellular communication." The next time you plan to curl some green onions (or any vegetable for that matter) for your salad garnish, consider how good you're being to your body, and enjoy!