Alliums: Garlic, Onions, Shallots, Leeks, Chives & More

Alliums are a family of aromatic vegetables that includes garlic, onions, shallots, leeks, scallions, and chives.

Every savory dish should have at least one allium in it. Alli-what?!

Ya now, like, garlic, onion, scallions, shallots, leeks, chives… there’s hundreds of species in this family of plants!

If you’re food has no flavor, the 2^nd question should be: are there enough/any alliums in this? (the first is: does it have enough/any salt?).

I’m a the-more-alliums-the-better kinda gal. They can be interchanged in pinch – using shallots instead of an onion never ever ruined a dish in the history of cooking.

Common denominator in this allium family is being garlicky herbs with a lingering pungency.

Alliums are clutch to cooking, literally building for enhancing flavor in dishes. So much so that if you’re cooking any of the any of the fruits/veggie in this index savory style, be sure to use some alliums too! Or roast them solo and enjoy by themselves.

Simple trick for making your house smell delicious: start sautéing some onions, garlic and/shallots in olive oil, butter or another fat!

Season: varies by variety, some allium or another is always in season
Prep Options: raw, roasted, sautéed, braised, or grilled