Is This a Mega Scallion?
Some facts about the Tokyo Negi Onions
By Jenny Pena
One amazing thing about joining a CSA besides supporting local farms and having more affordable access to organic produce is to be exposed to vegetables you may not find at the stores. It is great to add a variety of vegetable to tackle boredom and also get a good mix of nutrients in our diet.
For second week of distribution this Summer 2023 season, there is one vegetable that I have to admit I would not use but decided to truly research and incorporate it in some recipes this week. Let’s talk about Negi, also referred to as Welsh Onion or Tokyo Scallions. They look like a larger version of green onions or scallions, but they are quite different, like a middle point between a leek and a scallion.
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| Image taken from: https://www.kitchengardenseeds.com/ippon-negi-japanese-bunching-onion.html |
These onions are supposed to be a great source of vitamins A, C, potassium, calcium, vitamin K and B6 so surely this is a great vegetable packed with a good mix of nutrients. (See link here - https://www.specialtyproduce.com/produce/Tokyo_Negi_Onions_6650.php). It also mentions that it may have a bit a sweetness to the taste and that it is great to incorporate in clear soups.
After doing some searches, I found several clear soup recipes which sounded delicious, and most recipes included mushrooms, beef or pork. I decided to get inspired and ventured into preparing a soup to experiment with flavors. I just mixed the following ingredients with some beef stock, and it was a great light clear soup. Here is the recipe:
Summer Ramen Soup
1 Pack of Ramen Noodles – Beef Flavor
1 Negi onion (chopped and separating the greens from the white parts)
1 Piece of Ginger
1 Garlic clove
1 piece of steak sliced (I used leftover)
¼ Orange Bell Pepper
¼ Red Bell Pepper
2 Boiled Eggs
1 tsp sesame seed oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
Dash of sriracha sauce
- I sauteed the white parts of the Negi onion (keep the green to use as topping after) with ginger, garlic and sesame oil for a few minutes without burning.
- Added the ramen noodles and beef stock and allowed for it to cook.
- When noodles were almost done, I added the steak and the peppers and cooked for a couple of minutes.
- In separate container, boil eggs to your desired level then when cooked slice and place as topping for your soup.
- Have it as a clear soup with more liquid or with less liquid to have more noodles. Enjoy!
And if soup is not your jam because of the warmer weather, there is an amazing recipe from Teri Turner at @nocrumbsleft for a charred scallion dressing that I am going to use the Negi onions instead of scallions to top the greens I got this week. See link for recipe here - https://nocrumbsleft.net/2021/11/09/simple-creamy-charred-scallion-dressing-whole30/
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Interested in learning more about the Norwood CSA? Check out our Info Page: https://norwoodfoodcoop.blogspot.com/2021/10/how-to-join-norwood-csa.html
