Scallion Pancakes Recipe: Easy, Naturally Vegan & Kid-Friendly

When Katherine and I were thinking about what to make for this month’s column, Alisa suggested a recipe that features vegetables. Somehow that suggestion led us to one of our favorite bread recipes! Not everyone thinks of bread when asked to write about vegetables, but these savory scallion pancakes or flatbread are the perfect way to highlight the green onions of spring. It is also a great way to introduce onions to children. Even the members of our family who don’t like onions love this bread.

Chinese Scallion Pancakes, aka Pan-Fried Flatbread Loaded with Green Onions

If you are a member of a CSA or have a favorite farmer’s market, look around for scallions, green garlic, garlic scapes, or ramps. Even the patch of chives in your backyard will work. Incorporating any of these fleeting spring greens into this simple flatbread is a great way to show them off–and to make them more approachable for hesitant eaters.

The scallion flatbread itself is great on its own as a snack or appetizer. It can also be a vehicle for other fillings or toppings. We often use these scallion pancakes as soft taco-like wraps filled with fresh vegetables such as lettuce, spinach, carrot shreds, and pea greens, along with seasoned ground turkey or shredded chicken.
Kids can help cut the scallions with kitchen shears, run the mixer, and help shape the dough into pancakes.

Special Diet Notes: Scallion Pancakes

By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, and vegetarian.

Dairy-Free Scallion Pancakes

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

32 mins

Total time

47 mins

These are also known as Chinese green onion pancakes, and are actually quite different from American pancakes. They're savory, and made with a dough rather than a batter. The result is more of a rich, flavorful, pan-fried flatbread.

Author: Katherine and Sarah Hatfield

Recipe type: Entree

Cuisine: Chinese

Serves: 16 pancakes

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for the cutting board
1 bunch scallions, finely chopped (about 2 cups)
1 cup water, room temperature
½ cup non-hydrogenated shortening, melted (Sarah uses Spectrum)
¾ teaspoon salt
4 to 6 tablespoons high-heat oil, as needed

Instructions

Place the 3 cups flour, scallions, water, melted shortening, and salt in a mixing bowl. Stir or mix with a mixer on low speed until fully combined.
Cover the mixing bowl and let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
Dust a cutting board with flour.
Turn the dough out onto the cutting board; it will be sticky.
Cut the dough into 16 equal pieces.
Flatten each piece into a thin pancake, either by hand or with a floured rolling pin.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
Lightly fry the pancakes, 2 at a time, for approximately 2 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Add more oil as needed between batches of pancakes.
Place the cooked scallion pancakes on paper towel-lined cookies sheets to soak up any excess grease.
Serve immediately, either whole or cut into wedges.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 1 pancake Calories: 174 Fat: 9.7g Saturated fat: 3.5g Carbohydrates: 18.8g Sugar: .4g Sodium: 111mg Fiber: 1g Protein: 2.7g