Once a month we’re featuring a family-friendly recipe from the Hatfields for our Kids Can Cook section. Their dairy-free teen cooking star is Katherine and this week she and her “mama”, Sarah, have a new favorite to share: Scallion Pancakes.
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.
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.
- 1 bunch scallions (approximately 2 cups finely chopped scallions)
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for the cutting board
- 1 cup water, room temperature
- ½ cup organic palm shortening, melted (see note below)
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 4 to 6 tablespoons high-heat oil (such as peanut oil, avocado, or rice bran), as needed
- Clean, trim, and finely chops the scallions.
- 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.
More Savory Scallion-Rich Recipes
Mushroom Schnitzel (optionally vegan, gluten-free & allergy-friendly)
Creamy Zucchini Corn Chowder (vegan, gluten-free & soy-free)
Szechuan-Style Vegetable Stir Fry (vegan, optionally gluten-free & allergy-friendly)
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My neighbor made these last night using coconut oil in place of the shortening, and she said they turned out well, in case anyone was wondering!