Chives
Chives are a slender, mild member of the allium family, used fresh as a delicate onion-like garnish and flavoring herb. This page covers buying, storing, and the mostly raw or last-minute ways chives are used.
How to buy
Look for bright green, firm stalks with no yellowing, wilting, or sliminess; a fresh bunch should smell faintly oniony when snipped. Chive blossoms, when sold, should be a vivid purple with no browning.
How to store
Wrap loosely in a damp paper towel and refrigerate in a bag, or stand the stalks upright in a glass of water like cut flowers; use within about a week. Chopped chives freeze reasonably well, though the texture softens.
Culinary profile
- Flavor
- Mild and delicate, with a gentle onion-garlic flavor far subtler than onion or scallion. The flavor fades quickly with heat, so chives are best added raw or stirred in right at the end of cooking.
- Texture
- Thin, hollow, tender stalks that are easy to snip with scissors; they wilt and turn limp almost immediately if cooked for any length of time.
- Aroma
- A light, fresh, grassy-onion smell.
How to prepare
- Finely snipped — Cut into small rings with scissors and scattered raw over finished dishes.
- Folded into compound butter — Mixed into softened butter for spreading on bread, steak, or vegetables.
- Blended into dips and sauces — Stirred into sour cream, cream cheese, or dressings for a mild onion note.
- Used whole as garnish — Left as a single long stalk laid across a finished plate for visual appeal.
Classic dishes
American
- Loaded baked potato — A baked potato topped with sour cream, cheese, bacon, and a scatter of fresh chives.
- Chive cream cheese — Cream cheese blended with snipped chives, a classic bagel spread.
- Baked potato soup — A creamy potato soup finished with a sprinkle of chives alongside cheese and bacon.
- Chive and egg salad — Egg salad brightened with finely snipped chives for a mild onion bite.
- Deviled eggs with chives — Classic deviled eggs garnished with a scatter of fresh chives.
- Chive biscuits — Buttery biscuits studded with chopped chives, often paired with cheddar.
- Ranch dressing — A buttermilk-based dressing where chives contribute a mild onion note alongside dill and garlic.
Italian
- Chive-flecked risotto garnish — A finished risotto topped with snipped chives for a bright, mild onion note.
French
- Vichyssoise — A chilled potato and leek soup traditionally garnished with a sprinkle of fresh chives.
- Omelette aux fines herbes — A simple folded omelet filled with a classic French herb blend that includes chives.
- Chive compound butter — Softened butter mixed with chives and lemon, melted over grilled steak or fish.
- Boursin-style herbed cheese spread — A soft cheese spread flecked with chives and garlic, eaten with crackers or bread.
- Crème fraîche and chive dip — A simple dip of crème fraîche stirred with chives, often served with raw vegetables.
- Herb-crusted goat cheese log — A chilled goat cheese log rolled in chopped chives and herbs before serving.
German
- German potato salad with chives — A warm, vinegar-based potato salad finished with a scatter of fresh chives.