Smothered potatoes with green onions, a simple pan-cooked side dish made with stock and dried herbs.
These smothered potatoes with green onions remind me of the ones my grandma used to cook. She made them with regular chopped onions and some garlic, soft and flavorful, cooked slowly in a pan until everything melted together.
I still make them often, but I like using green onions instead. I usually buy a big bunch, trim the greens, and never throw them away. They're perfect for these potatoes or for homemade stock.
I love green onions and use them a lot. Check out more recipes using them: Green Onion Quiche or Green Onion Pasta.
Ingredients: 4 + oil, salt & pepper | Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Servings: 4 | Difficulty: Easy
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Recipe ingredients
Potatoes: I like using regular starchy potatoes for this recipe because they get soft without falling apart. You can also use Yukon Gold or any potatoes that hold their shape but still cook tender.
- For more easy potato side dishes, check out the Sour Cream Potatoes or the Crispy Lebanese Potatoes.
Green onions: Most of the time, I use only the green parts. They add a fresh flavor and save the trimmed tops from going to waste. You can use the white parts too, just cook them a little longer, or substitute with regular onions if you don't have green onions.
Olive oil: Butter works too, but my grandma would always use oil (actually, she would only use sunflower oil, never olive oil).
Dried herbs: I usually use Herbes de Provence, but thyme, rosemary, oregano, or an Italian herb mix are all great. Pick what you like and what you have on hand.
Vegetable stock: You can also use chicken stock or homemade stock. If using a stock cube, dissolve it in hot water first.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make smothered potatoes with green onions?
Step #1: Cut the peeled potatoes into cubes. Chop the onions, keeping the greens and the whites separated.
Step #2: Sauté the potatoes and the white parts of the onions for 5 minutes.
Step #3: Stir in salt, pepper, and dried herbs.
Step #4: Pour in ¾ of the stock and cover.
Step #5: Simmer for 10 minutes until almost done.
Step #6: Add the green parts of the onions and the remaining stock. Cook for 3 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
Tips
Cut evenly: Try to cut the potatoes into similar-sized cubes, so they cook evenly. Too small and they can fall apart; too big and they'll take forever to soften.
Stretch leftovers: If you have extra green onion tops, freeze them for stock or add to soups, scrambled eggs, or pasta dishes. Nothing goes to waste.
- I actually almost always make my homemade chicken stock for Semolina Dumpling Soup or other soups, turkey broth, beef bone broth, or lamb stock using the leftover frozen green onions instead of regular onions.
Store and reheat
Store: Let the smothered potatoes cool completely, then keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheat: Warm them gently in a saucepan over low heat. You can add a splash of stock or water to loosen them a bit if they've dried out. Stir carefully so the potatoes don't break.
Freezing: I don't freeze these green onion potatoes, because the texture gets a bit weird after thawing.
What to serve with them?
In Romania, we usually served them with bread, something like this Flaxseed Bread. They were often the main dish, accompanied by bread and sometimes a few sour cucumbers on the side.
Nowadays, I mostly serve these smothered potatoes with green onions as a side dish for chicken, Romanian meatballs, fish, and other simple meals.
Do you like this recipe?
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Smothered Potatoes with Green Onions
Equipment
- Jug
- Large saucepan with a lid.
Ingredients
- 1.8 lbs potatoes
- 1 bunch green onions about 10 with lots of green, Notes 1,2
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried herbs Note 3
- 1 cup vegetable stock a little more if needed Note 4
- a few sprigs of dill to garnish, optional
Instructions
- Chop the potatoes: Peel, wash, and dry the potatoes. Cut them into similar-sized cubes, not too small. Slice the onions into thin rings, keeping the white parts (if using) separate from the green parts.1.8 lbs potatoes + 1 bunch green onions
- Prepare the stock: If using a stock cube, dissolve it in hot water and keep it in a measuring jug for easy pouring. If using homemade stock, heat it well before you start cooking.1 cup vegetable stock
- Sauté the potatoes: Heat the oil in the saucepan. Add the potatoes and the white parts of the green onions (if using them). Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the salt, pepper, and herbs, and stir to combine.2 tablespoons olive oil + potatoes + white parts of onions + ½ teaspoon fine sea salt + ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper + 1 teaspoon dried herbs
- Add stock: Add about ¾ of the stock and stir carefully to combine. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer the potatoes for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. They should be almost tender at this point.
- Add the green parts of the green onions and the remaining stock. Stir carefully so you don't crush the potatoes, and cook uncovered for about 3 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender, the green onions are wilted, and the stock has cooked down.
- Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper and serve immediately. Before serving, sprinkle with dill if desired.a few sprigs of dill
Notes
- Green onions: I use mostly the green parts of the green onions. It's also a good way to use the greens that are often trimmed and discarded. Unless they are wilted, I never throw them away. I use them for this recipe or freeze them to make stock.
- You can use both the white and green parts. If using the white parts as well, keep them separate from the greens after chopping, as they need a slightly longer cooking time.
- Dried herbs: I used Herbes de Provence this time because I had some and like the flavor. However, you can use any dried herbs or dried herb blend you prefer, such as oregano, thyme, rosemary, or Italian seasoning.
- Stock: You can use vegetable or chicken stock made from a cube. Homemade stock is great, too.
Joe Wagner says
The rating should have been a 5, sorry for the fat-fingering.
Adina says
No worries, Joe. Thank you very much; I am very happy you liked the potatoes.
Joe Wagner says
These were great, and quite a new flavor for a potato recipe. Pretty quick, too.
Adina says
We just had them again on Sunday. They are perfect with a roast chicken.