27 New Ways to Eat Your Veggies

mr-Spiralized Summer Vegetable Salad Image

Photo: Emma Crist

Maybe you grew up on canned corn and English peas, and to you, "vegetables" are those soft, steamed frozen blends that you eventually ate (lukewarm) at the very end of dinner. Good news: Vegetables can be flavorful, delicious, and full of texture. If fact, they are the star of the modern plate. The rise of plant-based eating has inspired many, many new ways to make the most of your vegetables, like the techniques that you'll find in this collection. We've gathered our favorite, new vegetable recipes that highlight the fresh, natural flavor and crunchy texture of your farmers market finds. Dig in!

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1 of 28

Caramelized Baby Carrots

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Food Styling: Catherine Crowell Steele; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine

Caramelized Baby Carrots Recipe
Use this simple roasted-carrot method as a base, and then layer on other flavor combinations as you like. Try smoky chipotle chile powder, fragrant garam masala, or tart ground sumac.

2 of 28

Sweet Potato Gratin

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Food Styling: Catherine Steele; Prop Styling: Thom Driver

Sweet Potato Gratin Recipe
Thin layers of yukon and sweet potatoes, Parmesan, and Gruyere make this an instant favorite. Ginger, nutmeg, and red pepper provide a warmth that makes this dish different.

3 of 28

Buttered Beet and Carrot Sauté

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Food Styling: Catherine Crowell Steele; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke

Buttered Beet and Carrot Sauté Recipe
If you love the sweet, earthy flavor of beets but think you don't have time to cook them on a weeknight, you'll appreciate this fast microwave method.

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Grits and Greens with Brown Butter Hot Sauce

Photo: Iain Bagwell; Food Styling: Tami Hardeman; Prop Styling: Elizabeth Demo

Grits and Greens with Brown Butter Hot Sauce Recipe
You can substitute your favorite hearty greens, but don't skip the hot and tangy sauce--it makes the dish.

5 of 28

Roasted Cauliflower with Red Onions and Oranges

Photo: Romulo Yanes; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen

Roasted Cauliflower with Red Onions and Oranges Recipe
The broiler makes this dish super fast. Toss cauliflower and red onion in olive oil, vinegar, oregano, orange rind, and red pepper; broil; top with fresh orange segments.

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Baby Bok Choy and Cucumber Salad

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Food Styling: Margaret Monroe Dickey; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine

Baby Bok Choy and Cucumber Salad Recipe
Thinly slice the bok choy stalks and leaves for a salad that's full of color and texture. Cilantro, rice vinegar, and toasted sesame oil give this side a vibrant, Asian -inspired flavor.

7 of 28

Baby Hasselback Potatoes with Blue Cheese and Bacon

Photo: Laurey W. Glenn; Food Styling: William Smith; Prop Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham

Baby Hasselback Potatoes with Blue Cheese and Bacon Recipe
Hasselback-style potatoes have thin, accordion-like slices that turn crisp in the oven. Blue cheese and bacon bring them over the top in terms of flavor.

8 of 28

Sautéed Mustard Greens with Garlic and Lemon

Sauteed Mustard Greens with Garlic and Lemon image

Photo: Laurey W. Glenn; Food Styling: William Smith; Prop Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham

Sautéed Mustard Greens with Garlic and Lemon Recipe
This dish is a fast take on the usual long-simmered greens. Swap out other hearty greens like kale, collards, or turnip greens for the mustard greens if you prefer.

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Herbed Ricotta, Asparagus, and Phyllo Tart

Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez

Herbed Ricotta, Asparagus, and Phyllo Tart Recipe
If working with phyllo dough fills you with fear, don’t worry—this recipe is beginner-friendly. Skip past the big, fat asparagus spears you might see this time of year; you need thinner spears so that they’ll get done in the 20 minutes it takes to crisp the dough.

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Broccoli-Apple Slaw

Photo: Rob Culpepper; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine

Broccoli-Apple Slaw Recipe
Give traditional slaw a twist by using apple and broccoli slaw, with lemon and horseradish in the mayo dressing.

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Wilted Chard with Red Onion and Pine Nuts

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Food Styling: Margaret Monroe Dickey; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine

Wilted Chard with Red Onion and Pine Nuts Recipe
Don't toss those gorgeous chard stems! Instead, thinly slice and give them a head start in the pan before adding the leaves. This bright dish takes mere minutes to prepare.

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Parmesan Carrots with Lemon-Parsley Dressing

Photo: Jennifer Casuey; Food Styling: CAtherine Crowell Steele; Prop Styling:Thom Driver

Parmesan Carrots with Lemon-Parsley Dressing Recipe
You don’t need a steamer basket for perfectly tender vegetables, just a skillet and lid. A small amount of liquid gently steams the carrots in the pan, then the lid comes off so the liquid can evaporate and the vegetables can caramelize. This recipe utilizes Parmesan and lemon for bold flavor.

13 of 28

Roasted Root Vegetables

Photo: Jennifer Causey

Roasted Root Vegetables Recipe
Keep it classic with simple roasted shallots, carrots, turnips, and beets. To make them pop, we toss them in maple syrup, rosemary, olive oil, salt, and pepper before roasting.

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Roasted Cauliflower with Pickled Onion and Yogurt Sauce

Photo: Thomas J. Story

Roasted Cauliflower with Pickled Onion and Yogurt Sauce Recipe
Nutty, whole-roasted cauliflower with tangy pickled onion and currants is served with a yogurt-vinegar sauce. Your taste buds are about to be wowed.

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Warm Shiitake and Celery Salad

Photo: Annabelle Breakey

Warm Shiitake and Celery Salad Recipe
All-in mushroom flavor + salt pecorino + crunchy celery = perfect balance in a bowl.

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Bibb, Radicchio, and Asparagus Salad

Bibb, Radicchio, and Asparagus Salad Recipe
Just a little radicchio provides a colorful contrast to the tender, delicate Bibb lettuce, though its slight bitterness may be too much for some kids. Swap in thinly sliced red cabbage if you like. This salad is topped with a simple apple cider, Dijon, and honey vinaigrette.

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Butternut Squash and Corn Soup

Photo: Thomas J. Story; Styling: Janna Lufkin

Butternut Squash and Corn Soup Recipe
Corn, cooked so it still has a light crunch, accents this silky squash soup seasoned with garlic, paprika, nutmeg, and parsley.

18 of 28

Radish and Parmesan Salad

Photo: Jennifer Causey

Radish and Parmesan Salad Recipe
Just thinly sliced radishes and Parmesan over spring mix with a basic lemon vinaigrette. Sometimes, simple is best.

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Warm Buttered Radish and Edamame Salad

Photo: Jennifer Causey

Warm Buttered Radish and Edamame Salad Recipe
Radishes lose their pepperiness once sautéed and turn a faint rosy pink. For a boost of protein, we contrast the radishes with edamame, a great alternative to frozen green peas. Chives, salt, and pepper season this side perfectly.

20 of 28

Curried Carrot Latkes

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Food Styling: Catherine Crowell Steele; Prop Styling: Thom Driver

Curried Carrot Latkes Recipe
These gorgeous latkes are bursting with earthy-sweet curry flavor. The trick to crispy cakes with less oil is to start with a very dry grated potato or carrot mixture: Drain well, and then squeeze in a clean kitchen towel.

21 of 28

Caraway Kraut

Photo: Hector Manuel Sanches; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine

Caraway Kraut Recipe
Sauerkraut is an easy entry point to the glories of fermentation, and great way to enjoy your veggies. It's easy to make and nearly foolproof, and you can let it ferment to suit your taste (the longer it goes, the softer and more sour it gets).

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Charred Root Vegetables with Bagna Cauda

Photo: Sheri Giblin; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

Charred Root Vegetables with Bagna Cauda Recipe
This Italian appetizer usually involves raw vegetables dipped into a pungent warm sauce. (Bagna cauda means “hot bath” in Italian.) We used roasted root vegetables for their caramelized sweetness and crunchy-on-the-outside yet tender-on-the-inside texture.

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Turnip Green Salad with Tabasco Vinaigrette

Photo: Jennifer Causey

Turnip Green Salad with Tabasco Vinaigrette Recipe
That's right, Tobasco vinaigrette, made with shallot, lime juice, Dijon, and honey.

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Roasted Radishes with Brown Butter, Chile, and Honey

Photo: Laura Dart

Roasted Radishes with Brown Butter, Chile, and Honey Recipe
Raw radish and butter are a classic pair. Cook them until toasted and nutty, and add a splash of vinegar, chile, and drizzle of honey for a surprisingly dazzling and satisfying dish.

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Raw Artichoke Salad with Herbs, Almonds, and Parmigiano

Photo: Laura Dart

Raw Artichoke Salad with Herbs, Almonds, and Parmigiano Recipe
Use very early artichokes for this salad. The young artichokes with have a sweeter flavor and are less fibrous, which allows them to work in this Spring salad.

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Steamed Broccoli with Peanut Sauce

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Missie Neville Crawford

Steamed Broccoli with Peanut Sauce Recipe
Serve a package of steam-in-a-bag broccoli with sesame seeds and this delicious peanut sauce for a quick, show-stopping side.

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Spiralized Summer Vegetable Salad

Photo: Emma Crist

Spiralized Summer Vegetable Salad Recipe
This is a bright and fresh summer salad with zucchini and yellow squash. You will need a spiralizer, which is a fairly inexpensive kitchen tool that allows you to grate vegetables into long “noodles” using a rotating handle, in order to achieve these whimsical veggie strands.

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27 New Ways to Eat Your Veggies

1 of 28

Caramelized Baby Carrots

2 of 28

Sweet Potato Gratin

3 of 28

Buttered Beet and Carrot Sauté

4 of 28

Grits and Greens with Brown Butter Hot Sauce

5 of 28

Roasted Cauliflower with Red Onions and Oranges

6 of 28

Baby Bok Choy and Cucumber Salad

7 of 28

Baby Hasselback Potatoes with Blue Cheese and Bacon

8 of 28

Sautéed Mustard Greens with Garlic and Lemon

9 of 28

Herbed Ricotta, Asparagus, and Phyllo Tart

10 of 28

Broccoli-Apple Slaw

11 of 28

Wilted Chard with Red Onion and Pine Nuts

12 of 28

Parmesan Carrots with Lemon-Parsley Dressing

13 of 28

Roasted Root Vegetables

14 of 28

Roasted Cauliflower with Pickled Onion and Yogurt Sauce

15 of 28

Warm Shiitake and Celery Salad

16 of 28

Bibb, Radicchio, and Asparagus Salad

17 of 28

Butternut Squash and Corn Soup

18 of 28

Radish and Parmesan Salad

19 of 28

Warm Buttered Radish and Edamame Salad

20 of 28

Curried Carrot Latkes

21 of 28

Caraway Kraut

22 of 28

Charred Root Vegetables with Bagna Cauda

23 of 28

Turnip Green Salad with Tabasco Vinaigrette

24 of 28

Roasted Radishes with Brown Butter, Chile, and Honey

25 of 28

Raw Artichoke Salad with Herbs, Almonds, and Parmigiano

26 of 28

Steamed Broccoli with Peanut Sauce

27 of 28

Spiralized Summer Vegetable Salad

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