27 New Ways to Eat Your Veggies
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!
Caramelized Baby Carrots
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.
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Sweet Potato Gratin
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.
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Buttered Beet and Carrot Sauté
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
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.
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Roasted Cauliflower with Red Onions and Oranges
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
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.
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Baby Hasselback Potatoes with Blue Cheese and Bacon
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.
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Sautéed Mustard Greens with Garlic and Lemon
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
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
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
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
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.
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Roasted Root Vegetables
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
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
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
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.
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Radish and Parmesan Salad
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
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.
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Curried Carrot Latkes
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.
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Caraway Kraut
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.