How to Eat More Vegetables (Part 2 of 2)

Spinach soup, from a Moosewood cookbook

Without further ado, my favorite ways to eat vegetables (and fruits that are vegetable-like)!

Avocados— Make guacamole by mashing an avocado with some lemon or lime juice, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Eat with chips or any kind of Mexican dish.

Beets— Shred one beet and two large carrots with a box grater, then sauté the shreds in a hot pan. Serve with ground beef or parmesan, topped with a fried egg.

Bok Choy— Chop into bite-sized strips and lightly cook with a bit of water in a pan. Drain the water and dress the greens with soy sauce, sesame seeds, and a dash of Sriracha.

Broccoli— Toss into stir-fry, or chop into bite-sized pieces, douse in oil and roast in a hot oven until crispy.

Brussels Sprouts— Make this recipe. Zach thought he didn’t like Brussels sprouts until he tried them this way.

Cabbage— Great for sauerkraut (a bit time-consuming, but easy) or cabbage stir-fry (super easy).

Carrots— Eat raw with dip, shred to use in a hash, throw into a stir-fry, or chop into tiny pieces and boil with pasta water, then toss into pasta sauce. Carrots are good with everything.

Cauliflower— Eat raw with dip, or roast a whole head with a coating of salt, pepper, and curry powder.

Celery— I don’t like it raw, but it’s an important ingredient in soup stock (along with carrots and onions).

Corn— Corn on the cob, of course! You can also slice off the kernels and mix them into burritos. 

Cucumbers— Peel if the skin is tough, chop into thin coins, and drizzle with some vinegar, salt and pepper. Or make Bulgarian salad: sliced cucumbers, chopped tomatoes, and hard white cheese (feta, goat cheese, etc.).

Garlic— Add this to any savory dish, or to one part red wine or apple cider vinegar and two parts olive oil for a delicious dressing.

Green Beans— Sauté in a hot pan with garlic and parmesan until tender.

Kale— See my recipes here.

Leeks— Use the white parts like a sharper-tasting onion, or simmer slices of the whole plant in water with carrot and celery to create a delicious broth.

Lettuce— The key to lettuce is knowing how to make delicious dressing (see my previous post and Oh She Glows).

Mushrooms— Chop finely and stir them into pasta sauce, or slice thin and fry in butter with onions or garlic.

Onions— Good in absolutely everything, but be sure you sauté them long enough. If you slice them thin, salt them, and gently sautee them in oil for an hour, they become deliciously sweet. Caramelized onions are the base for French onion soup (just add broth), and they can be spread on toast or mixed into eggs.

Peas— Excellent for stir-fry, but also great in plain pasta with butter and parmesan.

Peppers— So many uses! Fajitas are my favorite, but you can stuff and bake them, chop them into burritos, or eat them raw with dip.

Potatoes— Bake them, mash them, fry them: you know how to make potatoes. Here’s one of my favorite go-to potato recipes.

Spinach— Great for blending into smoothies! Also a great addition to pasta— finely chop and add just before serving.

Sweet Potatoes— I like to roast these much like potatoes and throw them into salads, mix them with pasta or quinoa, or top the pieces with a fried egg. You can also fry the skin peels in lard for instant sweet potato chips.

Swiss Chard— Chop finely and heat up with a can of black beans, chili powder, garlic, and tomatoes. Serve on tortillas with sour cream and a fried egg for awesome huevos rancheros.

Tomatoes— You know what to do with these! It’s especially important to eat tomatoes in peak season. In the summer, someone you know probably grows tomatoes. See if you can beg them to sell or trade you some.

Winter Squash— My favorite is butternut squash, which I roast and use like sweet potatoes. Spaghetti squash is interesting too: see these instructions.

What are your favorite ways to eat these veggies? Let me know in the comments!

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