Vegetables are one of my favorite food groups. I love their variety and flexibility, the difference in textures and flavors, and enjoying them fresh and local throughout the seasons.
However, I also totally understand the aversion to vegetables. So many of us (myself included) were subjected to mushy steamed or microwaved broccoli with nary a speck of seasoning in sight
Vegetables can also present a variety of challenges, whether they be the sensory nightmare of chewing through an extra fibrous mouthful, biting down on something way too crunchy, or simply running out of ideas of how to prepare them.
This my non-definitive guide to eating (and hopefully liking!) a range of vegetables, ranging from super simple to moderately ambitious. Grab a snack and get comfortable; while this guide is non-definitive, it is also extremely comprehensive. (If this shows up truncated an your email, click on “view entire message.”)
Lastly, I do refer to foods that are taxonomically fruits as vegetables and we are all just going to have to make our peace with that.
Befriend your blender
No need to chew until your saliva dries up when your blender can do all that tough masticating for you!
In my previous post, I shared my favorite green smoothie that includes at least a serving or two of vegetables, but without tasting grassy or earthy.
Bonus tip: Avocados and spinach both have very neutral flavors and can be added to most things without disrupting the other flavors. Avocado also adds richness and creaminess, so if your smoothies are feeling a bit too thin, add in a chunk or two at a time to reach your desired consistency and flavor. Leftover avocado can be frozen, it will just go a bit brown.
Get saucy
Blenders are also great for condensing a grocery bag full of vegetables into a smooth, nutrient-dense sauce.
All-purpose pasta sauce
Heat your oven to 425F and give the following ingredients a rough chop and lay them out in a single layer on a lined baking sheet:
2-3 tomatoes - beefsteak, plum, roma, etc.
Cherry or grape tomatoes work, too! If you’re using smaller tomatoes, add them to the baking tray whole. If you don’t have fresh tomatoes, add a can of crushed or whole tomatoes while blending.
1 onion - sweet yellow onions work best, but 2-3 small to medium shallots or a couple of leeks would also be delicious.
1 red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, core removed
2-3 carrots - no need to peel them if they’re clean!
2-3 stalks of celery - approximately the same amount as the carrots
1 small to medium zucchini
Garlic - I measure garlic with my heart, but I usually end up with 6-10 cloves (though a whole garlic head would certainly be delicious, too!)
Keep the skins on and toss the whole cloves onto the pan with everything else.
Season the vegetables with salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil, and throw the whole tray into the oven for 30-45-ish minutes, depending on how roasted you like your vegetables and how powerful your blender is. There should be charred bits around the edges where the natural sugars have caramelized — that’s flavor!
After the tray is out of the oven and you’ve removed the skins from your garlic cloves, dump everything into the blender. Keep the hole in the lid open so the steam can escape and cover it with a dish towel to keep the sauce inside the appliance rather than all over you. If you have an immersion blender, feel free to use that instead!
Blend to your desired consistency, adding a few splashes or water or stock as you go, then taste for seasoning. If you’ve accidentally made it a bit too thin, you can simmer the sauce later to thicken it again. Season as you wish, though you can also leave the seasoning as neutral as possible so the sauce can be multipurpose.
Store in the fridge for 4-5 days, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
A few tips:
If some vegetables are cooking faster than others, remove the ones that are already done partway through the process.
Place the garlic cloves amongst the other vegetables; the steam prevents them from getting burned.
Don’t squeeze a whole head of roasted garlic like cooking TikTok likes to do. It wastes a lot of garlic and is extremely messy. Just cut the ends off the cloves and the skin will slip right off.
If you’re using an immersion blender, cut the vegetables a bit smaller to reduce the amount of work you have to do at the end.
Stick blenders also work best blending in taller jugs or containers instead of a wide pot or pan.
If your household includes particularly sensitive palates, add a higher ratio of tomatoes — or any amount of jarred pasta sauce that you desire — and scale back the bell pepper so the flavors feel a bit more familiar.
You can also serve it on the side so diners can help themselves. Serving with extra butter and cheese doesn’t hurt, either.
Other sauce ideas:
Everything Green Sauce from Plant You
Spinach rice from Pyal Patel
Kale pesto from Wil Yeung
Swiss chard pesto from Carla Lalli Music
Another green sauce! from Carla Lalli Music - starts around minute 7
10 veggie-loaded pasta sauces from Amy Palanjian
10 Veggie Pasta Sauce from Not Just Co.
Non-sad salads
Boxed desk salads are almost unanimously disappointing, but #NotAllSalads are like that! If leafy salads do not spark joy, let me introduce you to chopped salads and grain salads. They are much easier to eat, take up less space in the office fridge, and stand up to dressings for a longer period of time.
A few of my all-time favorites:
Persian shirazi salad from The Matbakh
This starts with a super simple base of cucumbers, onions, and tomatoes, but I love adding in parsley and white beans (this version is often served in Turkish restaurants). Couscous, orzo, quinoa, mixed wild rice, shredded red cabbage, or thinly sliced radishes would also make great additions. Or, turn it into a pasta salad by adding your favorite short-cut pasta!
Fall grain salad from Carla Lalli Music
Nicoise salad from Love & Lemons
Big Ass Salad 3 Ways & Big Ass Salad pt. 2 from Brian Lagerstrom
Destroying Salad Haters with Facts and Logic from Internet Shaquille
Consider purchasing a vegetable chopper to minimize knife work and save you time. If you have the budget, another time-saver is pre-chopped vegetables and pre-made ingredients like dressings and salad toppings. If you do have the time and energy, preparing elements ahead of time and assembling as you wish throughout the week is another great option.
Soup, stews, & curries
Much like sauces, these can help you make the most out of an overwhelming amount of vegetables.
My favorite soup is based on Adam Rageusea’s marvelous vegetable soup rant and typically includes:
Chicken or vegetable stock - I usually have a couple quart containers hanging out in my freezer (more to come on this in a later post!)
A can of white beans or lentils
1-½ cup diced celery, carrots, and onion
½ cup frozen peas, corn, and/or green beans
2-3 cloves garlic
A couple handfuls of chopped cabbage, kale, or spinach
½ cup of canned tomatoes (or that vegetable sauce we made earlier!)
¼ cup alphabet pasta
A few more cozy inspirations to help you get started:
All-purpose veggie broth from Amy Palanjian
Vegetarian chili from Cookie and Kate
Saag aloo from Rainbow Plant Life
Irish farmhouse soup from Donal Skehan
Thai green curry from Pailin Chongchitnant
To infinity & beyond
I hope this post has sparked some new and creative ideas to enjoy cooking and eating vegetables! Here are some parting ideas to send you on your way:
Go international! A small fraction of options this wide, beautiful world has to offer include: mofongo, ssambap, bibimbap, gỏi cuốn, pisto manchego, ratatouille, gratin, gazpacho, obe ata, and stir fries galore.
Go sweet! Black bean brownies and avocado chocolate mousse are two popular go-tos.
When in doubt, eggs! A simple clean-out-the-fridge frittata or an omelet, or a couple fried or poached eggs on top of a loaded baked potato are both simple and endlessly flexible.
Test out that panini press or waffle maker you received as a gift and never actually used with a grilled veggie sandwich or falafel mix.
If they are accessible to you, buy pre-made snacks that are rich in vegetables, like these fruit and vegetable pouches.
Internet Shaquille has a range of vegetable options, including a simple and adaptable pasta primavera blueprint.
Ethan Chlebowski breaks down how to cook with frozen vegetables.
Carleigh Bodrug (@plantyou) has a whole series called Scrappy Cooking to reduce food waste. She also has a hidden veggie recipe series!
Amy Palanjian (@yummytoddlerfood via Instagram) offers dozens of kid-friendly and nutritious ideas, because sometimes we need to gentle-parent ourselves, too.