How often do vegetables make an appearance on your plate? Is it less often than you’d care to admit?
A common reason people cite for not eating more vegetables is that they don’t like how they taste or don’t know how to prepare them so they taste good.
If either of these issues sounds familiar, these four delicious vegetable recipes are here to save the day. Give one (or more) of them a try today!
Simple Roasted Vegetables
Everyone needs a tasty, go-to roasted vegetable recipe for busy weeknights or weekend meal prepping. This recipe is an excellent option, especially for those who are new to cooking vegetables.
Ingredients
- One head cauliflower
- One head broccoli
- One red onion
- Two sweet potatoes
- One red bell pepper
- One yellow bell pepper
- Four tablespoons of olive oil
- Salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, tin foil, or a silicon mat
- Chop the broccoli and cauliflower into florets
- Chop the onion into ½ inch slices
- Chop the sweet potatoes into ½ pieces (cut into halves, cut each half into halves, then cut cross-wise to form wedge-shapes)
- Cut the bell peppers into ½ inch strips
- Spread the vegetables evenly across the baking sheets
- Drizzle the olive oil over the vegetables, then top with seasonings
- Bake for 20 minutes
- Remove the pans from the oven, rotate them, and bake for another 10 minutes.
Bonus Tips
Don’t have one of the vegetables listed above on hand? Don’t panic.
You can easily substitute them for other options that you have available or omit them altogether (you’re still adding plenty of vegetables to your meal!). Some other veggies that would taste good with this recipe include squash, asparagus, tomatoes (yes, they’re technically fruits, but they’re loaded with nutrients), and carrots.
Corn Salad
Corn salad is the perfect side dish for barbecues and picnics (or any other time you want to serve something fresh, crunchy, and cool). This corn salad recipe comes together in just a few minutes and is made with affordable, easy-to-find ingredients.
Ingredients
- 3 cups corn kernels (approximately four ears of corn or 2.5 cans)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters
- 1 cup cucumbers, diced
- ¼ cup red onion, diced
- Three tablespoons of olive oil
- Three tablespoons of apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar
- One tablespoon of fresh parsley
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Basic or dill, to taste
Instructions
- If using fresh corn, boil in salted water for 3-4 minutes
- Drain the corn and let it cool completely before removing the kernels with a sharp knife
- Combine corn kernels, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onion in a large bowl
- Drizzle olive oil and apple cider vinegar over the vegetables
- Add salt and pepper
- Stir to combine
- Store in the fridge until you’re ready to serve
- When ready to serve, add fresh herbs and toss once more to combine
Bonus Tips
This salad tastes better when it’s sat in the fridge for a while (this gives all the flavors a chance to mix together), so make it in the morning if you can and let it rest until dinner!
Cauliflower Steaks
These cauliflower steaks aren’t meant to replace your beloved T-bone or New York strip. However, they are a tasty way to incorporate more vegetables into your diet and complement your favorite dishes without adding lots of extra calories.
Ingredients
- One large head of cauliflower
- ¼ cup of olive oil
- One tablespoon of lemon juice
- Two cloves of garlic, minced
- Salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, tin foil, or a silicone mat
- Cut the head of cauliflower lengthwise into four “steaks” (cut through the core)
- Lay each steak on the baking sheet
- In a bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice, and seasonings
- Brush half of the olive oil mixture onto the steaks
- Bake for 15 minutes
- Remove from the oven and flip the steaks
- Brush the remaining olive oil mixture over the steaks
- Bake for 15-20 more minutes
Bonus Tips
These cauliflower steaks can be an excellent alternative to bread or potatoes if you want to cut carbs. For extra flavor, you can also top them with some shredded cheese (parmesan and mozzarella are good options).
Ratatouille
The recipe that inspired the hit Disney Pixar movie is not just a fun dish to share with your kids. It’s also an easy way to incorporate multiple vegetables into one meal.
Ingredients
- Two eggplants
- Six Roma tomatoes
- Two yellow squashes
- Two zucchinis
- One medium white onion, diced
- Four cloves garlic, minced
- One red bell pepper, diced
- One yellow bell pepper, diced
- Four tablespoons olive oil, separated
- 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Four tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil, separated
- One teaspoon of minced garlic
- Two tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
- Two teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
- Slice the eggplant, squash, zucchini, and tomatoes into thin slice (approximately 1 millimeter thick) and set aside.
- Heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil in an oven-safe pan (about 12 inches)
- Sauté the bell peppers, onions, and garlic until soft
- Add salt and pepper, followed by crushed tomatoes
- Stir until the ingredients are fully incorporated
- Remove from heat, then add two tablespoons of basil
- Stir to combine, then smooth the sauce’s surface with a spatula
- Arrange the veggies in alternating slices (e.g., eggplant, tomato, squash, zucchini) on top of the sauce, working from the outside in
- Season with salt and pepper
- In a small bowl, combine the remaining basil, seasonings, and the remaining olive oil.
- Spoon the herb mixture over the vegetables.
- Cover and bake for 40 minutes.
- Uncover, then bake for another 20 minutes
Bonus Tips
This dish is pretty simple, but it can be time-consuming. Consider chopping the vegetables on the weekend when you have a bit more time. That way, you can put it together a bit faster when you’re ready to enjoy it.
Try These Delicious Vegetable Recipes Today
You don’t have to be a gourmet chef to prepare delicious vegetables. Whether you’re cooking for yourself or your friends and family, these four recipes will surely be crowd-pleasers.
Do you need more help adding vegetables to your routine?
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