We could all stand to eat some more vegetables. We make it easy by putting all of our favorite vegetable recipes in one place.
Eat your veggies! Some of us may have heard this a lot when we were growing up, and hopefully, most of us are doing a better job of eating our vegetables these days. It turns out that our parents were right: vegetables are one of the most important food groups that humans eat, if not the most important one. Vegetables play a vital role in human nutrition, being generally low in fat and carbohydrates but with large amounts of dietary nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber.
But just what is a vegetable? It turns out that kind of depends on who you ask. In English and many other languages, people tend to distinguish between fruits and vegetables, but this creates something of a false dichotomy. Scientifically, fruits are all vegetables, but not all vegetables are fruits. Most broadly, a vegetable is simply any part of a plant that humans can eat, and so the converse is true: any part of a plant that a human eats is a vegetable.
However, when you get away from science and into culinary issues, it can start to get really thorny. In culinary circles, the terms refer to different things and are often seen as being mutually exclusive: fruits are generally known to be sweet, while vegetables are generally not. The Supreme Court of the United States Supreme Court has even conceded the difference between the botanical definition and the common definition, noting in 1883 that a tomato is identified as a vegetable for purposes of taxation, while still at the same time being classified as a fruit in a botanical sense (because it contains seeds, that is, it develops from the ovary of a flowering plant).
But enough about legal marginalia and slippery definitions. You’re here for some tasty, colorful, and most of all, delicious vegetable recipes. And boy do we have a show for you. Check out our favorite vegetable recipes here.
Simple grilled vegetables recipe
There are few pleasures that rival some gorgeous, summertime vegetables fresh off the grill. Simply assemble your favorite grilling vegetables—eggplants, zucchini, and bell peppers are classic favorites, but it’s important not to neglect less commonly grilled veggies for this dish. Unlikely suspects include green onions, cabbage (really!), onions, asparagus, broccolini, and corn. What sets this grilled vegetable recipe apart is the bright, garlicky vinaigrette it’s tossed in. Tossing the hot vegetables in the dressing right off the grill helps keep the sauce emulsified and lets the veggies absorb the flavors.
Broccoli and cheese casserole recipe
A midwestern classic, this broccoli and cheese casserole recipe is sure to have your inlaws pleased. Fresh green broccoli florets are tossed in a cheesy flour roux, topped with breadcrumbs, and tossed in a hot oven until just done. The key here is not to overcook your broccoli: even after you take it out of the oven, it will continue to cook from residual heat in the dish, so make sure you take it out while the broccoli is still bright green. Cutting your broccoli into similarly sized chunks also helps with even cooking. Done right, this baked broccoli casserole is the perfect springtime treat.
Vegetable curry with coconut milk recipe
A vegan all-star, this veggie curry gets creaminess from coconut milk, giving it an exotic, tropical touch. Seasoned with the usual suspects of curry paste, chili, and garlic, this vegan treat comes together in a flash and will leave you licking your bowl. Serve with rice or freshly baked naan bread.
Vegetable soup with pesto recipe
We all know how tasty pesto is. So it makes you wonder why we don’t put it on more dishes. Aside from the obvious pasta and the occasional sandwich, pesto doesn’t really get much traction. Not anymore: this healthy vegetable soup is enhanced by a fat dollop of bright green pesto, which brings its characteristic flavor to the soup in unexpected ways.
Ribollita: bean soup with vegetables and bread recipe
This traditional recipe from Tuscany is one of the region’s oldest. Combining hearty beans with vitamin-bursting Italian dinosaur kale and loads of other vegetables, this soup has a secret: it’s made with bread. Day old bread, specifically, serves to thicken the soup into a kind of bakery stew. Make sure you have lots of broth, because the bread serves as a kind of sponge, and the soup can become dry without enough broth.
Simple Chinese style stir fry with baby corn recipe
When you’re feeling hungry and lazy, there really is nothing like a good stir fry. Pop some rice in the rice cooker, get your wok or frying pan ripping hot, and toss in whatever vegetables you feel like. In this case, we use red bell peppers, snow peas, green onions, bok choy, and baby sweet corn. The sauce is a simple honey and soy sauce mixture spiked with ginger and garlic. This vegetable stir fry with baby corn is a true Asian feast that comes together in a flash!
