9 Seasonal Winter Vegetables We're Celebrating (& The Recipes We're Making With Them)
Look, as a food brand, we’re no strangers to eating things out of season: In order to make sure our holiday recipes are as incredible as they can be, we start testing and developing them months in advance (Christmas in July is very real over here!). That said, when we’re making food for ourselves at home, we usually try to utilize ingredients that are the best of the best, and that means sticking to what’s in season. Join us, and you’ll see for yourself just how much tastier these seasonal veggies can be.
It’s winter now, so we’re focused on hearty greens like Tuscan kale or Swiss chard and hearty root vegetables like beets and parsnips. Scroll through below to see what we’re making with them—hint, these are the best way to bring a little color to those drab and gray winter days.
Arugula: Sheet-Pan Panzanella
Rather than toast the bread cubes on their own for this take on classic panzanella, you'll roast them alongside cherry tomatoes (nearly always available, even out of season!), onion, and garlic. The combination of roasted tomatoes, toasted bread coated with Parmesan, fragrant garlic, and mozzarella ends up tasting like pizza. Yum!
Get the Sheet-Pan Panzanella recipe.
Rainbow Chard: Lemony Sautéed Swiss Chard
When it comes to leafy greens, we think Swiss chard deserves more attention. It's loaded with vitamins, it's available for most of the year, and it cooks up in a flash! It's not just for salad either—you can't go wrong with a simple sauté in garlic and olive oil, finished with a squeeze of lemon.
Get the Lemony Sautéed Swiss Chard recipe.
Bok Choy: Garlic-Ginger Bok Choy
Quick-cooking bok choy is one of our favorite veggie sides. Here we pair it with ginger and sesame oil for a light but flavorful plate of greens. Serve it alongside fish, meat, or your favorite rice dish.
Get the Garlic-Ginger Bok Choy recipe.
Broccoli Rabe: Italian Sausage & Broccoli Rabe Lasagna
Sausage and broccoli rabe is a classic pasta combination. It felt right to feature the dynamic duo in this decadent white lasagna, held together by a creamy mornay sauce (AKA bechamel + Parmesan).
Get the Broccoli Rabe & Italian Sausage Lasagna recipe.
Leeks: Potato & Leek Soup
While many recipes using leeks call for discarding the tougher, more fibrous green tops, we reserve them, slice 'em real thin, and stir-fry them until crispy and golden. Sprinkled with a little salt, fried leek greens transform an otherwise fine bowl of potato soup into an outstanding one.
Get the Leek & Potato Soup recipe.
Parsnips: Roasted Garlic-Parsnip Puree
Parsnips are sweet like carrots and creamy like potatoes. Instead of mashed potatoes, give this puree a try. It's just as easy to make and, with some roasted garlic, might be even more delicious!
Get the Roasted Garlic-Parsnip Puree recipe.
Parsnips: Roasted Parsnips
Looking for a simple side dish to make for the holidays? Parsnips are your answer. They don't get nearly the attention they deserve, but that ends now. Roasting them makes them slightly sweet and perfectly tender for a quick side dish you might just love more than the turkey.Get the Roasted Parsnips recipe.
Tuscan Kale: Spicy Turkey Sausage & Kale Chili
While we love classic turkey chili, when we're looking to spice things up, we turn to this recipe. Spicy ground turkey, red bell peppers, cannellini beans, tomatoes, and kale all combine for a cozy soup that will warm you up all winter long.
Get the Spicy Turkey Sausage & Kale Chili recipe.
Beets: Winter Rainbow Panzanella
This winter rainbow panzanella salad is packed with in-season veggies like delicata squash and beets and crisp and crunchy sourdough croutons, and is coated in a tangy grapefruit vinaigrette, making it the perfect way to brighten a gray winter day.
Get the Winter Rainbow Panzanella Salad recipe.
Red Cabbage: Classic Coleslaw
With its mix of purple and green cabbage, this a winner on looks alone. But the kicker is the dressing, which is light and punchy, thanks to a generous amount of apple cider vinegar and Dijon mustard. Whether you’re hungry for a last-minute side dish or the perfect topping to your meal, this coleslaw recipe has you covered.
Get the Classic Coleslaw recipe.
Arugula: Farro & White Bean Salad
This farro and white bean salad has roasted veggies along with crunchy veggies like bell pepper and radicchio. It's all tossed in a bright lemony dressing and finished with some goat cheese to add the creamy tanginess. It's as flavorful as it is beautiful and we can't get enough of it.
Get the Farro & White Bean Salad recipe.
Bok Choy: Vegan Ramen With Roasted Red Miso Veggies
Great ramen comes in many flavors, but is most commonly known as the rich, creamy, porky version. This completely vegan version instead uses layers of umami-packed flavor to mimic the depth and complexity of the original, with edamame for a protein boost. As a bonus, it all comes together in about an hour!
sGet the Vegan Ramen With Roasted Red Miso Veggies recipe.
Broccoli Rabe: Orecchiette With Broccoli Rabe
Orecchiette, literally translating to "little ears" in Italian, is a super-underrated and underutilized pasta in the home kitchen. The tiny little indentations catch so much sauce! Here, the sauce is similar to that of cacio e pepe. You just need butter, pasta water, pepper, and cheese. Toasting the pepper in butter is key, folks. DO NOT skip it.
Get the
Red Cabbage: Sweet & Sour Braised Red Cabbage
This mostly hands-off method produces perfectly crisp-tender red cabbage that pairs well with everything from pork to mushrooms.
Get the Sweet & Sour Braised Red Cabbage recipe.
Beets: One-Pot Harissa Beet Soup
The beauty of this one-pot beet soup goes far beyond its vibrant color, as stunning as it is. Antioxidant-rich beets are simmered with starchy potatoes, shallots, garlic, and aromatic harissa paste, which adds a subtle spicy and smoky flavor to the soup. Best of all, like borsht, this can be served warm or cold!
Get the One-Pot Harissa Beet Soup recipe.
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