Veggie dishes that hold well in frigde or freezer?
September 24, 2014 7:50 PM   Subscribe

When I make have five to seven servings of veg a day, I feel great and lose weight, regardless of whatever other rich foods come my way. Standbys now are roasted cauliflower, broccoli and asparagus. These all reheat well (and are great straight out of the fridge) but I'd like to expand the options.

What are some of your great vegetable-heavy dishes that can be made ahead of time and will keep well for a few days or be frozen? (Salads are great, but as the weather changes cooked dishes are more appealing, and too often I get busy and let salad greens go to waste. Difficulty level: no microwave and steamed vegetables just bore me. Thanks, Mefites!
posted by 2soxy4mypuppet to Food & Drink (26 answers total) 128 users marked this as a favorite
 
Zucchini slice. I make it with a mix of grated carrot and zucchini as well and usually cook the bacon for a little bit first with some chopped chillies, then use the bacon fat instead of oil. Like pizza, it gets better with age, freezes well and is just as good cold as hot.
posted by Wantok at 7:57 PM on September 24, 2014 [1 favorite]


Roasted carrots, fennel, and shallots. I use parmesan and thyme to flavour them, garlic works too. Chop them fairly large and roast at 375-400 until they're nicely browned.

Ratatouille is great - I use the Burgoo recipe. With breadcrumbs and goat cheese it can be a main dish.

Beets roast well too, and they'll keep in the fridge for 5 days or so.

Great question!
posted by ripley_ at 8:23 PM on September 24, 2014 [2 favorites]


Brussels sprouts, halved or quartered, tossed in olive oil, roasted in a hot hot oven (and shake or stir a few times) until nearly burned. Dress with salt and lemon after it comes out. Leftovers are good cold or you can reheat in a very hot nonstick skillet. I can make two cookie sheets of sprouts and run out in a day.

I just like cabbage. Just...cabbage, sliced into sort of finger-width strips. You can dress it, or you can just eat it like chips. Chips that give you gas and terrible discomfort if you eat too much.

I buy bags of broccoli slaw and dress it like salad, but you can also stir-fry it. That's what I tend to do with the last third of the bag when I'm getting a little tired of salad-slaw.
posted by Lyn Never at 8:45 PM on September 24, 2014 [7 favorites]


Green beans sautéed in butter with a bunch of chopped garlic keeps on the fridge a few days and reheats beautifully in the microwave.
posted by rabbitrabbit at 9:00 PM on September 24, 2014


Roasted peppers, carots, onions, and zucchini keep well in fridge or freezer as long as they aren't cooked to squishiness before storing.
posted by rabbitrabbit at 9:02 PM on September 24, 2014


Roasted sweet potatoes. Cut them into inch or so chunks, toss with a little oil and roast at 350F on a baking sheet until they're done --30 to 45 min or so. Give them a stir part way through.

Season with whatever you like. Salt, pepper, and rosemary. Garlic and parsley. Honey and chili sauce at the end. Whatever.
posted by sevenless at 9:03 PM on September 24, 2014 [1 favorite]


Roasted fennel, red onion, and orange salad . I usually eat it with quinoa that's been cooked in chicken broth, but it's delicious all on its own, too.
posted by Weeping_angel at 9:07 PM on September 24, 2014 [1 favorite]


Best answer: Zucchini butter/zucchini marmalade. It is delicious, takes very few ingredients, and is very easy to make. Definitely keeps for a few days in the fridge (if you don't eat it all right away).
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 9:37 PM on September 24, 2014 [6 favorites]


Super simple - chop up a green cabbage (I'd try to buy a half head or smaller if your shops have that), and quickly pan fry it with peanuts or cashews. Reheats great. Just salt is fine, or if you want to get fancy, put some cumin seeds in the oil before you fry it. Chuck in some hot chiles if that's your thing.
posted by colin_l at 9:43 PM on September 24, 2014 [5 favorites]


Best answer: I really like veggie "lasagna" that is made with spaghetti squash instead of pasta. You'd have to heat it up in an oven but that's what I do. It's got a vanishingly small number of calories and is really good winter food. You sort of can't make it wrong so you can fill it up with other veggies you like. I like spinach and a lot of onions and green peppers in addition to the squash. Here's one recipe but once you get the idea you can make it however you want.
posted by jessamyn at 9:48 PM on September 24, 2014 [6 favorites]


In the winter I'll roast a huge (oiled, salted, peppered) butternut squash whole, chop it up, and add it to whatever I'm eating (usually some variation of rice and beans) for days. Okay, not quite a dish.

How about veggie chilli? I've been leaning toward a super simple version with just quinoa, beans, peppers, and tomatoes lately, but you can basically shred or chop any vegetable and toss it into the mix. Make a huge batch and eat half for a few days and freeze the rest for a couple weeks from now.
posted by justjess at 10:00 PM on September 24, 2014


Best answer: Slow cooked collard greens. Wash & prep your collards, tearing out the ribs and chopping into 1-2 inch thick strips. Chop an onion, peel & smash a few cloves of garlic. With a little chicken or veggie broth cook the onions and garlic slowly until all brown and delicious, getting up all the flavor with the broth. Add your greens and plenty of salt, put in a couple inches of broth, cook covered on low for hours and hours and hours.

Optionally you can fry some pieces of bacon before doing your onions, or add some tomato (canned, sundried & minced, paste) or any other kind of extra flavor that pleases you. But the slow cooking is what really makes the difference. Freezes great, lasts a while in the fridge, the liquid ("pot licker") is super tasty and great for cooking other things in, too.
posted by Mizu at 11:02 PM on September 24, 2014 [3 favorites]


Frittata. I've never managed to freeze it well, but it keeps well and makes a great breakfast. Veg heavy pasta sauce freezes well. I also keep frozen spinach that comes in single servings in the freezer - it can be tossed in lots of things. Oh, and some vegetables make excellent pastry parcel fillings, which then freeze well.
posted by kjs4 at 11:35 PM on September 24, 2014 [1 favorite]


Although this is a salad, it's too good not to share.

Coleslaw with a twist.
Green cabbage, fennel, radish, carrot, celery, maybe some onion and other crunchy veg you like, sliced up super thin. Dress with oil, salt/pepper and white wine vinegar (as opposed to a creamy dressing).

This keeps for a few days in the fridge and is great as a snack, a side dish and on a sandwich with meat of some sort. So yummy.
posted by Youremyworld at 12:06 AM on September 25, 2014


Best answer: Mushroom risotto - onions, mushroom and a bit of spinach, rice (any is fine, arborrio best) and sometimes fancy mushrooms in oil... veg stock, bit of white white, cream and parmesan. When cooked serve with cracked pepper and parmesan/a poached egg on top or basamic roasted baby tomatoes.
posted by tanktop at 1:43 AM on September 25, 2014 [1 favorite]


Though cold, I think cole slaw gets better for days and is good on so many things: sandwiches, tacos, salads. Just throw a spoonful on almost anything. My go to recipe is to chop by hand into pieces that will fit on a spoon then add a splash of vinegar, mayo, and a dollop of ketchup, and salt. Not too much mayo so the mayo is not visible in the final product.

Also, pureed soups. Easiest - add veg and an inch or so of water along with a piece of onion and enough salt and simmer until soft then puree in a blender with added liquid as necessary either milk or water. Works with beets, squash, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, carrots, corn off the cob, frozen peas. Options: add a potato, saute the onion and even the veggies in some oil, add a chunk of butter, don't puree everything. If bland or bored with leftovers, add a topping: spoonful of yogurt, grated ginger, sprinkle of cinnamon, chopped onion, balsamic, chopped nuts or whatever flavor the soup needs.

Love this question!
posted by RoadScholar at 4:48 AM on September 25, 2014 [1 favorite]


Best answer: Oh! Cauliflower rice - grate cauliflower then saute/steam with seasonings and a splash of water with the lid on for about 5 minutes on medium. You still want a bit of bite/texture. Use as you would any rice and it is 100% veg! Great in fried rice, stir fry, as a side dish, with stuffed peppers.

This can be stored raw/grated or cooked. Just don't overcook when re-heating so it doesn't turn mushy.
posted by RoadScholar at 4:51 AM on September 25, 2014


This book has practically made me into a vegetarian: India: The Cookbook. Most of the vegetarian recipes in there freeze or refrigerate perfectly.
posted by chrillsicka at 6:28 AM on September 25, 2014 [1 favorite]


broccoli slaw - user a micro plane on fresh frozen ginger to grate a bunch over a package or two of broccoli slaw from the grocery store. sprinkle a bunch of red pepper flakes over it. microwave a cup of red wine vinegar and dissolve a quarter cup of sugar in it and pour over your slaw. mix it up and let it sit for awhile. this will get stronger every day for a few days and keeps well.

sauteed carrots, green beans or broccoli- toss your favorite vegetable in a non-stick pan with a couple tablespoons of olive oil. as above, use a micro plane on fresh frozen ginger to grate a bunch over your pan, then sprinkle with red pepper flakes. dice up 2-4 cloves of garlic (don't press) and throw them in too. i like to cook it at a medium heat to get the garlic to crisp up and the veggies to get the slightest bit burnt but you can also just cover and saute at low heat.

the above recipe also works very well for roasting vegetables in an oven.
posted by noloveforned at 6:29 AM on September 25, 2014 [1 favorite]


I really like to have a mediterranean-style lentil salad in the fridge. My go-to recipe involves brown lentils, sun dried tomatoes, diced celery and bell peppers, garnished with some parsley and perhaps feta. Then, I make a little red wine vinegar vinaigrette to toss with it all and call it a day. Lentils are great because they are so satisfying and filling.
posted by missmobtown at 7:53 AM on September 25, 2014


Falafel freezes well for me.
posted by XMLicious at 8:04 AM on September 25, 2014


Nthing roasted fennel - with parmesan!

I also make roasted mushrooms: slices of mushroom roasted with olive oil, thyme and lemon zest.

Really, most any vegetable, roasted at high heat, with olive oil, salt & pepper until crispy on the edges will have me eating the whole pan. Green beans are the newest addition to this method in our house.
posted by sarajane at 9:40 AM on September 25, 2014


Cabbage keeps forever. I make one that's delicious:

Purple cabbage sliced into thin strips.
Butter
Balsamic Vinegar
Dash of sugar
Carraway seeds (optional)

I cook the cabbage in butter until tender. Then add about 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar, and some sugar.

Keeps for a good long time, and purple cabbage is good for you!
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 10:06 AM on September 25, 2014




I love fried zucchini slices soaked in vinegar as described as part of this recipe. Pretty simple to make:

- Slice up a few zucchinis (protip: if you have time, salt them and let them sit in a colander for about a half hour to leech out the bitter aftertaste zucchini can have, then rinse)
- Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a heavy-bottomed deep pan or dutch oven over medium high heat until shimmering.
- Fry the slices in the oil until they are browned on both sides, turning when one side is browned (this takes some patience - usually about 10 minutes on one side, then 3-5 minutes on the other side).
- Drain oil in the colander, then combine the zucchini in a bowl with 1.5 tablespoons of red wine vinegar.

The frying may make this seem unhealthy, but in my experience, very little of the oil ends up in the final product.

This works well as a side dish, or mixed with roasted veggies and quinoa/another grain.
posted by lunasol at 3:24 PM on September 27, 2014 [1 favorite]


Response by poster: I want to mark all of these as best answers! Thank you so much for the suggestions.
posted by 2soxy4mypuppet at 5:45 PM on October 4, 2014


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