18 Easy Ways to Cook With Frozen Veggies
During the dead of winter, there’s nothing we miss more than summer’s warm weather and the bounty of produce available at the farmers’ market. Thankfully, we’ve got plenty of methods — pickling, confit and freezing to name a few — to preserve those fresh flavors long past the season’s end. Each of these 18 veggie-packed recipes follows the cooler method, putting to use at least one frozen variety for year-round enjoyment.
1. Classic Spaghetti Primavera: Using frozen veggies means you can make this springtime pasta any time of the year. (via Saveur)
2. Creamy Corn and Red Pepper Blender Soup (Vegan): Enjoy spooning up this five-minute, creamy-yet-creamless soup made with frozen corn. Serve it chilled or hot — whatever the weather outside deems best. (via Averie Cooks)
3. Veggie Fried Rice: Why order takeout when you can cook up an equally delicious batch of fried rice at home? Made with brown rice, it packs in a little extra wholesomeness than the usual white variety. (via Pinch of Yum)
4. Pea and Bacon Panzanella With Warm Vinaigrette: Bacon and bread always piques our interest, and this bread salad is certainly no exception. (via Food52)
5. Half-Hour Chicken Gumbo: Talk about a great way to use up rotisserie chicken and get dinner on the table in a snap. A bowlful of this hearty New Orleans-style stew is the perfect way to warm up this winter. (via Martha Stewart)
6. Asparagus and Broccoli Chicken Teriyaki: Teriyaki sauce and a handful of aromatics are an outstanding way to amp up the triplicate of green veggies featured in this quick stir fry. (via Eclectic Recipes)
7. Brussels Sprouts Gratin: Using frozen Brussels sprouts instead of fresh means you can skip a step (blanching). Now that’s an easy way to streamline your holiday sides spread. (via Simply Recipes)
8. Cast Iron Skillet Chicken Pot Pie: Break out your cast iron skillet. It’s the ultimate vessel for whipping up a creamy chicken- and veggie-filled pot pie. Made with just a single crust, the ratio of pastry to everything else is pure perfection. (via Bev Cooks)
9. Spicy Sesame Edamame: Kick up frozen edamame with this nutty, not quite mouth-numbing twist. No question, it’s much more fun than a sprinkle of salt. (via The Salty Tomato)
10. Cheesy Peas + Prosciutto: Ham, cheese and peas are a wonderful combo, and this recipe bolsters that notion oh so well. You only need four ingredients and about fifteen minutes to whip up this brightly flavored side. (via Beth Dunham)
11. Cape Malay Chicken Vegetable Curry: This curry is packed with a whole lotta heat and your favorite frozen veggies (seriously, the choice is yours), but the best part is that it can be made practically hands free in your slow cooker. (via Foodal)
12. Crispy Garlic Onion Green Beans: Fewer than 10 minutes is all it takes to transform fancy, frozen green beans into a healthy, family-friendly side. (via Crockpot Gourmet)
13. Cold Southwestern Corn and Shrimp Soup: Believe it or not, this soup requires no cooking at all. It’s the ideal, sweat-free meal for those sweltering summer nights. (via Martha Stewart)
14. Fresh Pea Soup: The sweet flavor of frozen peas truly comes through in each bowlful of this soup. Served with a few slices of bread on the side, it becomes a nice light meal. (via Orchard Street Kitchen)
15. Chicken Spinach Artichoke Pasta Bake: Add this hearty baked pasta dish to your recipe box, STAT. It features a lovely mix of protein, veggies and pasta for a scrumptious, well-balanced supper. (via Tide and Thyme)
16. Creamiest Creamed Spinach: Toss some steaks in a pan while sauteeing a batch of this creamy spinach, and you’ll be well on your way to one heck of a steakhouse-quality meal at just a fraction of the price. (via Mitzy at Home)
17. Easy Cheesy Breakfast Casserole: Cheese, eggs and sausage upgrade frozen hash browns to create a hearty dish to start the day off right. (via Gimme Some Oven)
18. Ginger Juice Smoothie: Made in your blender with a mix of frozen fruit and veggies, this kicky green juice is pretty darn budget-friendly and far more accessible (equipment-wise) than most. (via FoodFash)
What kind of veggies do you keep in your freezer? Let’s talk ways to boost our produce consumption this winter in the comments below!
