green angel hair with garlic butter + smitten kitchen keepers is here!

Today my third cookbook, Smitten Kitchen Keepers, comes out and thank goodness, because it’s been impossibly hard to keep it from you this long.
It feels downright unfair that I figured out how to make the best molasses cookie — t…

Today my third cookbook, Smitten Kitchen Keepers, comes out and thank goodness, because it’s been impossibly hard to keep it from you this long.

It feels downright unfair that I figured out how to make the best molasses cookie — thick, tender, but also one-bowl, no hand-mixer required, the kind that makes your whole home smell like the holidays — and you’re only finding out about it today. My favorite pot roast is in there; sometimes I add rice shortly before it’s done for a truly one-pot meal-of-a-braise that feels perfect for this cold week. There’s a warm hoagie that’s practically a vegetarian cheesesteak. The most perfect chocolate chip cookie I could possibly dream up is there (it has salted walnut brittle inside). A deep dish, actual doorstop of a broccoli cheddar quiche that serves a crowd and an egg salad, just for us. The easiest three-layer chocolate party cake that could ever exist is filled with a salt-flecked milk chocolate buttercream and it’s designed to fit in the bottom of a shopping bag so you can take it everywhere with you. The actual craziest thing I’ve suggested you do with cabbage (salt, vinegar, and char it), might lead to the craziest thing you do with cabbage (eat it from the pan, standing up). There are cream cheese and jam challah buns that make me think of my dad and there’s a pound cake that I hope could be worth the cover price alone.

They’re all, to me, keepers — the kind of recipes that you make and know instantly that you’ll want them to be part of your repertoires forever. For 17 years on this site, I’ve paid close attention to what happens when we are in kitchen and I try to apply everything I’ve learned about how to make shopping easier, cooking more doable and enjoyable, and the outcomes more reliably delicious. Because if you hate making the recipe — if the process was persnickety and you dirtied every bowl in your kitchen — it barely matters if the result was otherworldly, you’re going to avoid it. And I want these to be recipes you, above all, love to make.

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apple and cheddar crisp salad

This is an apple and cheddar salad and I would humbly argue an excellent one, the best I’ve ever made, but this recipe is also an excuse for me to share a few of the best tricks I keep up my sleeve (I always wanted to be a cook who said …

This is an apple and cheddar salad and I would humbly argue an excellent one, the best I’ve ever made, but this recipe is also an excuse for me to share a few of the best tricks I keep up my sleeve (I always wanted to be a cook who said things like that, when what you might actually find is a lost piece of popcorn) to make the kinds of complex salads I can never resist on a cafe menu at home as simply as possible. Because we deserve to have fancy, cool, crunchy, dynamic, and gorgeous salads at home, even if we do not live a life that allows us to afford fancy salads made by others on a regular basis.

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Roasted Carrots with Basil & Carrot Top Pesto

Roasting carrots brings out their natural sweetness; when topped with a tangy pesto made with the parsley-like carrot tops (just say no to food waste!) it makes for a perfect seasonal side dish. The feathery carrot greens are blended with sweet basil, pine nuts, olive oil and vinegar to make a tangy green sauce that’s […]

The post Roasted Carrots with Basil & Carrot Top Pesto first appeared on Love and Olive Oil.

Roasting carrots brings out their natural sweetness; when topped with a tangy pesto made with the parsley-like carrot tops (just say no to food waste!) it makes for a perfect seasonal side dish.

The feathery carrot greens are blended with sweet basil, pine nuts, olive oil and vinegar to make a tangy green sauce that’s a perfect compliment to the natural flavor and sweetness of the carrots.

Blue and white ceramic platter with pile of Roasted Carrots, drizzled with Basil and Carrot Top Pesto on a blue background.

We’ve been getting big beautiful bundles of carrots in our CSA lately, vibrantly orange and sweet, with plumes of feathery greens still attached that I hate to just throw away (yes, they’re edible just like beet greens or turnip greens). Add in bunches of fragrant sweet basil that came with our most recent share, and this recipe basically developed itself.

If you haven’t had them before, carrot greens have an earthy, parsley-like flavor that can be used in myriad different ways, including this unique and flavorful pesto-like green sauce. It’s somewhat similar to the carrot top pesto I served with this creamy carrot soup; the flavors of the sweet carrot and grassy pesto are perfect compliments to each other. You know what they say, if they grow together, they go together (actually, I don’t know anyone who says that, but in this case it totally fits).

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Hungarian Stuffed Kohlrabi (Töltött Karalábé)

The perfect way to use tender spring kohlrabi, this traditional Hungarian dish features bulbs of kohlrabi stuffed with a flavorful pork and rice filling, and served alongside a kohlrabi soup made with the leftover scraps and greens. Kohlrabi may look like an alien creature, but if you’ve never had it before, you’re in for a […]

The post Hungarian Stuffed Kohlrabi (Töltött Karalábé) first appeared on Love and Olive Oil.

The perfect way to use tender spring kohlrabi, this traditional Hungarian dish features bulbs of kohlrabi stuffed with a flavorful pork and rice filling, and served alongside a kohlrabi soup made with the leftover scraps and greens.

Kohlrabi may look like an alien creature, but if you’ve never had it before, you’re in for a treat! It has a taste and texture similar to broccoli stems, but sweeter and not quite as odorous.

Dark gray bowls with Hungarian Stuffed Kohlrabi (one bigger and one smaller bulb) surrounded by a green kohlrabi green puree

This is our second year as Caney Fork Farms CSA members, which, unlike other CSAs we’ve been a part of over the years, offers a year round produce box. The fact that we can still get fresh produce in the dead of winter still astonishes this raised-in-Colorado girl.

Last winter, one of the most exciting items in our box was an alien-looking brassica called Kohlrabi. It was something I had never eaten, let alone cooked, and I really had no clue what to do with it. So, hoping for both inspiration and education, I asked my followers on Instagram for recipe ideas. And boy did you deliver!

Many suggested soup, also popular were slaws or salads (the crunchy bulb being not unlike the thick stalks of broccoli in terms of texture and flavor, so this makes sense.)

But one recipe stood out. Piszke, a generous follower from Hungary, sent over a recipe for a traditional Hungarian stuffed kohlrabi with a ground pork and rice filling, then served over a kohlrabi green and sour cream puree.

Single bulb of fresh kohlrabi, on a white marble background and harsh light and shadows

Stuffed kohlrabi is a very traditional Hungarian dish, but there’s no one single way to make it. Much like Italians and their marinara, every family will have their own different version of it, with different meats (some feature beef instead of pork, or a mix of the two) as well as many different stuffings, seasonings, and accompaniments.

But this one is particularly unique in that it uses the entire vegetable, greens and all. It makes its own side dish, essentially, by pureeing the greens and leftover pulp from the hollowed-out bulbs into a gorgeously green, flavorful soup. Brilliant, right? That’d be like a cake recipe that made its own frosting or something.

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Antipasto Salad

This super hearty antipasto salad is full of cured meats, cheeses, and pickled vegetables for an extra flavorful and filling salad.

The post Antipasto Salad appeared first on Budget Bytes.

You know how we’re all kind of obsessed with charcuterie boards right now? Who doesn’t love a selection of savory snacky meats, cheeses, and pickled items, ammiright? Well, the Italian version of that is antipasto and it also happens to make for a really delicious and filling salad. So, if you’re like me and don’t want to eat anything but salads for the remainder of summer, I think you’re going to love this Antipasto Salad.

dressing be poured over a serving dish full of antipasto salad

What is Antipasto?

Antipasto is an Italian appetizer course offering a snacky selection of cured meats, pickled vegetables, cheeses, olives, anchovies and more. The word “antipasto” means “before the meal” so it’s basically an appetizer platter. This gorgeous spread is usually served as part of a formal meal, rather than an everyday spread. You can read more about antipasto here.

So to make an antipasto salad I simply piled all those tasty little bits on top of a bed of greens and added a cheesy Italian dressing. And that’s all I really want in a summer meal. Okay, well, maybe some crusty bread to go along with it. ;)

Antipasto is Flexible, So Get Creative!

The best part about this salad is that it’s so flexible, so you can mix and match the toppings depending on your budget or availability of ingredients. You can use just about any type of salad green that you like, any meat (or no meat), any cheese, and any vegetable. Need some inspo? Here are a few other ingredients that you can swap in or add:

Antipasto on a Budget

This salad can get expensive quick if you’re not careful! If you’re lucky to live near an ALDI store, they have a great selection of meats and cheeses for antipasto or charcuterie boards (and I was lucky enough to grab my mozzarella on clearance!). Watch for sales on those shelf-stable jarred items (olives, pickled peppers, artichoke hearts) and save them up for making antipasto later. And get to know your deli because a lot of delis will mark down sliced meats and cheeses when they get near the sell-by date.

A lot of these ingredients also make great pizza toppings, so whenever you have leftovers from pizza night, those items can be used to make antipasto the next night!

Make a Half Antipasto Salad, If Needed

The recipe below is for a pretty large salad with 8 servings because it uses whole containers of each ingredient. But it’s easy enough to scale the recipe down as needed. All of the toppings stay pretty fresh when stored separately, so you can make half batches, ¼ batches, or even one salad at a time instead of making the entire batch at once and risking things getting soggy.

And remember, you can change the number of servings in the “servings” box below and the ingredient amounts will auto-adjust for you.

Salad tongs in a half stirred antipasto salad with bread and dressing on the side
dressing being poured over the antipasto salad

Antipasto Salad

This super hearty antipasto salad is full of cured meats, cheeses, and pickled vegetables for an extra flavorful and filling salad.
Total Cost $16.92 recipe / $2.12 serving
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 535kcal
Author Beth – Budget Bytes

Ingredients

Salad

  • 8 oz. salad greens of choice $0.99
  • 1 12oz. jar artichoke hearts $2.45
  • 1 pint grape tomatoes $1.79
  • 8 oz. mozzarella $0.99
  • 8 oz. salami $3.00
  • 1 6oz. jar kalamata olives $1.99
  • 1 8oz. jar banana peppers $1.69
  • 1/2 red onion $0.40
  • 8 oz. provolone $1.79

Italian Dressing

  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil $0.84
  • 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar $0.30
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice $0.04
  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard $0.12
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder $0.02
  • 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning $0.30
  • 1/2 tsp sugar $0.01
  • 1/2 tsp salt $0.02
  • 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper $0.02
  • 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan $0.22

Instructions

  • Combine the ingredients for the dressing in a bowl or jar (olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, sugar, grated Parmesan). Close the jar tightly and shake or whisk in a bowl until the ingredients are incorporated.
  • Cut or slice any meat or cheeses into bite-sized pieces. Drain the olives and any brined vegetables. Thinly slice the red onion and slice the grape tomatoes in half.
  • Lay your greens in the bottom of a bowl, then top with your antipasto items. Give the dressing one last whisk or shake, then drizzle over the salad (start with half the dressing and add more as needed). Toss the salad until everything is coated in dressing, then enjoy.

Nutrition

Serving: 1salad | Calories: 535kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 45g | Sodium: 2130mg | Fiber: 4g
Close up of antipasto salad in a bowl with a fork

How to Make Antipasto Salad – Step by Step Photos

Italian dressing ingredients in a jar

Combine the ingredients for the dressing in a bowl or jar: ½ cup olive oil, 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar, 1 Tbsp lemon juice, 2 tsp Dijon mustard, ¼ tsp garlic powder, 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning, ½ tsp sugar, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp freshly cracked pepper, and 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan. Shake or whisk the ingredients until they are incorporated.

Chopped spinach in a serving bowl

Add your salad greens to the bottom of a bowl. I’m using spinach and I chopped it slightly first to make bite-sized pieces.

salami, onions, mozzarella, and tomatoes added to the salad bowl

Cut your meats and cheeses into bite-sized pieces. Thinly slice the red onion and slice the grape tomatoes in half.

provolone, olives, peppers, and artichokes added to the salad bowl

Drain all of your jarred items (olives, banana peppers, artichoke hearts) and add them to the salad. Slightly chop anything that has larger pieces.

dressing being poured over the antipasto salad

Give the dressing one last shake or whisk, then drizzle it over the salad. Start with half the dressing, then add more as needed.

Antipasto salad being tossed with metal salad tongs

Toss the salad until everything is coated in dressing, then enjoy!

The post Antipasto Salad appeared first on Budget Bytes.

Ultimate Arugula Pizza

This arugula pizza features a topping of baby greens! The fresh, peppery flavor is a great contrast to the rich…

A Couple Cooks – Recipes worth repeating.

This arugula pizza features a topping of baby greens! The fresh, peppery flavor is a great contrast to the rich cheese below.

Arugula Pizza

Want to eat salad and pizza…at the same time? Try this Arugula Pizza recipe! You’ve probably seen this style of pizza at artisan-style pizzerias: a gooey, cheesy pie topped with fresh baby greens. Yep, that’s seasoned baby arugula! This Italian way of serving pizza is all about contrast: fresh peppery baby greens against a rich, saucy pizza. Here’s our favorite arugula pizza, made in a sheet pan! Or you can simply use the arugula topping on your favorite pizza.

Making arugula pizza: 3 tips to note!

You can use this arugula pizza recipe as a guide for topping your pizzas with fresh greens! This topping idea works for any pizza recipe, or you can use our amazing and tasty sheet pan pizza: more on that below. Here’s all about need to know about adding arugula as a pizza topping:

  • Use only baby arugula. This does not work with standard arugula: it’s sold in bunches and has large leaves that are very spicy. Instead look for baby arugula: it has a lovely feathery texture and milder flavor.
  • Season the arugula with olive oil and salt. Dry arugula on a pizza is not good (trust us). All you have to do is toss it in a bowl with olive oil and salt.
  • Use the recipe below, or eyeball the quantities. Once you’ve done this once, you can just eyeball the quantities. Then add to your favorite pizza recipe!
Arugula pizza

Use arugula with any toppings

You can use arugula topping to go with pizzas of any toppings! Below we used our favorite combination, but it works with just about anything.

  • Try pizza sauce, smoked gouda and mozzarella. Head to the recipe below for our favorite combo with arugula! It stars our Easy Pizza Sauce and smoked gouda cheese for a savory twist.
  • Make arugula and Prosciutto pizza. Salty cured Italian ham (Prosciutto) is the perfect pair with arugula! Just add a few pieces to the recipe below.
  • Or, use it with any of your favorite toppings! Seasoned baby greens work with just about anything: pesto pizza, burrata pizza, margherita pizza, and more!

Try it as a sheet pan pizza

The recipe for this arugula pizza below is a sheet pan pizza. It’s not our standard way to make pizza: instead it’s made in a sheet pan! Here are the pros and cons to this style of pizza:

  • Pros: it makes a big pan and it’s easy to make. A sheet pan pizza has 12 pieces, so it serves quite a bit! You can skip making 2 pizzas and make just one. Also, you don’t need as much equipment, like a pizza stone or pizza peel. You can press it right into a sheet pan!
  • Cons: it takes a little longer. This style of pizza takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes to prep, a little longer than our standard cheese pizza (which takes 1 hour and less prep work). But it’s well worth it in our opinion!
Arugula pizza topping

Or, make a standard pizza or use purchased dough!

You can also make this arugula pizza as a standard pizza! We’ve included the instructions for that in the recipe below in the Notes section. Here’s a little overview:

  • Dough: You can use our Italian Pizza Dough recipe, which has incredible flavor and makes a medium sized pizza! Or use store-bought dough.
  • Pizza stone: The best homemade pizza uses a pizza stone, which gets blazing hot in the oven. The higher temperature makes a crispy crust on the outside that’s doughy on the inside. Here’s the best pizza stone we’ve found.
  • Pizza peel: The pizza peel is a paddle used to slide the pizza onto the stone. We recommend this Standard pizza peel or this Conveyor pizza peel.
Arugula pizza recipe

What to serve with arugula pizza

We love this arugula pizza because it’s absolutely delicious and it makes us feel a little bit healthier! The arugula adds a fresh, peppery flavor and fluffy texture that’s incredibly satisfying. We’d still recommend adding a few salads to make it a meal. Pro tip: make one pizza and two salads, instead of two pizzas and one salad! Here are some favorite sides for pizza:

This arugula pizza recipe is…

Vegetarian.

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Arugula pizza

Ultimate Arugula Pizza


  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Yield: 12 pieces
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

This arugula pizza features a topping of baby greens! The fresh, peppery flavor is a great contrast to the rich cheese below.


Ingredients

For the pizza dough*

  • 375 grams (3 cups) all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon instant or active dry yeast
  • 1 teaspoon each dried oregano and garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 264 grams (1 cup2 tablespoons) warm water
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for the sheet

For the arugula pizza

  • 1 ¼ cup pizza sauce (purchased or our favorite Easy Pizza Sauce)
  • 1 cup (3 ounces) shredded smoked gouda cheese
  • ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 6 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese
  • 4 cups (3 ounces) baby arugula
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling
  • Fresh basil leaves, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Make the dough (5 minutes): In a large bowl, stir together the all-purpose flour, yeast, kosher salt, oregano and garlic powder. Add the warm water and olive oil and stir until flour is incorporated.
  2. Knead the dough (8 minutes): Knead the dough by pushing with the base of your palm, then reforming it into a ball. Continue kneading for 8 minutes until the dough feels pillowy and has a smooth, stretchy exterior. If the dough is very sticky, add a small amount of flour while kneading. Alternatively: attach the dough hook to a stand mixer and start the mixer on medium-low speed, then allow the mixer to knead for 8 minutes.
  3. Roll out and rest the dough in a sheet pan (15 minutes): Using floured hands, gently shape the dough into a boule (ball shape) by folding the dough under itself. Add a light sprinkle of flour to the boule. Then roll out dough on floured surface to roughly the shape of the 13×18 sheet pan. Brush 3 tablespoons olive oil on the bottom and sides of a standard 13″x 18″ sheet pan. Add the dough and brush it lightly with oil. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and rest for 15 minutes to relax the dough.
  4. Rest the dough again (45 minutes): Press the dough back into the corners of the pan so it evenly covers the pan. Cover and rest 45 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 500F.
  6. Bake the pizza dough* without toppings: After the 45 minute rest, bake the pizza dough for 6 minutes without sauce and toppings.
  7. Add the toppings and bake again: Remove the dough from the oven. Add the pizza sauce, smoked mozzarella, fresh mozzarella (torn into pieces), and Parmesan cheese, and top with a few pinches of kosher salt. Take care, since the pan will be hot! Bake for 6 to 8 minutes until the cheese is melted and lightly brown.
  8. Add the arugula topping: In a small bowl, mix the baby arugula with the olive oil and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt. Sprinkle the pizza with torn basil, then add the arugula on top. Cut into pieces with a knife (a pizza cutter doesn’t get all the way to the pan edges) and serve immediately.

Notes

*Or, use store-bought pizza dough for quicker prep. For this method you can skip pre-baking the crust. Here’s what to do: Make our Best Pizza Dough or use storebought dough. Place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 500°F. When the oven is ready, dust a pizza peel with cornmeal or semolina flour. (If you don’t have a pizza peel, you can use a rimless baking sheet or the back of a rimmed baking sheet. But a pizza peel is well worth the investment!) Stretch the dough into a circle; see How to Stretch Pizza Dough for instructions. Then gently place the dough onto the pizza peel. Top the pizza as noted above (you can use less cheese since the pizza will be smaller). Use the pizza peel to carefully transfer the pizza onto the preheated pizza stone. Bake the pizza until the cheese and crust are nicely browned, about 5 to 7 minutes in the oven (or 1 minute in a pizza oven). Slice into pieces and serve immediately.

  • Category: Main dish
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: Italian

Keywords: Arugula pizza

A Couple Cooks - Recipes worth repeating.

Orecchiette with Bacon and Wilted Frisée

This easy weeknight pasta recipe will satisfy all your senses: with chunky bits of bacon and delicate wilted frisée and a mountain of freshly shredded Pecorino cheese. Quick and easy is the name of the game with this orecchiette pasta dish. It’s satisfying and flavorful, and even manages to get some greens in there in […]

This easy weeknight pasta recipe will satisfy all your senses: with chunky bits of bacon and delicate wilted frisée and a mountain of freshly shredded Pecorino cheese.

Quick and easy is the name of the game with this orecchiette pasta dish. It’s satisfying and flavorful, and even manages to get some greens in there in a surprisingly delicious way.

Bowl of orecchiette on a vintage wood board with a silver fork

Much like escarole, frisée is a unique, sturdy green that’s a bit too bitter to really enjoy as part of a salad. For me at least!

And other than soup, pastas are our favorite way to handle these slightly-bitter greens; in this case, slightly wilted and coated in bacon-y goodness which really does wonders to allay the bitterness.

Overhead, bowl of pasta with bacon and wilted frisee on a wooden board with pepper flakes and pecorino cheese

We first made this pasta months ago; I even shot it and wrote up a draft, but never published it because something just wasn’t quite right. Turns out, it was the pasta shape that was the problem. We originally used bucatini, which is one of our all-time favorite pasta shapes, but when used in this recipe it makes it really hard to get a nice ‘bite’ that includes all the goods in a single forkful. All the bits and toppings tend to settle in the bottom of your bowl.

That’s where orecchiette is so perfect: the little pasta ‘ears’ basically serve as scoops for the good stuff.

Anyone else reminded of those little rubber poppers you’d get from the quarter machines? You know, the ones you’d flip inside out, set on the table then hold your breath until they went flying? Just me?

Also: I will never spell orecchiette right on the first try. Heck, I can barely spell it right on the second, I usually end up having to google it and copy the spelling from there. It’s even worse than mozzarella or prosciutto!

Orecchiette: impossible to spell, effortless to eat.

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Breakfast Vegetable Scramble

Want to eat more veggies? Make this breakfast vegetables scramble! It’s got lots of colorful veggies to start the day right…with a plant based / vegan option. Want to eat more breakfast vegetables? You’re not alone. Eating more veggies to start the day is starting to trend. Because let’s face it: the American breakfast is largely based on carbs and sugar. Pancakes, waffles, muffins…all sugary. So health-minded people have been asking: why not re-imagine breakfast? Let’s infuse veggies into the first meal of the day, too. How to eat vegetables for breakfast? Try this Breakfast Vegetable Scramble! You can make it two ways: with eggs or tofu, depending on your diet. It’s full of savory flavor…and loaded with nutrients, too. Ingredients in this breakfast vegetables scramble This scramble is unlike most breakfast recipes…it’s loaded with vegetables! There are lots of vegetables you can eat for breakfast: here are the ones we chose. But you can feel free to customize this recipe as you choose! (See below.) The main ingredients in this breakfast vegetables scramble are: Bell pepper: 1 medium red bell pepper provides a whopping 169% of your daily vitamin C! (Source) That means eating 1 serving of this scramble […]

A Couple Cooks – Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

Want to eat more veggies? Make this breakfast vegetables scramble! It’s got lots of colorful veggies to start the day right…with a plant based / vegan option.

Breakfast vegetables

Want to eat more breakfast vegetables? You’re not alone. Eating more veggies to start the day is starting to trend. Because let’s face it: the American breakfast is largely based on carbs and sugar. Pancakes, waffles, muffins…all sugary. So health-minded people have been asking: why not re-imagine breakfast? Let’s infuse veggies into the first meal of the day, too. How to eat vegetables for breakfast? Try this Breakfast Vegetable Scramble! You can make it two ways: with eggs or tofu, depending on your diet. It’s full of savory flavor…and loaded with nutrients, too.

Ingredients in this breakfast vegetables scramble

This scramble is unlike most breakfast recipes…it’s loaded with vegetables! There are lots of vegetables you can eat for breakfast: here are the ones we chose. But you can feel free to customize this recipe as you choose! (See below.) The main ingredients in this breakfast vegetables scramble are:

  • Bell pepper: 1 medium red bell pepper provides a whopping 169% of your daily vitamin C! (Source) That means eating 1 serving of this scramble you’ll stock up on 85% of your vitamin C for the day.
  • Baby kale and spinach: Kale is one of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet; it’s packed with nutrients like Vitamin K, anti-oxidants and more (read more here).
  • Avocado: You can serve avocado on the side in this breakfast. Avocados are rich in fiber with 25% of your daily value, full of heart healthy good fats, and loaded with vitamin and nutrients (source).
  • Eggs: They’re not breakfast vegetables, but eggs are also a healthy food. One egg has 75 calories, 7 grams of protein, and lots of nutrients. Recent research has found that eggs can increase the good cholesterol the body needs.
  • Tofu: For a plant-based option, you can use tofu instead! See below for nutrition info.
Breakfast vegetables

What other breakfast vegetables can you add?

This breakfast vegetables scramble is very customizable based on the vegetables that you have on hand! You can use so many more vegetables for breakfast. Here are some vegetables that we’d recommend:

  • Broccoli*
  • Carrots*
  • Mushrooms
  • Zucchini
  • Cherry tomatoes, cut in half
  • Swiss chard, chopped
  • Cabbage, shredded
  • Brussels sprouts, shredded (here’s how to shred them)

For the broccoli and carrots, make sure to cut them small. You may find you need to cook a few minutes longer than the timing specified below since they are hard vegetables. Looking for more ideas? See these Best Vegetables to Eat Today.

Tofu scramble with breakfast vegetables
This tofu scramble is a healthy vegan breakfast idea full of vegetables

Vegan variation: make a tofu scramble!

Don’t want to eat eggs with your breakfast vegetables? Use tofu instead! This Tofu Scramble is so full of savory flavor, it tastes remarkably similar to eggs! Alex and I don’t eat 100% plant-based, but we adore tofu scrambles when we want a vegan option.

Is tofu healthy? Per the Harvard TH Chan School of Nutrition, soy is a nutrient-dense source of protein that can safely be consumed several times a week. It’s likely to provide health benefits, especially when you eat it as an alternative to red meat and processed meat. 

Vegetables for breakfast

Ways to eat breakfast vegetables

Want other breakfast vegetables ideas? Here are some more ways to load vegetables onto your plate in the morning:

  1. Make toast and load it with veggies. Try Avocado Toast. Or spread toast with hummus or goat cheese and add sauteed vegetables.
  2. Add a side of sauteed greens. Try Sauteed Spinach, Sauteed Chard or Sauteed Kale.
  3. Make a vegetable frittata. Try these Veggie Mini Frittatas.
  4. Eat breakfast tacos. These 5 Minute Tacos have delicious egg “taco meat”: load them with raw and sauteed veggies.
  5. Try savory oatmeal. Make oatmeal and top it with a poached egg and sauteed veggies.
  6. Sip vegetable smoothies. Try a green smoothie like Broccoli Smoothie, Spinach Smoothie, Kale Smoothie or Celery Smoothie.
  7. Make an omelette loaded with greens. Try this Parmesan Omelette and use any greens you like: spinach, kale or chard.

Sides to serve with this vegetable scramble

Want to serve an impressive breakfast or brunch? Here are a few great sides for this breakfast vegetable scramble:

  • Hash Browns: These Hash Browns in the Oven are perfect for sliding into the oven while you make a saute. Or make traditional Homemade Hash Browns in another skillet.
  • Sweet Potato Hash Browns: Try Sweet Potato Hash Browns are baked in the oven, making them simple to prep.
  • Breakfast Potatoes: These Pan Fried Potatoes are full of big flavor and take just 15 minutes.
Breakfast vegetables

This breakfast vegetables scramble recipe is…

Vegetarian, gluten-free, plant-based, vegan, and dairy-free.

Print
Breakfast vegetables

Breakfast Vegetable Scramble


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  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 8 minutes
  • Cook Time: 7 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 2
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

Want to eat more veggies? Make this breakfast vegetables scramble! It’s got lots of colorful veggies to start the day right (and a vegan option).


Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 red onion
  • 1 red bell pepper (or 1/2 red and 1/2 orange)
  • 4 cups baby kale or spinach
  • 1 tablespoon chopped chives or other fresh herbs
  • 4 eggs or this Tofu Scramble
  • ¼ cup shredded Colby cheese or crumbled goat cheese (optional)
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • Fresh ground black pepper
  • Avocado slices, for serving

Instructions

  1. Prep the vegetables: Thinly slice the red onion. Large dice the bell pepper.
  2. Prep the eggs or tofu: In a medium bowl, crack the eggs and whisk them together until well-beaten. Stir in the shredded cheese, fresh herbs, kosher salt, and plenty of fresh ground pepper. Or, complete Step 1 of the Tofu Scramble.
  3. Cook the vegetables: Heat the olive oil over medium high heat. When hot, add the onion and peppers. Cook 3 to 4 minutes until tender and just starting to brown, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low. Add a pinch of salt and the baby greens. Cook for 30 seconds until wilted. Remove and set aside.
  4. Cook the eggs or tofu: Keep heat on low. Pour in the eggs. Cook for 20 to 30 seconds. When the eggs just start to set, use a flat spatula to scrape sections of eggs, gently stirring constantly until cooked but still soft, about 1 minute. Or, complete Step 2 of the Tofu Scramble.
  5. Add the vegetables and serve: Add the veggies back to the pan with the eggs or tofu. Stir for a few seconds until combined and warmed. Serve immediately.

  • Category: Breakfast
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Breakfast

Keywords: Breakfast vegetables

More breakfast recipes

Here are a few more of our favorite ways to eat healthy breakfast ideas:

  • Homemade Acai Bowl or Acai Smoothie This colorful smoothie bowl is full of nutrient-dense tropical fruits and almond butter.
  • Healthy Banana Bread Muffins These muffins are made of 100% oats: no flour! They’re a great way to eat oatmeal on the go.
  • Everyday Baked Oatmeal You’ll be blown away by the flavor of this baked oatmeal! It’s so easy to make and endlessly versatile: a true go-to recipe. Vegan variation, too!

A Couple Cooks - Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

Black Bean Burgers

Super flavorful Homemade Black Bean Burgers are as easy as combining black beans together with a slew of flavorful ingredients, like garlic, red onion, cumin, cilantro, and sriracha. A little egg and breadcrumbs help hold the patty together, and you’ve got a super hearty, flavorful, and freezer-friendly homemade black bean burger. No more $8 restaurant […]

The post Black Bean Burgers appeared first on Budget Bytes.

Super flavorful Homemade Black Bean Burgers are as easy as combining black beans together with a slew of flavorful ingredients, like garlic, red onion, cumin, cilantro, and sriracha. A little egg and breadcrumbs help hold the patty together, and you’ve got a super hearty, flavorful, and freezer-friendly homemade black bean burger. No more $8 restaurant veggie burgers for me!

Originally posted 1-23-2011, updated 7-28-2020.

Side view of a black bean burger with toppings in the background

How Many Burgers Does This Recipe Make?

This recipe makes six decent-sized black bean burgers. And don’t worry, if you can’t eat all six within a few days, they’re freezer friendly! Note: The recipe and price breakdown below are for the burger only. Everyone likes something different on their burger, so I decided not to include buns and toppings in the recipe or price breakdown. 

How to Freeze the Black Bean Burger Patties?

Since I cook for just myself, I cooked two of my patties and froze the rest. Just wrap the raw patties in plastic wrap and then place them in a zip top freezer bag. To cook later, thaw the patty for 30 seconds in the microwave then finish cooking in a skillet as described in the recipe below.

What Toppings are Good on a Black Bean Burger?

I went with traditional mustard, tomato, lettuce, and red onion, but you could really have a lot of fun with the toppings. You could do a southwest spin and add some chipotle mayo, cheddar cheese, and jalapeños. Or how about a BBQ version with BBQ sauce and pepper jack cheese? A few avocado slices with any of the above themes would also be really nice. And you definitely need to try some Comeback Sauce on there!

Black Bean burgers on a tray with buns, toppings, ketchup and mustard.

Are These Black Bean Burgers Spicy?

Despite having sriracha as one of the ingredients, I don’t find these black bean burgers to be spicy at all. The sriracha just adds another subtle layer of flavor. If you want your black bean burgers to be spicy, simply double the sriracha, or add a jalapeño to the food processor when you’re processing your ingredients together.

Do I Have to Use a Food Processor?

You can make these black bean burgers without a food processor, but it’s a whole lot easier with one. :) To make the black bean burgers without a food processor, just finely mince the red onion, garlic, and sriracha by hand. Mash the black beans by hand (either with a fork or with a potato masher), then stir everything together by hand. 

Can I Bake Them?

I don’t suggest baking the black bean burgers because you won’t get the nice browning on the outside of the burger, which provides extra flavor and texture to the burger. 

Can I Skip the Egg?

I tried to make these black bean burgers without the egg, but unfortunately they just don’t hold together in the skillet (they turn into something more like refried beans). You may be able to do something like a flaxseed egg replacer, but I haven’t tested this.

P.S. This black bean burger recipe is basically a variation on my Homemade Falafel recipe, which is one of the best things I’ve ever eaten.

A black bean burger on a plate, dressed but open faced with ketchup and mustard on the side

 
Side view of a single black bean burger on a bun, fully dressed, sitting on newsprint

Homemade Black Bean Burgers

Black beans, cumin, sriracha, garlic, and fresh red onion make these homemade black bean burgers a flavorful and filling vegetarian meal.
Total Cost $2.57 recipe / $0.43 serving
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 334.88kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 15oz. cans black beans $0.96
  • 1/4 red onion $0.11
  • 1 clove garlic $0.08
  • 1/4 bunch fresh cilantro* $0.20
  • 1 Tbsp sriracha $0.11
  • 1 Tbsp mayonnaise $0.09
  • 1 tsp ground cumin $0.10
  • 1.5 Tbsp soy sauce $0.09
  • 1/4 tsp pepper $0.03
  • 1 large egg $0.23
  • 1 cup plain breadcrumbs $0.26
  • 2 Tbsp cooking oil $0.08

Instructions

  • Rinse and drain the canned black beans. Add the black beans to a food processor along with the red onion, garlic, cilantro, sriracha, mayonnaise, cumin, soy sauce, and pepper. Pulse the ingredients until they are evenly mixed, but still slightly chunky.
  • Transfer the black bean mixture to a bowl and add one large egg and 1 cup breadcrumbs. Stir the ingredients together until they're evenly combined. Let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes.
  • Divide the black bean mixture into six equal portions, then shape each portion into a patty, about 3.5 inches in diameter, ½-inch thick.
  • To cook the black bean burgers, heat 1Tbsp cooking oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add a few of the black bean burgers and cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side, or until they are well browned and heated through. Repeat with more oil and the rest of the patties until they're all cooked.
  • Place each patty in a bun, add your favorite toppings, and enjoy!

Notes

*feel free to sub parsley for the cilantro.

Nutrition

Serving: 1patty | Calories: 334.88kcal | Carbohydrates: 49.75g | Protein: 16.23g | Fat: 7.98g | Sodium: 942.65mg | Fiber: 15.33g

Updates to the old recipe: I eliminated the Worcestershire sauce from the original recipe so this recipe would actually be vegetarian (because if you’re making a black bean burger, I’m guessing you want it to be vegetarian!). I also swapped canned beans for home-cooked black beans, because I figure most people will have canned on hand. I used cilantro in place of parsley because that’s what I had on hand, but you can use whichever one you prefer! If you’d like a copy of the old recipe, simply email us at support@budgetbytes.com and we can send you a pdf.

How to Make Black Bean Burgers – Step By Step Photos

Black Bean Burgers in a food processor

Rinse and drain two 15oz. cans of black beans. Add them to a food processor along with ¼ of a red onion, 1 clove of garlic, ¼ bunch of cilantro (about ½ cup), 1 Tbsp sriracha, 1 Tbsp mayonnaise, 1 tsp cumin, 1.5 Tbsp soy sauce, and ¼ tsp pepper.

Processed black bean burger ingredients in the food processor.

Pulse the ingredients together until they’re mostly mixed. I like to leave it just a little chunky, but fairly even.

Black bean mixture with egg and breadcrumbs

Add the black bean mixture to a large bowl along with one egg and 1 cup breadcrumbs. 

Final black bean burger mixture in the bowl

Combine the black bean mixture with the breadcrumbs and eggs. I like to let this mixture sit for about five minute to let the breadcrumbs absorb some of the moisture.

Shaped black bean burgers on a green cutting board

Divide the mixture into six equal portions and shape them into patties (about ½ cup of mixture each, 3.5″ diameter, ½” thick).

Black bean burgers in a skillet

Add a ½ Tbsp cooking oil to a skillet and heat over medium. When the oil is hot, add a couple of patties and cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side, or until they are nicely browned and heated through. Repeat with more oil and patties until the desired number are cooked (or freeze the rest, see the info above the recipe for instructions on how to freeze).

Side view of a single black bean burger on a bun, fully dressed, sitting on newsprint

Top your black bean burger with your favorite toppings and enjoy!!

The post Black Bean Burgers appeared first on Budget Bytes.

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One of my favorite cookbook purchases of the last year is Toni Tipton-Martin‘s Jubilee: Recipes from Two Centuries of African American Cooking. It’s one of those incredible books that even from the pages of the introduction quietly…

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