Vegetables 28 Vegetable-Forward Dishes to Make All Winter By Food & Wine Updated on March 2, 2023 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Thom Driver Summer isn't the only season that boasts bountiful fresh veggies. Sure, winter may not yield the most ravishing tomatoes (OK, technically a fruit), but there's a whole host of delicious produce that pops off when the weather turns crisp. Root vegetables, winter squashes, chicories, greens, and other cruciferous vegetables all make for some seriously satisfying cold-weather staples. Here, we're highlighting a selection of the veggie-forward recipes we reach for when winter is officially on, from shepherd's pie to savory butternut squash steaks and silky Madeira-braised Swiss chard. Keep scrolling and you'll forget all about heirloom tomatoes in no time. 01 of 28 Winter Squash and Savoy Cabbage Gratin with Garlic Crema Constantine Poulos San Francisco chef Matthew Accarrino of SPQR looks to cornstarch to thicken the creamy milk-based roasted garlic sauce here. It’s a rich rainbow of winter squash and cabbage, all topped with crunchy hazelnuts. Get the Recipe 02 of 28 Salad of Pink Radicchio, Citrus, and Mushroom Bagna Cauda Gentl & Hyers In this recipe from Cooking with Mushrooms by Andrea Gentl, melted anchovies and porcini mushroom powder lend a savory depth to nutty brown butter bagna cauda, yielding a powerhouse sauce that's perfect for drizzling on a wintry salad. The sweetness of vibrant Cara Cara oranges mellows the bitter radicchio and adds a pop of color. Get the Recipe 03 of 28 Root Vegetable and Cauliflower Tagine with Parsley Yogurt © Jessica Sample For food and travel expert Aida Mollenkamp, spiced Moroccan tagines are a dinner party staple because they can be made in advance. "In case something impromptu happens," she says, "you're not stressed about the main dish." And tagines are incredibly versatile. This version is vegetarian, but lamb or chicken could be added. Get the Recipe 04 of 28 Celery Root and Mushroom Lasagna © John Kernick For this streamlined version of his luxe lasagna in bianco (white lasagna), chef Fabio Trabocchi layers flat noodles with a supremely rich sauce and a root vegetable ragù, fresh mozzarella, and whole basil leaves. Get the Recipe 05 of 28 Baked Acorn Squash with Chestnuts, Apples, and Leeks © Alexandra Rowley Halved acorn squashes create perfect single-serving bowls. These make a great vegetarian main course for any winter holiday, and they’re a festive accompaniment to turkey, ham, or roast goose. Get the Recipe 06 of 28 Beet and Blood Orange Salad with Mint © Quentin Bacon While the color of golden beets contrasts nicely with dark red blood orange sections, any beet variety — from standard red ones to the white and pink-striped chioggia — will be delicious. Get the Recipe 07 of 28 Smoky Butternut Squash Soup © Christina Holmes This creamy soup gets a little smoky heat from canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce and then gets cooled down with a swirl of crème fraîche. Get the Recipe 08 of 28 Sunchoke-Kale Hash with Farro © Con Poulos This soul-satisfying winter hash is vegetable-laden comfort food. The recipe from 2009 F&W Best New Chefs Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo combines crispy sunchokes, silky oyster mushrooms, tender kale, and chewy farro. It's wonderful served with grilled steak or on its own as a meatless main course. Get the Recipe 09 of 28 Turnip Casserole with Porcini Crumb Topping © ALEXANDRA ROWLEY We love the earthy porcini topping on this rich and creamy turnip gratin, but it would also be fantastic on mac and cheese or other root vegetable gratin. Get the Recipe 10 of 28 Warm Winter Vegetable Salad © Jan Baldwin Winter vegetables like carrots, beets, parsnips, and celery root are terrific when roasted until sweet and blistered. Food writer Sophie Dahl loves the vegetables’ vibrant colors on dreary days. Get the Recipe 11 of 28 Brazilian-Style Collard Greens Anna Stockwell A zesty jalapeño-spiked sauce adds delicious dimension to these garlicky collards and can be increased or decreased to your liking. Get the Recipe 12 of 28 Winter Vegetable Chili © Con Poulos This vegetable chili, thick with kidney beans and hominy, is delightfully smoky and spicy. Get the Recipe 13 of 28 Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Onions with Mushroom Lardons David Malosh A duo of alliums — shallots and pearl onions — becomes irresistibly sweet when roasted, making an ideal partner to slightly bitter brussels sprouts. Bacon, the usual star in recipes like this, is replaced with "lardons" made from king oyster mushrooms for a superstar vegetarian side dish that even meat lovers will enjoy. Get the Recipe 14 of 28 Winter Vegetable Shepherd's Pie © Hannah Queen You have considerable leeway in assembling the ingredients for this English-inspired meal in a dish, but there should always be carrots, onions, and at least three other vegetables, one of them green. Leftover mashed potatoes work fine to top the vegetable stew, which can be browned under the broiler or in a hot oven. Get the Recipe 15 of 28 Beet Aguachile Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen For this gorgeous beet aguachile (which the chef nicknames "Vampiro" aguachile, for its deep purple-red color and inclusion of black garlic), chef Claudette Zepeda makes a bright, spicy broth out of beet juice. The unique, funky flavor from the black garlic and sweetness from the orange juice help balance the acidity of the lime juice. Get the Recipe 16 of 28 Winter Squash Gnocchi with Brown Butter and Sage © Stephanie Meyer This classic northern Italian combo of sage, Parmesan, gnocchi, and brown butter is one of chef Andrew Zimmern’s “top five desert island dishes.” Get the Recipe 17 of 28 Madeira-Braised Swiss Chard with Garam Masala, Sultanas, and Toasted Almonds Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Thom Driver Swiss chard cooks down into tender, silky ribbons when braised with fruity Madeira and complex, tangy, earthy garam masala in this recipe. Be sure to have some bread on hand to sop up the flavorful cooking liquid. Get the Recipe 18 of 28 Savoy Cabbage and Sunchoke Pizzas © Brown W. Cannon III This incredible pizza is topped with buttery braised cabbage, pureed sunchokes, crisp pan-fried sunchokes, and gooey Emmental cheese. Get the Recipe 19 of 28 Winter Squash and Shallot Tart Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Heather Chadduck Hillegas This elegant tart is just the thing to serve for dinner on a chilly night. The rich, cheesy filling is packed with sweet cubes of butternut squash and savory shallots, and lightened by the acidity of the sherry vinegar and brightness of the lemon zest. A peppery arugula salad tops it off. Get the Recipe 20 of 28 Spicy Scalloped Rutabagas with Parsley © Lucy Schaeffer Cook up this creamy, zippy dish on Monday and enjoy it throughout the entire week. Get the Recipe 21 of 28 Nordic Winter Vegetable Soup © Tina Rupp Chef and food writer Trina Hahnemann calls the root vegetables in this simple vegetarian soup the "gold of Nordic soil" because they're high in nutrients and grow well in cold climates. Get the Recipe 22 of 28 Roasted Carrots with Preserved Lemons and Dates Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Margret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Fresh herbs, two kinds of citrus, and a honey-za'atar vinaigrette give this charred carrot salad bright flavors. Smashed pistachios provide a welcome bit of added crunch. Get the Recipe 23 of 28 Crusty Baked Shells and Cauliflower © Christina Holmes Even sautéed cauliflower feels decadent in this cheesy-crunchy baked pasta from cookbook author and TV host Ina Garten. Be careful not to overcook your pasta, as it will continue to cook in the oven. Get the Recipe 24 of 28 Red Cabbage Stir-Fry with Coconut © Jonny Valiant Chef Asha Gomez tops a cabbage stir-fry with fresh coconut, a Keralan staple. Home cooks can substitute shredded dried coconut (not sweetened) for the fresh kind; it's easier to find in stores. Get the Recipe 25 of 28 One-Pot White Wine Pasta with Mushrooms and Leeks Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland This creamy, savory one-pot pasta dish comes together without the need to boil the pasta separately. Savory sautéed mushrooms and gently sweet leeks combine with cream, lemon juice, and white wine to create the rich sauce. Feel free to switch up the flavor by adding tarragon instead of dill. Get the Recipe 26 of 28 Chunky Borscht © Christina Holmes Brothy and brimming with beets, parsnips, turnip, celery root, and slices of kielbasa, this earthy beet soup gets a finishing touch of sour cream and fresh dill. Serve it in big bowls with plenty of crusty bread for an appetizing cold-weather dinner. Get the Recipe 27 of 28 Roasted Butternut Squash with Chorizo-Spiced Kale Photo by David Malosh / Prop Styling by Amy Wilson / Food Styling by Maggie Ruggiero With its earthy sweetness and dense texture, butternut squash makes a hearty vegetable steak. At Chaval in Portland, chef Damian Sansonetti highlights its complexity with his chorizo spice mix. He blooms the blend of cumin, pimentón, and coriander in oil to release its aroma, which provides a smoky foundation for this shoulder-season dish. Get the Recipe 28 of 28 Sautéed Chicken with Celery Root Puree and Chestnuts © James Baigrie Chef Mourad Lahlou poaches fresh chestnuts sous vide to accompany chicken breasts and buttery celery root puree. F&W’s adaptation calls for store-bought chestnuts that are already peeled and cooked. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit