We often throw away large parts of vegetables that can be eaten. This is a pity as we end up wasting big amounts of the vegetable that are perfectly fine to cook with and that contain high nutritional value.

Here are 3 simple recipes of dishes you can make from vegetable parts that are usually wasted.

Pesto from Carrot Haulms

Our first vegetable on the list is carrots. The haulms (stems and leaves) of carrots end up in the trash most of the time. In this recipe, we use the carrot haulms to make pesto, my favorite on the list!

What you need

0.5 cup carrot haulms

1 garlic clove

0.5 cup hazelnuts or walnuts or pine nuts or sunflower seeds (cups)

1 tbsp lemon juice

4 tbsp olive oil

Salt and black pepper for seasoning

How to

Remove the haulms from the carrots, wash and chop them roughly. In a blender, mix them with the garlic, nuts, and lemon juice. Add the olive oil into the mixer slowly until the pesto thickens. Season with salt and pepper.

You can add the pesto to your pasta or as a spread on your sandwich.

Stir-Fry from Cauliflower Stalks

Cauliflower is a staple ingredient in many traditional Palestinian dishes, like the famous Maqloubeh. Cauliflower leaves and stalks are edible parts with high nutritional value. Sadly, however, these are mostly wasted. The cauliflower stems, can, for example, be added to soups, coleslaws, stir-fries, and salads.

Here’s a recipe of a stir-fry made from cauliflower stems

1. Firstly, wash and cut the cauliflower stalks into thin slices. If the skin is too thick, peel it off if preferred.
2. In a pan, add the stalks with some water and cook the stalks on low flame till they become tender. You can add other vegetables of your choice as well, such as cabbage, sweet potato, onion, or cauliflower leaves.
3. Add some salt. Stir fry for a minute or two.
4. Once the stalks and the rest of the ingredients have cooked to become tender, turn the heat off and let cool for a while. Drizzle some olive oil before serving.

The leaves can be used to make stuffed rolls with rice and vegetables (ورق شول).

Don’t waste the pulp! – Vegetarian patties from carrot pulp

Making plant-based milk and juices at home leaves us with a lot of pulp leftovers, which are perfect for baking as well as making vegetarian patties and burgers. Here’s a recipe of carrot pulp leftovers from juicing:

What you need

Carrot pulp (or grated carrots)

Tahini

Salt for seasoning

Mix the ingredients in a mixing bowl and form them into patties (like in the picture).

Bake in the oven (175 degrees for 10 minutes, or until well-done). Frying in a pan with coconut oil is another option.

Bon appetite! صحة