Get the recipes
1. Make vegetable broth
Celery, carrots, and onions that are past their prime are still perfect for making vegetable broth. Just coarsely chop and add to a stockpot with water and simmer away. Use your homemade broth in your favorite soup and stew recipes. Try this Shrimp and Vegetable Bean Soup with Pesto.
2. Make fried rice or a stir-fry
Not only are these quick skillet meals a delicious canvas for leftover vegetables, but they also work well for using up any leftover rice in the refrigerator. Chop, sauté, and make your own combination. Here is some recipe inspiration, Shrimp and Veggie Fried Rice.
3. Puree and make pesto
Leafy greens like spinach, arugula, and baby kale can supplement or replace basil in your basic pesto recipe. Just blend in a food processor with garlic, seasonings, and cheese. Try this recipe – Prosciutto Panini with Pistachio Pesto.
4. Cook into a marinara sauce
In addition to or instead of canned tomatoes, chop up fresh tomatoes for a quick marinara sauce. As an extra bonus, you can sauté soft vegetables like zucchini, eggplant, and bell peppers for pasta sauce too. Here’s a delicious recipe to get you started, Spaghetti with Veggie Marinara.
5. Make smoothies
Overripe bananas are still completely smoothie-worthy. You can even chop and freeze bananas that are starting to brown and throw them into the blender as needed. You can’t go wrong with this recipe – Peach and Protein Summer Breakfast Smoothies.
