28 Vegetable-Forward Dishes to Make All Winter

Madeira-Braised Swiss Chard with Garam Masala, Sultanas, and Toasted Almonds
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

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.

02 of 28

Salad of Pink Radicchio, Citrus, and Mushroom Bagna Cauda

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.

03 of 28

Root Vegetable and Cauliflower Tagine with Parsley Yogurt

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.

04 of 28

Celery Root and Mushroom Lasagna

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.

05 of 28

Baked Acorn Squash with Chestnuts, Apples, and Leeks

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.

06 of 28

Beet and Blood Orange Salad with Mint

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.

07 of 28

Smoky Butternut Squash Soup

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.

08 of 28

Sunchoke-Kale Hash with Farro

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. 

09 of 28

Turnip Casserole with Porcini Crumb Topping

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.

10 of 28

Warm Winter Vegetable Salad

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.

11 of 28

Brazilian-Style Collard Greens

Brazilian 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.

12 of 28

Winter Vegetable Chili

Winter Vegetable Chili
© Con Poulos

This vegetable chili, thick with kidney beans and hominy, is delightfully smoky and spicy.

13 of 28

Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Onions with Mushroom Lardons

Brussels sprouts with onions and 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.

14 of 28

Winter Vegetable Shepherd's Pie

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.

15 of 28

Beet Aguachile

Citrus and 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.

16 of 28

Winter Squash Gnocchi with Brown Butter and Sage

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.”

17 of 28

Madeira-Braised Swiss Chard with Garam Masala, Sultanas, and Toasted Almonds

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.

18 of 28

Savoy Cabbage and Sunchoke Pizzas

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.

19 of 28

Winter Squash and Shallot Tart

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.

20 of 28

Spicy Scalloped Rutabagas with Parsley

Spicy Scalloped Rutabagas with Parsley

© Lucy Schaeffer

Cook up this creamy, zippy dish on Monday and enjoy it throughout the entire week.

21 of 28

Nordic Winter Vegetable Soup

Nordic Winter Vegetable Soup. Photo © Tina Rupp
© 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.

22 of 28

Roasted Carrots with Preserved Lemons and Dates

Roasted Carrots with Preserved Lemon 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.

23 of 28

Crusty Baked Shells and Cauliflower

Crusty Baked Shells & 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.

24 of 28

Red Cabbage Stir-Fry with Coconut

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.

25 of 28

One-Pot White Wine Pasta with Mushrooms and Leeks

One Pot White Wine Pasta Recipe
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.

26 of 28

Chunky Borscht

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.

27 of 28

Roasted Butternut Squash with Chorizo-Spiced Kale

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.

28 of 28

Sautéed Chicken with Celery Root Puree and Chestnuts

Sautéed Chicken with Celery-Root Puree and Chesnuts
© 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.

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