When it comes to fresh fruits and vegetables, winter is so underrated! From beets to broccoli to citrus and pomegranate, winter months are filled with delicious and nutritious fresh produce options. I created my Winter Produce Guide to teach you which seasonal fruits and vegetables to choose at the grocery store, how to prepare them at home, plus flavor pairings and healthy recipe inspiration to get started with right away!

Winter Produce Guide

Beets

Beets are a root vegetable with lots of earthy, sweet flavors and a crisp texture. Bake beets (350º F for 1 hour), boil (20-45 minutes), grate, pickle, roast, sauté, steam (25-45 minutes), or enjoy raw. Remember to use the greens too! Pair beets with apples, arugula, carrots, chives, dill, garlic, ginger, lemon, mint, mustard, nuts, olive oil, onions, orange, parsley, shallots, tarragon, balsamic vinegar, or watercress.

Wild Blueberry Beet Smoothie by The Grateful Grazer

Garlic Tarragon Roasted Beet Sandwiches by The Grateful Grazer

Spiralized Beet Noodles with Beet Green Pesto by The Grateful Grazer

Roasted Root Vegetable Power Bowl by Julie at RDelicious Kitchen

Cranberry Beet Smoothie by Sara of The Organic Dietitian

Broccoli

Broccoli is a member of the nutrient-dense cruciferous vegetable family and is slightly bitter with notes of cabbage. Broccoli can be boiled (3-5 minutes), pureed, roasted, sautéed, simmered (5-6 minutes), steamed, or stir-fried. Try broccoli with bell peppers, chiles, garlic, lemon, olive oil, or onions.

Vegan Broccoli and Cheese Soup by Omar of Lands & Flavors

Healthy Broccoli Mac & Cheese by Sam of It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken

Roasted Broccoli & Hemp "Parmesan" by Jess of Cupcakes + Kale

Thai Style Broccoli Salad with Sweet Chili Lime Dressing by Kari of GI 365

Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts also belong to the cruciferous vegetable family and have both bitter and sweet flavors with notes of broccoli, cabbage, and nuts. Brussels sprouts can be boiled, braised, grilled, pureed, roasted, sautéed, simmered, steamed, or stir-fried. Try brussels sprouts with chestnuts, garlic, lemon, mustard, olive oil, vinegar, or walnuts.

Easy Brussels Sprout Penne from Fresh Italian Cooking by The Grateful Grazer

Brussels Sprouts with Chili, Black Beans, and Lime by The Grateful Grazer

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Lemon Maple Aioli by Amy at Happy Healthy RD

Fall Kale + Brussels Sprout Salad by Katie of Healthy Bites

Brussels Sprout Fried Rice by Gin of Eat Healthy Eat Happy

Ziti "Cheddar" Brussels Sprouts Bake by Richa of Vegan Richa

Brussels Sprout & Cashew Nut Fried Rice by Melanie of A Virtual Vegan

Carrots

Carrots are deliciously sweet and aromatic with a crisp and juicy texture. Try baking, boiling, braising, grating, grilling, pureeing, roasting, sautéing, simmering, steaming (5-10 minutes), stir-frying (5-10 minutes), or enjoy raw. Pair carrots with cinnamon, cumin, dill, garlic, ginger, honey, lemon, mustard, onions, oranges, parsley, potatoes, or raisins.

Roasted Carrot Tacos with Black Beans and Lime by The Grateful Grazer

Easy Tomato Carrot Soup with Herb Fried Bread by The Grateful Grazer

Carrot, Dates, and Mint Salad by Dixya of Food, Pleasure, and Health

Carrot & Coriander Soup by Cassidy of Euphoric Vegan

Easy Ginger Carrot Soup by Vanessa of Vegan Family Recipes

Cauliflower

Cauliflower is fairly neutral with some sweet flavor and notes of butter, mustard and nuts. Cauliflower can be baked, boiled, braised, mashed, pureed, riced, roasted (400º for 20-25 minutes), sautéed, simmered, steamed (5-10 minutes), or stir-fried (2-5 minutes). Try cauliflower with capers, chili peppers, cumin, curries, garlic, lemon, mustard, olive oil, olives, onions, parsley, tomatoes, or vinegar.

Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Cheddar, Pesto, and Tomatoes by Jenny at My Cape Cod Kitchen

Butternut Squash "Caulfredo" Sauce by Kara at Byte Sized Nutrition

Slow-Cooker "Buffalo" Cauliflower Sweet Potato Chili by Tina at GoWin Nutrition

Roasted Cauliflower Celery Root Soup with Chickpeas and Turmeric by Christy at 80 Twenty Nutrition

Roasted Cauliflower Fettuccini by Judy at LiveBest

Spiced Coconut Cauliflower by Jessica of Two Green Peas

Cauliflower Kale Soup by Vanessa of Vegan Family Recipes

Citrus Fruits

Citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruit, lemon, and lime vary in flavors but all have sour, sweet, bitter, and juicy flavor notes. Citrus fruits can be baked, broiled, grilled, juiced, poached, or enjoyed raw. Don't forget to use the zest for added phytonutrients! Pair citrus fruits with avocado, berries, chiles, coconut, cilantro, chocolate, dates, fennel, ginger, honey, garlic, ginger, nuts, or olives.

Winter Citrus and Arugula Salad by Chelsey at C it Nutritionally

Winter Citrus Salad with Watercress, Fennel, and Pistachios by The Grateful Grazer

Whole Wheat Orange Cardamom Scones by The Grateful Grazer

Wild Blueberry Blood Orange Ginger Smoothie by The Grateful Grazer

Breakfast Oatmeal Bowl with Grapefruit, Pistachios, and Sweet Tahini Drizzle by The Grateful Grazer

Blackberry Chia Jam with Lemon and Rosemary by The Grateful Grazer

Pomegranate

Pomegranate arils are sour and sweet with a juicy, crunchy texture and notes of cranberry. Use pomegranate juice or the raw arils (seeds) in recipes and try pairing pomegranate with lemon, orange, pistachios, or walnuts.

Harissa Roasted Carrots and Chickpeas with Pomegranate and Dukkah by The Grateful Grazer

Roasted Acorn Squash with Pomegranate and Pistachios by The Grateful Grazer

Broccoli Salad with Pomegranate Arils and Maple Walmuts by Elizabeth at Shaw's Simple Swaps

Winter Citrus Fruit Salad with Pomegranate Rosemary Vinaigrette by Emily at Emily Kyle Nutrition

Pomegranate Avocado Quinoa Salad by Sharon of The Plant-Powered Blog

Roasted Carrots with Green Tahini Sauce and Pomegranate by Laura of Blogging Over Thyme

Pomegranate Pistachio Chia Breakfast Pudding by Amy at Amy Gorin Nutrition

Potatoes

Potatoes are a fairly neutral vegetable with earthy and starchy notes. Bake potatoes whole (400º for 50-60 minutes) or quarter and roast (400º for 20-40 minutes), boil, grill, mash, puree, sauté, or steam. Try pairing potatoes with celery root, chives, garlic, leeks, mushrooms, olive oil, onions, parsley, pepper, rosemary, sage, or thyme.

Creamy Cauliflower Potato Soup with Pistachio Harissa Pesto by EA at Spicy RD Nutrition

Roasted Turmeric Black Pepper Fingerling Potatoes by The Grateful Grazer

Austrian Potato Hash by The Grateful Grazer

Creamy Potato Leek Soup by The Grateful Grazer

Vegan Hasselback Potatoes by Dianne of Dianne's Vegan Kitchen

Vegan Bombay Potatoes and Peas by Richa of Vegan Richa

Spicy Lebanese-Style Potatoes (Batata Harra) by Omar of Lands & Flavors

Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are sweet with notes of pumpkin, nuts, and vanilla. They have a soft texture once cooked. They can be baked whole at 400º F for about 40-60 minutes or boiled for about 25-40 minutes. Sweet potatoes can also be broiled, candied, fried, grilled, mashed, pureed, roasted, sautéed, simmered and steamed. Try them with apples, black beans, bell peppers, chiles, cilantro, cinnamon, coconut, garlic, ginger, kale, maple syrup, lime, nutmeg, nuts, (especially pecans and walnuts), olive oil, onions, orange, parsley, rosemary, sesame seeds, soy sauce, and balsamic vinegar.

Vegan Curried Sweet Potato Noodle Bowls by Jamie at Dishing Out Health

Sweet Potato Toast with Caper Tapenade by The Grateful Grazer

Spicy Tempeh Bacon Sweet Potato Hash by The Grateful Grazer

Mushroom Cannellini Bean Loaded Sweet Potatoes by The Grateful Grazer

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Vegetarian Chili by Meg at Mostly Balanced

Sweet Potato Cauliflower Soup by Vanessa of Vegan Family Recipes

Winter Squash

Squash has a sweet and nutty flavor with notes of black pepper. Texture can be crunchy or tender and juicy, depending on the type. It can be baked at 350-375º F for 30-45 minutes or steamed for 15-40 minutes. Winter squash can also be boiled, braised, grilled, mashed, pureed, roasted sautéed, simmered, stewed, and stuffed. Try it with apples, cinnamon, garlic, ginger, nutmeg, nuts (especially pecans and walnuts), olive oil, onions (especially red onions), and sage.

BBQ Jackfruit Squash Bowls with Creamy Kiwi Lime Sauce by The Grateful Grazer

Hearty Vegan Minestrone with Butternut Squash by The Grateful Grazer

Harvest Vegetable Baked Penne by The Grateful Grazer

Spicy Butternut Squash Soup by Cara at Street Smart Nutrition

Spicy Butternut Squash Soup by Nazima at Nutrition by Nazima

Curried Pumpkin Soup by Rebecca at Nourish Nutrition Co.

Maple-Roasted Delicata Squash Quinoa Salad by Jessica at Nutritioulicious

Freekeh Butternut Squash by Tracee at Triad to Wellness

Butternut Squash Mac 'n Cheese by Charlene at Euphoria Nutrition

Easy Butternut Squash Soup by Jodi at Create Kids Club

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What are your favorite winter fruits and veggies and which seasonal plant-based recipe do you want to try first?

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