25 Ways to Use Vegetable Scraps to Maximize Flavor and Minimize Waste Stems, stalks, and skins never tasted so good. By Jodie Kautzmann Jodie Kautzmann Jodie Kautzmann is an editor, baker, and confectioner with more than 15 years of experience in content creation, recipe development, and pastry production. She's obsessed with the fine details and ingredients that take dishes from tasty to outright otherworldly. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on April 1, 2026 Add Us On Close Credit: Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Food waste is a drag — for your wallet, the environment, and, in the case of produce, for the farmers who worked so hard to grow it. What’s not a drag? Finding delicious ways to use often-discarded veggie parts that will have you craving what some consider scraps. Blend carrot tops into pesto, toss celery leaves and fennel fronds into salad, puree broccoli stems into a bright vinaigrette, or whip radish and turnip greens into a flavorful butter for spreading on tartines. Keep reading for even more ways to make the most of your vegetables and herbs. Keep all of your recipes at your fingertips. With the MyRecipes app you can easily save and organize your favorites from anywhere, including Instagram and TikTok, in one convenient place. Get the free app. 01 of 25 Carrot Top Pesto Matt Taylor-Gross "What's the point of buying gorgeous next-level carrots with their long, lacy greens if you're just going to cut those off and toss them in the trash?" asks Chandra Ram. This hand-chopped pesto is a delicious way to reduce food waste. Serve it as a dip, dolloped on a grain bowl or egg dish, or over grilled or roasted meat, vegetables, or fish. Get the Recipe Save 02 of 25 Loaded Baked Potato Gnocchi Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Shell Royster Give homemade potato gnocchi the baked potato treatment by topping it with crispy bacon, crème fraîche, scallions, and shredded cheddar cheese. The leftover potato skins are fried in bacon fat and added to the mix, reducing waste and maximizing flavor. Get the Recipe Save 03 of 25 Corn, Crab, and Shrimp Chowder Cara Cormack Cream, butter, crabmeat, and shrimp — what's not to like? The game-changing ingredient of this rich chowder from Andrew Zimmern is an easy, 30-minute homemade stock made from the corncobs and shrimp shells. Get the Recipe Save 04 of 25 Shaved Celery and Fennel Salad with Pickled Grapes Marcus Nilsson Built on a creamy smear of goat cheese, this salad layers vinaigrette-dressed shaved celery and fennel with grapes pickled in muscat vinegar and peppery greens — plus the celery leaves and fennel fronds. Get the Recipe Save 05 of 25 Broccoli, Cauliflower, and Cheddar Soup with Garlic Croutons Food & Wine / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Priscilla Montiel F&W recipe developer Julia Levy brings cauliflower to the broccoli-cheese party, using both the florets and stems of each. Savory garlic croutons pull double duty as a crunchy topping and a thickener, pureed into the soup. Get the Recipe Save 06 of 25 Grilled Carrot Tostadas Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen For his mouthwatering recipe, James Beard Award-winning chef Edgar Rico piles smoky-sweet grilled carrots over cream cheese-smeared tostadas, then tops them with a verdant mix of carrot greens, fresh herbs, olive oil, red wine vinegar, and date molasses. Salsa macha ties the dish together. Get the Recipe Save 07 of 25 Vegetable Stock Food & Wine / Photo by Robby Lozano / Food Styling by Chelesa Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley You can, of course, use fresh vegetables to make stock, but why not save scraps in the freezer until you have enough for a pot? Or, use a mix of whole veggies plus peels and end pieces. Skip starchy and cruciferous vegetables, which yield a cloudy, bitter stock. Get the Recipe Save 08 of 25 Mole Verde con Pollo with Corn Tortillas Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Fresh herbs give mole verde its light, vibrant character. Here, Mexico City–based chefs Norma Listman and Saqib Keval pair tender chicken with a nutty, slightly coarse green sauce that utilizes radish greens plus stems of cilantro, parsley, and epazote. Warm corn tortillas are essential for scooping. Get the Recipe Save 09 of 25 Creamy Shrimp Salad JENNIFER CAUSEY / FOOD STYLING by EMILY NABORS HALL / PROP STYLING by JULIA BAYLESS Lemon, Old Bay seasoning, Dijon mustard, and a trio of herbs flavor this mayonnaise-based shrimp salad from food writer Amethyst Ganaway. It uses half a cup of celery leaves in addition to a couple of stalks. Serve alongside crackers for a scoopable appetizer. Get the Recipe Save 10 of 25 Radish Tartines with Green Butter Photo by Christopher Testani / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Kathleen Cook Varner Whip radish and turnip greens with sweet butter, garlic, and lemon zest for this silky spread. F&W's Justin Chapple finishes the tartines with crunchy sea salt to pull the flavors into focus. Get the Recipe Save 11 of 25 Spicy Green Chutney Eva Kolenko Sana Javeri Kadri, founder and CEO of the farm-to-table spice company Diaspora Co., uses just four ingredients plus water and salt to make this fiery green sauce — including lots of cilantro stems. It comes together almost instantly in the blender. Get the Recipe Save 12 of 25 Roasted Broccoli with Broccoli Stem Vinaigrette Charissa Fay "This is a stem-to-floret dish," notes chef and TV personality Alex Guarnaschelli. Here, she reserves a cup of peeled, thinly sliced stems to puree into a Dijon mustard-spiked vinaigrette to accompany garlicky roasted florets. Get the Recipe Save 13 of 25 Broccoli and Potato Soup Photo by Cara Cormack A clever puree of potatoes and broccoli stems gives this soup its creamy body; whole florets bring texture and bite. Each bowl is finished with grated Parmesan for extra salty, nutty flavor. Get the Recipe Save 14 of 25 Spice-Roasted Halibut with Herbs and Tahini Salad Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Heather Claire Spollen Here, chef Reem Assil shares a simple way to extract flavor from tender herb stems: To roast her fish, she places the spice-rubbed fillets over lemon slices topped with cilantro and parsley stems. Get the Recipe Save 15 of 25 Scallop and Apple Tartare Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Victoria Granof / Prop Styling by Karen Olsen Tart apple and crunchy celery are a great foil for sweet raw sea scallops in this easy appetizer. Not only is the apple left unpeeled, but the recipe also makes use of the celery leaves. Get the Recipe Save 16 of 25 Roasted Radishes with Radish Greens © John Kernick Roasted and mixed with their wilted greens, this recipe from chef Gerard Craft serves up radishes as you've never had them before — crisp-tender, mellow, earthy, and without waste. Butter, salt, and lemon bring richness and balance. Get the Recipe Save 17 of 25 Leek Mac and Cheese © Lucy Schaeffer Though it's the light-colored part of leeks that is most prized, this recipe makes use of even the dark, tough greens by sautéing them until they're soft and supple. Once cooked, they're combined with pasta and a delectable Manchego sauce, then baked to golden, bubbling perfection. Get the Recipe Save 18 of 25 Cumin-and-Chile-Braised Collard Green Stems © Con Poulos Got stems? Justin Chapple's cumin-and-chile-kicked side is the ideal way to use up stems from collards — or any other hardy green like kale, chard, mustard, beet, and more. Get the Recipe Save 19 of 25 No-Waste Veggie Chips © Emily Tylman This is less of a recipe and more of a brilliant idea: Simply fry or bake your veggie scraps until perfectly crisp, sprinkle with salt, and enjoy alone or with your favorite dip. Get the Recipe 20 of 25 Summer Vegetable Soup with Carrot Top-Pumpkin Seed Pistou © Johnny Miller Vary the vegetables as the seasons change for this tomato-based soup that starts with carrots, fennel, green beans, leek, zucchini, cranberry beans, and ditalini pasta. Use the leafy carrot greens as the base for a vibrant pistou made with garlicky toasted pumpkin seeds, parsley, Parmesan, and olive oil. Get the Recipe Save 21 of 25 Basic Sautéed Greens © Abby Hocking If you find yourself with a glut of leftover beet greens after making a beet dish, chef Hugh Acheson will show you how to sauté them for a simple side that's ready in minutes. Get the Recipe Save 22 of 25 Beet-Bean Cheeseburger BALL & ALBANESE Here, 2002 F&W Best New Chef Dan Barber ingeniously roasts the pulp that's leftover from juicing beets and carrots for the base of his exceptional veggie burgers, combining it with mushrooms, tofu, kidney beans, spelt, raw celery pulp, toasted almonds, and more to form the patties. Get the Recipe Save 23 of 25 Spaghetti with Radish Greens Pesto © Con Poulos This pesto marries salted pumpkin seeds with radish greens to make a fresh, flavorful sauce. You can also use beet or turnip greens. Get the Recipe Save 24 of 25 Chicago-Style Salsa © Nicole Franzen Take your hot dogs to the next level with this crunchy, fresh, and fast salsa that packs half a cup of celery leaves, plus cucumber, tomato, onion, peppers, and sweet pickle relish. Get the Recipe Save 25 of 25 Roasted Beets with Beet Green Salsa Verde © John Kernick Chef Tyler Florence uses beets plus their beautiful greens and minced stems to make this fresh, vibrant holiday-worthy side dish. Get the Recipe Save Explore more: Food Ingredients Vegetables Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit