You’ve just unveiled your new vegetable spiral slicer or “Spiralizer†with sharp blades and you’re dying to try it out. Of all the vegetables that exist out there, which ones are best for the beloved Spiralizer? Sweet potatoes, zucchinis, carrots, butternut squash… which spiralized vegetable noodles or veggie curly fries really are the tastiest? Read on with these great vegetable ideas that you can replace standard pasta and side dishes in classic recipes.
Zucchini Noodles
You’ll see this as the kingpin of spiralized vegetable noodles and for good reason. Zucchini is a versatile squash that cooks tenderly while retaining its shape. It doesn’t lose flavor upon cooking but doesn’t overpower other tastes as well, making it a great base to build on.
Make it into a delicious meal, whether cut thickly or thin. It’s sure to taste great no matter what sauce you put on it and provide a guilt-free meal that anyone can eat.
What are the best ways to cook your zucchini fresh from your spiral vegetable slicer?
Sauteed
Just throw some zucchini in the pan with some oil and seasoning and cook till it’s tender. It’s an easy way to add amazing flavor and texture to your "zuke" noodles!
Raw
​If you’re on a raw vegan kick, this will be your best approach to sticking to your dietary restrictions while adding a new dish to your diet. Zucchini is delicious on its own, and can very palatably be eaten raw.
In Broth
Add zucchini noodles to your next broth for some variation and flavor. It will hold up well in the liquid and be a yummy addition to your meal. Think about adding zucchini noodles to your homemade soups.
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A quick note on how to eat zucchini:
Don’t peel it before you spiralize
There’s nothing wrong with eating the zucchini peel and it actually has a lot of nutrients that fortify your diet. So keep the peel on for ease of cooking and health benefits.
Don’t pre-salt the zucchini noodles
Zucchini is 95% water and so losing a lot of its moisture before cooking can cause it to be mushy when heated. Salting the zucchini will draw out its natural moisture and will lend to the noodles becoming soggy. Salt the noodles after you’ve added other ingredients to them.
Don’t cook for too long
They can become very mushy really quickly if you let them heat up for a long time. Be present and attentive as the noodles are sautéing or boiling and you will have perfect noodles in no time!
Potatoes
Did you know that potatoes are the only food we can eat for the rest of our life and not be malnourished? There’s a reason the potato was a staple in the movie The Martian; they’re not only delicious but have all the nutrients we need to survive! Therefore, they’re a great food to use in your Spiralizer.
Due to the potato’s starchy goodness, they hold up well when sautéed, fried, or boiled. You can make them into delicious curly fries or the noodles to your next pasta bowl. However, if you decide to prepare it, the potato is a great and versatile tuber for your spiralizing needs.
Recommended cooking instructions:
Unlike other yummy foods to spiralize on this list, it’s not recommended that you eat a potato raw since the starch can stick to your tongue and be rather unpleasant. Thus, you can bake, boil, or broil as you please!
Potatoes are excellent at absorbing other flavors. Cook them in sauces or spices to give them a little kick.
Beets
This little taproot is often forgotten in health crazes, but it packs a lot of punch for its small size. They’re filled with antioxidants and other necessary nutrients in your daily diet while staying low in calories. The beet is colorful and delicious, adding a little pizzazz to your next spiralized meal!
A quick and easy recipe includes cooking spiralized beets in balsamic-chive dressing.
Some notes when preparing beets:
It can get messy! Beets are known for their deep red juice that can stain clothes and countertops. Take the proper precaution when cutting and cooking beets such as wearing kitchen gloves.
There are many different ways to prepare beets. Try to find the one that best suits your palate!
Carrots
We know the fabled benefits of carrots for our eyes, but how often do we include them in our diet? Not much. Therefore, spiralizing carrots is a quick way to get all their health benefits for our next meal.
Spiralizing a carrot may not come intuitively due to its crescendo shape. But fear not! There is a simple way to spiralize a carrot:
Cut off the tip and end of the carrot so that it looks as cylindrical as possible. You can cut the carrot in half, but that is not necessary.
Peel the carrot for consistency and to remove the stray hairs that grow on the carrots exterior.
Pop the carrot into your spiralizer and spiralize away!
You’ll be left with carrot noodles that you can add marinara or pasta sauce on or put into your next veggie broth. However you decide to use them, the carrot is a mighty food for kickstarting your health and immune system.
Apples
Not what you expected, right? “An apple isn’t a vegetable!†you say. However, the best part about the spiralizer is that it isn’t just limited to spiralizing vegetables. With enough creativity, you can spiralize anything into a yummy meal, and the apple is not excluded from this.
Whether you leave the peel on or decide to remove it, an apple can add a little sweetness to your noodle base. Make a sweet sauce and drizzle it on a spiralized apple for a tasty dessert, or add the apple to any of the other veggie bases above for a mix of flavors. The apple is firm enough to be spiralized effectively, and thus a great way to add new flavor to your favorite spiralized dishes!
There you go, some of the best veggies to use to make noodles in your awesome new vegetable Spiralizer. Pick one or all from this list to spiralize and you’ll be adding necessary nutrients to your diet in no time. (Sorry, pasta, you’re not as healthy as a zucchini!) Prepare them anyway you please and make your next delicious meal today!
