How to Cook Frozen Vegetables

Having frozen vegetables and fruit on hand is a great way to add in more produce to your meals without having to worry about it going bad or prep time. If you’re wondering how to cook frozen vegetables, I’ve got you!

I think we’ve all been in a situation where we go to the grocery store and buy a big container of spinach with every intention of using it throughout the week, only to see it lurking in the back of our fridge untouched a few days later and getting slimy. Sound familiar? If so, using frozen vegetables might be the answer.

Frozen vegetables often get a bad rap for being less nutritious, flavourless and inconvenient to use. But I’m here to debunk all of these myths!

Nowadays there are so many amazing options for frozen vegetables and fruit, from an array of berries and tropical fruit to broccoli, brussel sprouts and even cranberries! It would be a shame not to take advantage fo this. Plus, frozen veggies and fruit as usually less expensive than fresh (especially when they’re not in season), and you don’t have to worry about chopping and washing them, which cuts down on prep time.

Are Frozen Vegetables and Fruit as Nutritious as Fresh?

Despite what you might have been told, frozen vegetables are actually just as nutritious as fresh. In fact, they may even be more nutritious since they’re often frozen at the peak of their ripeness, meaning they retain their nutrients.

Benefits of Frozen Vegetables and Fruit

• They’re great if you’re cooking for one since you don’t have to worry about them going bad.
• They’re just as nutritious as fresh (if not more)!
• Frozen veggies and fruit are often less expensive than fresh.
• You can buy them in larger quantities without worrying about them going bad, saving you trips to the grocery store!
• They don’t need to be washed or chopped, saving you prep time.

How to use frozen fruit and vegetables

I love using frozen vegetables in soups, stews, curries and stir fries. They don’t require any prep, making these recipes come together so much faster. It’s pretty easy to add frozen veggies into these recipes- Simply add them into the recipe a bit earlier than you would fresh vegetables (about 5-10 minutes) since they require more time to thaw. If you prefer, you can even lightly steam frozen vegetables before adding into recipes, although this isn’t necessary.

I always have frozen fruit on hand to add into smoothies, but they’re also great for stirring into oatmeal, plant-based yogurt, or making into vegan ‘nice cream’ (blended frozen fruit).

How I Roast Frozen Vegetables

Recently, I’ve been experimenting with roasting frozen vegetables. I didn’t think this would be possible before, but with a few easy tips it’s actually super simple, and the veggies turn out great!

I typically roast vegetables in my air fryer, but the oven also works great. The key is to make sure you’re roasting at a high enough temperature, to use some sort of oil (olive oil and avocado oil are my go-to’s) so that the vegetables get crispy rather than soggy, and to make sure the vegetables are well-spaced on the pan or air fryer so that they roast, rather than steam.

Roasting in the Air Fryer

1. In a large bowl, toss 2 cups of frozen vegetables (I usually use broccoli, cauliflower, green beans or brussel sprouts) in 1 tbsp of olive oil, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika and 1/4 tsp salt.
2. Add vegetables to your air fryer and cook at 400 F for 15-25 minutes, until the vegetables are roasted, flipping half way through. You may notice some excess water from the vegetables accumulate at the bottom of the air fryer container- That’s okay, just pause the air fryer, dump out the water, and continue cooking.
3. Once the vegetables are roasted, serve and enjoy!

Roasting in the Oven

1. Preheat the oven to 450 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, toss 2 cups of frozen vegetables (I usually use broccoli, cauliflower, green beans or brussel sprouts) in 1 tbsp of olive oil, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika and 1/4 tsp salt.
3. Place vegetables on the baking sheet, ensuring they’re well spaced, and cook for 20-25 minutes until the vegetables are roasted, flipping half way through. You may notice some excess water from the vegetables accumulating on the sheet pan- That’s okay, just remove the sheet pan from the oven, pour off the excess water, and continue cooking.
4. Once the vegetables are roasted, serve and enjoy!

Tips for Roasting Frozen Vegetables

• Make sure you leave enough space between the vegetables so that they roast rather than steam. This goes for cooking all types of vegetables!
• Using oil will help ensure your vegetables get crispy, rather than soggy.
• Make sure you season your vegetables! I love using salt, pepper, garlic powder and smoked paprika.
• Roast your vegetables at a high enough temperature. I recommend roasting at 450 F in the oven of 400 F in the air fryer.
• I’ve found that frozen broccoli, green beans, cauliflower and brussel sprouts roast the best from frozen!

I hope you find these tips for roasting cooking vegetables helpful! If you try it out, make sure to take a photo and tag me on Instagram so I can see!

How to Roast Frozen Vegetables

Ingredients

• 2 cups frozen vegetables of choice I’ve found broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts and green beans work best
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

Roasting in the oven

1. In a large bowl, toss 2 cups of frozen vegetables (I usually use broccoli, cauliflower, green beans or brussel sprouts) in 1 tbsp of olive oil, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika and 1/4 tsp salt.

2. Add vegetables to your air fryer and cook at 400 F for 15-25 minutes, until the vegetables are roasted, flipping half way through. You may notice that some excess water from the vegetables starts to accumulate at the bottom of the air fryer container- That’s okay, just pause the air fryer, dump out the water, and continue cooking.

3. Once the vegetables are roasted, serve and enjoy!

Roasting in the air fryer

1. Preheat the oven to 450 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, toss 2 cups of frozen vegetables (I usually use broccoli, cauliflower, green beans or brussel sprouts) in 1 tbsp of olive oil, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika and 1/4 tsp salt.

3. Place vegetables on the baking sheet, ensuring they’re well spaced, and cook for 20-25 minutes until the vegetables are roasted, flipping half way through. You may notice that some excess water from the vegetables starts to accumulating on the sheet pan- That’s okay, just remove the sheet pan from the oven, pour off the excess water, and continue cooking.

4. Once vegetables are roasted, serve and enjoy!

More easy recipes

Easy Vegan Green Smoothie Recipe

Lemon, Rosemary & White Bean Soup [Vegan]

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