Home Health The 10 Healthiest Winter Vegetables With delicious recipe to cook at home.

The 10 Healthiest Winter Vegetables With delicious recipe to cook at home.

The 10 Healthiest Winter Vegetables

It’s usually summer that brings us loads of fresh fruit and veg. But even in winter, you can fall back on fresh, healthy food: Some types of vegetables are also in the season when it’s cold and uncomfortable outside. We introduce you to typical winter vegetables, tell you what makes them so healthy and give you a delicious recipe to cook at home.

1. White cabbage

White cabbage is mainly used in hearty dishes such as stews or cabbage rolls and is therefore particularly popular in winter. A large part of the harvested cabbage is processed into sauerkraut, which is traditionally served in many families at Christmas.

calories and ingredients

White cabbage is one of the particularly low-calorie vegetables, 100 grams bring it to just 25 calories. But be careful: A cabbage salad that has been dressed with mayonnaise already contains significantly more calories. As long as the mayonnaise is used in moderation, the salad is still healthy, because HealthCanal nutrition experts state that white cabbage contains many valuable ingredients: it has vitamin C, vitamin E, and folic acid, among others. Potassium, calcium, and magnesium are added as minerals.

Recipe: Apple White Cabbage Salad

Grate 500 grams of white cabbage into small pieces and cut half an onion into rings and two apples into fine sticks. Then put the ingredients together in a salad bowl. For the dressing, mix four tablespoons of salad mayonnaise with a little crème fraîche and season the sauce with salt and pepper.

2. Leeks

Leeks can be harvested both in summer and in autumn: compared to summer leeks, leeks harvested from September have a slightly stronger taste. These are extremely versatile, they can be eaten raw, boiled, fried, or gratinated.

calories and ingredients

Leeks are rich in vitamins and minerals: they contain vitamin C, vitamin K, and folic acid, as well as potassium, calcium, magnesium, manganese, and iron. Since leek belongs to the onion family, it also contains valuable secondary plant substances. Leek is not only healthy, but they are also good for the figure: 100 grams bring just 26 calories.

Recipe: Cheese Leek Soup

Fry 500 grams of minced meat in a saucepan. In the meantime, cut one kilogram of leeks into fine rings and put them in the pot as well. Add a liter of meat stock, bring to a boil and cook the leeks over medium heat for 15 minutes. After that, add a glass of mushrooms and 200 grams of herb melted cheese. The soup should no longer boil. Finally, season the soup with salt and pepper.

3. Turnip

For years, the swede disappeared from our plates, but now it is experiencing a culinary comeback: With its spicy-sweet taste, the turnip is a good side dish for meat dishes, but it can also be eaten in a stew or as a puree.

calories and ingredients

Swedes contain a lot of water and are therefore good for the figure: 100 grams bring just 35 calories. The beets are not only healthy because they contain few calories, but also because they contain many valuable ingredients: they contain minerals such as potassium and calcium as well as large amounts of vitamin C and provitamin A.

Recipe: Swede Rosti

Finely grate 400 grams of turnips and one onion. Then add an egg and season the grated vegetables with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Now put the mass in portions in a pan and fry the rösti on both sides until golden.

4. Savoy

Savoy cabbage is now available in German supermarkets all year round, but the cabbage tastes particularly aromatic in winter. It used to be a popular food, especially among seafarers, because savoy saved seafarers from scurvy on longer voyages thanks to its high vitamin C content.

calories and ingredients

Savoy cabbage, like most other types of cabbage, contains hardly any calories and is therefore ideal for losing weight: 100 grams only have an average of around 25 calories. The green cabbage is not only good for the line, but also extremely rich in vitamins: In addition to large amounts of vitamin C , it also contains various vitamins from the B group, vitamin E, vitamin K as well as folic acid and provitamin A.

Recipe: Braised Savoy Cabbage

Fry 150 grams of diced ham and two large, diced onions in a saucepan. In the meantime, cut a savoy cabbage into fine strips and put them in the pot as well. Add 200 milliliters of vegetable stock and stew the cabbage until done. Mix three tablespoons of flour with a little water and add the liquid to the savoy cabbage. Finally, season the vegetables with salt and pepper.

5. Brussels sprouts

Brussels sprouts are characterized by a strong taste and a slightly bitter aroma. The green roses are in season with us from September. However, the Brussels sprouts only become really tasty with the first frost: because the cold stimulates sugar production and the bitter taste subsides.

calories and ingredients

Brussels sprouts contain slightly more calories than most other types of cabbage, 100 grams bring about 40 calories. This is because Brussels sprouts are low in water and high in fat, protein and sugar. However, the green florets are still healthy because they are rich in vitamin C and vitamin K as well as zinc and fiber.

Recipe: Baked Brussels Sprouts

Clean and wash one kilogram of Brussels sprouts and then cook them in salted water until al dente. Meanwhile, mix two cups of crème fraîche with herbs with 200 grams of grated cheese and season the sauce with salt and pepper. Then place the Brussels sprouts in a casserole dish, spread the sauce over the vegetables and bake at 180 degrees for 30 minutes.

6. Beetroot

Beetroot cuts a fine figure in raw vegetable or herring salads, but it can also be eaten on its own. The red tubers not only taste delicious, they are also said to be able to have a positive effect on our health: regular drinking of beetroot juice is said to improve endurance and lower high blood pressure .

calories and ingredients

In the case of iron deficiency, beetroot juice is often recommended because the red tubers have a high iron content. In addition to iron, beetroot contains various B vitamins and folic acid and is therefore a valuable food, especially for pregnant women. Like most other vegetables, beetroot is low in calories, 100 grams contain 42 calories.

Recipe: Beetroot Salad

Finely grate two beets, two apples and a piece of horseradish. Top with a cup of sour cream and season the salad with salt and pepper. Finally, refine it with some parsley or chives.

7. Celery

Celery is rich in essential oils: These are not only responsible for the spicy taste of celery, but are also said to have a blood pressure-lowering effect. It is therefore highly recommended for people with high blood pressure. Those who suffer from kidney disease, on the other hand, should better avoid the green vegetables, because celery has a diuretic effect.

calories and ingredients

Celery is one of the lowest-calorie foods ever, 100 grams contain just 15 calories. The low calorie content is due to the fact that green vegetables are over 90 percent water. In addition to all the water, celery also contains a lot of vitamins and minerals as well as secondary plant substances.

Recipe: Fried Celery

Peel a celery stalk and cut into slices about 1 cm thick. Then fry the slices in a little oil until the celery is nice and crispy and brown. Then season the vegetables with salt and paprika and sprinkle with a little parsley before serving.

8. Parsnips

Squeezed out of cooking pots for a long time by carrots and potatoes, the parsnip is now celebrating its comeback in domestic kitchens and gardens. The roots, which taste sweet and nutty, are frost hardy and can be harvested throughout the winter.

calories and ingredients

100 grams of parsnips contain about 75 kilocalories (kcal) or 314 kilojoules. In addition to starch, parsnips contain many minerals. The proportion of potassium is particularly high. This is important for the energy metabolism and the function of cells, muscles and nerves. In addition, parsnips are rich in calcium, magnesium , iron and vitamins C and A.

Recipe: Parsnip and Carrot Soup

Chop an onion, a clove of garlic and a thumb-sized piece of ginger. Peel and dice 250 grams of parsnips, 500 grams of carrots and 120 grams of floury potatoes. Then sweat the onions, garlic and ginger in the pot, add the potatoes, carrots and parsnips and fry them for about two minutes. Deglaze the vegetables with 750 milliliters of water and 200 milliliters of coconut milk. Add some orange juice to it. Boil everything and let the broth simmer for about 25 minutes. Finally, puree the vegetables and season the soup with salt, pepper and turmeric.

9. Lamb’s lettuce

Lamb’s lettuce , also known as Rapunzel, is a true all-rounder among lettuce varieties. Thanks to its strong, nutty taste, it goes well with hearty dishes as well as with sweet fruit or sour dressings. The hardy vegetables can be harvested between November and January.

calories and ingredients

Lamb’s lettuce has just 21 kilocalories (kcal) or almost 88 kilojoules per 100 grams and is therefore very low in calories.

Lamb’s lettuce has a high proportion of iron, potassium and folic acid. The lettuce has a positive effect on the energy metabolism, blood formation and the division and growth of cells. In addition, lamb’s lettuce with vitamin C and beta-carotenes strengthens the immune system and protects the cells.

Recipe: lamb’s lettuce with goat cheese

Clean and wash the lettuce and spin dry. Then you can simply dress the salad with some balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Fresh fruit, such as pieces of orange or figs, or nuts, such as walnuts, go well with this.

Cut the goat cheese roll into slices and drizzle with a little honey. Fry it briefly in the pan over high heat until the honey is lightly caramelized. You can then serve the still warm goat cheese with the salad.

10. Salsify

Since the black salsify looks very similar to the asparagus , at least when peeled , it is often referred to as the “poor man’s asparagus”. However, it is much milder in taste. With appropriate cultivation, salsify can even be harvested from frozen soil.

calories and ingredients

Salsify can score with a high proportion of potassium, magnesium and calcium. They are good for the energy metabolism and the bones. The vitamin E contained in salsify has an antioxidant effect and thus protects the cells.

Black salsify is not as low in calories as was thought for a long time, as it has a high fiber content. However, with 54 kilocalories or 226 kilojoules (kJ), they still contain very few calories.

Recipe: Black salsify risotto

For the risotto, wash about 300 grams of salsify, peel and cut into bite-sized pieces. Put them straight into a bowl of cold water and a little lemon juice to keep them from discolouring. Dice an onion and boil 500 milliliters of vegetable stock.

Then first sauté the onions and black salsify in a pan with oil or butter for a few minutes. Then add about 125 grams of risotto rice and deglaze with 100 milliliters of white wine. Let the dish cook with the lid open until the liquid is gone. Fill up with 200 milliliters of vegetable stock and let the risotto simmer for about 30 minutes. Gradually add the remaining vegetable stock, stirring frequently. Finally, season the risotto with salt and pepper.

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