Imagine being able to turn almost any vegetable into a dish of healthy and delicious noodles. If it sounds too good to be true, it’s not. With a spiralizer, you can create noodles from carrots, zucchini, squash, cucumbers, and even beets.
What is a spiralizer? This cool kitchen gadget turns vegetables into low-carb, nutrient-packed, vegan-friendly noodles.
So, if you want to cut carbs from your diet, eat more vegetables. Or do you just love pasta dishes but don’t want all the calories that come with it, a spiralizer can be a magical tool for you.
The tool is really easy to use. Just wash the vegetable, peel if necessary, and cut off the ends. Then insert it into the spiralizer core. Turn the handle, and voila! You will end up with a pile of perfectly spiraled vegetable noodles.
Mix and match your favorite vegetables with different sauces, boil, roast, or fry them, and you can create dozens of unique dishes.
We tried spiralizing all kinds of vegetables; if you’re on the hunt for a new noodle dish, check out this list of 15 vegetables that turned into delicious noodles.
Table of Contents
1. Carrot Noodles
If you love carrots, you’ll love carrot noodles more. These wide, flat spirals may be a little shorter than other noodles, but they pack a lot of flavor and texture. It is one of the most filling ways to prepare carrots, the color is gorgeous, and the taste is even better.
Boil, sauté in a pan, or simply roast and drizzle with olive oil and herbs for a quick side dish. Raw carrot noodles make excellent additions to salads and work exceptionally well in oriental dishes.
2. Parsnip Noodles
If you’ve never spiralized a parsnip before, you are in for a bit of a surprise. These root vegetables are hardy enough to make it through spiralizing machines and create long, thick, spiral strands. Parsnips are fantastic for making all kinds of noodles, either flat or round.
Once they are spiralized, a simple sauté in the pan will bring out their flavor. You can serve parsnip noodles with tomato sauce for a meatless spaghetti dinner or roast in the oven with herbs to make a fantastic replacement for mashed potatoes.
3. Butternut Squash Noodles
Butternut squash is another favorite vegetable to turn into noodles. These orange beauties have a subtle sweetness and complement many dishes nicely with a nutty undertone. The creamy texture and classic taste will make you forget about regular noodles.
Our favorite butternut squash noodles are served with garlic, lemon, olive oil, and prosciutto crumbles. Like all other veggies on this list, butternut squash is also rich in nutrients and makes a great low-carb alternative to grain pasta.
4. Cucumber Noodles
One of the most popular spiralized vegetables, cucumber, really doesn’t need much introduction. These delicious tubes give a base to all kinds of dishes, from Asian-inspired noodles to classic Italian pastas or simple salads.
They are refreshing, tasty, and versatile enough to go with anything you might want. Toss them in vinaigrette, mix with tomatoes and mozzarella or use them in sushi rolls; any way you choose, you’ll end up with a delicious twist.
5. Spaghetti Squash Noodles
Spaghetti squash makes a great low-carb, grain-free alternative to regular noodles. It’s the perfect choice for people on keto diets, and it also works well with almost every pasta sauce. Its stringy texture has already made it a popular alternative to pasta, and it’s so versatile, you can pair it with virtually any sauce.
This winter veggie is big on taste, huge on nutrients, and it’s an easy way to sneak more veggies into meals.
6. Beetroot Noodles
Beetroot noodles come out in gorgeous deep purple-red color and have a subtle earthy note. They’re not only gorgeous but also very nutritious. Similar to carrots, beetroot is rich in vitamin A and antioxidants.
Sautéed with garlic or simply roasted in the oven with olive oil and thyme, these veggie noodles make delicious dishes that will make you want more. Or maybe try beet noodles with whipped feta, some goat cheese, and basil; the result will be simply divine.
7. Radish Noodles
If you haven’t tried radish noodles already, you are missing out on the slight peppery taste and crisp texture. These noodles hold up quite nicely in soups, so you can add them to your broth or a lighter bisque.
For the best radish noodles, we recommend going for long, spaghetti-like strands.
A simple sauté in olive oil with chives and chili flakes is enough to bring out their unique flavor. They also work fantastic with stir-fried beef and veggies for a more traditional Asian dish.
8. Jicama Noodles
Jicama is one of the lesser-known veggies to spiralize and is surprisingly delicious. Jicama is basically a healthier version of a potato with a mild flavor, color similar to butternut squash, and texture like water chestnuts. It’s excellent with tahini, lime, or Mexican-style sauces.
It also works well in salads, so if you want to lighten up a heavy mayo-based pasta salad, try using jicama noodles instead.
9. Zucchini Noodles
A staple for most people who spiralize; zucchini noodles or zoodles, as they are called, give a great base to any pasta. If you haven’t tried them already, you’re missing out on a lot of flavor and fun.
Zucchini noodles are versatile; they work with all kinds of sauces, whether a creamy cheese sauce, spicy marinara, or Asian pesto.
Even raw zoodles add the perfect amount of crunch and freshness to salads. Unlike regular pasta filled with carbs, zucchini is rich in vitamin B, and C making it a nutrient-dense substitute.
10. Sweet Potato Noodles
Sweet potatoes are perfect for restaurant-quality noodles that are neither too mushy nor too hard. They have just the right bite and color to easily fool anybody into thinking they are eating real spaghetti. Plus, the sweetness pairs perfectly with any sauce you prefer.
Though a little tricky to cook, spiralized and roasted sweet potato noodles are amazing. Alternatively, lightly boil and toss with classic meat sauce or pesto for a delicious side dish.
11. Kohlrabi Noodles
Kohlrabi is an underappreciated vegetable that makes excellent noodles. It has the consistency of parsnip and a mild earthy taste that works well with stronger sauces.
The tender flesh is ideal for stirring, baking, and roasting in the oven but doesn’t fare well when boiled. They also work well with classic pasta sauces, so you can serve them in marinara or carbonara recipes.
12. Bell pepper Noodles
Crunchy bell pepper noodles are fun to eat and have a truly unique texture. Try spiralizing some red, yellow, or green bell peppers for a beautiful dish that is also super healthy. They work extremely well in stir-fries, and their crunchy texture also makes them a welcome addition to salads.
Our personal favorite is roasted bell pepper noodles with sausage pasta. The slightly bitter taste of the bell pepper noodles nicely balances out the richness of sausage; add some garlic and onions for a little extra depth.
13. Turnip Noodles
Turnips are another versatile veggie to make noodles; their hard texture holds up beautifully when spiralized into thin strands.
Turnip noodles go great with Asian dishes like pho or tom yum soup, but they also work surprisingly well with Italian flavors.
For a more unique dish, try these noodles with pesto and pine nuts. Another wonderful idea is to roast and serve with olive oil, pork, chives, and garlic for an easy appetizer dish; you won’t regret it.
14. Potato Noodles
Potato noodles are fun, flavorful, and something everyone needs to try at least once. Either fried or baked, the nice crisp texture works well with any sauce. One of our favorite recipes calls for fried potato noodles, bacon, pesto, and caramelized onions. It’s a great appetizer dish to serve at parties or even for a casual dinner.
For a more filling meal, toss roasted potato noodles with your favorite meat and flavor with rosemary or oregano for an extra savory kick.
15. Celeriac Noodles
Try some chicken and celeriac noodles with your next dinner, and we are sure you’ll love them. They’re flavorful, bring freshness to your meal, and are super healthy. The consistency makes them great for creamy sauces, stews, or a lovely homemade mac and cheese.
You can also try roasting or quickly stir-frying the noodles to bring out the earthy natural flavor. This root vegetable also pairs nicely with meat and sausages.
Final Thoughts
Vegetable noodles are delicious and incredibly versatile. The best part about making homemade vegetable noodles is you can go beyond the traditional spaghetti or noodle recipes and develop your own dishes with flavors that fit your preferences.
We hope this article inspired you to try out some of these delicious vegetable noodles and enjoy them as much as we do.
Source
- https://www.eatingwell.com/article/290796/how-to-spiralize-vegetables-like-a-pro
- https://downshiftology.com/spiralizer-beginners-guide
- https://gatheringdreams.com/best-spiralizer-recipes
- https://cooktoria.com/best-vegetables-to-spiralize
- https://www.everydayhealth.com/pictures/fruits-veggies-you-havent-spiralized