Vegetables have always been a favorite of mine, especially since 2023 when I took a heart health program that features a vegan diet. Now, I’m eating vegetables all the time.
So, when I went to Costco Tuesday, I was presented with a dilemma. Which huge packages of vegetables could I buy and not waste any?
I decided to get the carrots, pictured above, because I’ve begun eating them with humus instead of crackers. It’s two, 2-pound packages, for a whopping four pounds of carrots. I thought I could use half of a package in a great bean soup that I make.
I also bought a big package of spinach, 1 pound. I could put half of it in the soup.
But, then, there was the 3.5 pound package of zucchinis. I usually use two or three small zucchinis in the soup, but I didn’t know if could eat the rest of the bag before it spoiled.
I bought the zucchini later at the co-op.
I made the soup. It’s fantastic.
Here’s the recipe:
Ingredients
1 package vegetable broth, 32 oz.
1 pound of carrots, diced. If using baby carrots, cut in half.
2-3 small zucchini or other summer squash
4 cups of spinach or Swiss chard
1 can great northern beans, rinsed and drained, 15½ oz.
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained, 14½ oz.
1 tsp. dried thyme
½ tsp. dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
Add cheese on top, an option, regular or vegan
Directions
Bring the vegetable broth to a boil in a large pot. Cook the carrots for about 15 minutes. Add the zucchini and cook another 8 minutes.
Add the spinach or Swiss chard, beans, tomatoes, thyme, oregano, salt and pepper.
Serve with regular or vegan cheese, an option.
The recipe makes 2 quarts.
Here’s another large package of vegetables I bought at Costco that I like:
Tips for using large packages of vegetables from Costco, besides making soup, so they don’t spoil:
- Cook the large package of spinach right away and serve it for several meals rather than thinking you’ll eat it in salads and sandwiches before it spoils.
- Freeze the spinach and chip off pieces to use in smoothies or cook for meals.
- Blanch green beans and freeze in smaller packages. After washing and trimming, blanch green beans by boiling them for 2 to 3 minutes, then quickly dumping them in ice water to stop the cooking.
- Chop carrots, onions, and celery or ginger, garlic, and scallions to freeze, then use in soups, stews, and stir fries.
- Buy frozen vegetables and fruits so you can use just the amount you need for one meal at a time.
- Preserve lemons with honey or ferment them with salt.
- Store potatoes in a cool, dry place out of the sunlight and they’ll last for weeks. Keep separate from onions, bananas, and other ethylene-producing items.
- Store unpeeled garlic bulbs in a cool, dry, and dark pantry, and they can last up to six months.
- Freeze raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries a day or two after you buy them. That way you can enjoy them for breakfast or on ice cream then eat them later in good shape.
Try these tips to see if they’ll work for you. I especially like the one on berries. Costco has the best berries in my area and freezing them in a day or two lets me get great quality ones.
