If you end up with a load of leftover cooked vegetables after a big festive feast, vegetable fritters are a great way to use them up. They’re quick and easy to make and very tasty too. In fact they’re a great way to pep up jaded palates after all the Christmas festivities.
What To Do With Leftover Cooked Vegetables
First thing is, don’t throw them away. Vegetables are a precious commodity and I’m all for the slogan, “love food, hate waste”. For some further ideas on what to do with them, head over to my what to do with your Christmas leftovers post.
Soup is the easiest way to use up leftover cooked vegetables. I love soup and will happily bung in all sorts of leftovers when I’m making it. But if I have a lot of leftover veg, I will make a dedicated leftovers soup. It’s a nice quick way of making a delicious meal.
Depending on what you have, you may want to fry up an onion and some garlic first. Add the vegetables, some herbs and spices, any leftover gravy and top up with vegetable stock or water. Cook for five minutes or so, then blend. Season to taste and enjoy.
Alternatively, you could make these easy vegetable fritters.
Vegetable Fritters from Leftovers
This recipe is really just a guide as it will depend on how much in the way of leftover vegetables you have. See the next section for more on this.
I’ve already mentioned this is a quick and easy recipe to make. That’s mostly down to the leftover veg that’s already cooked. It takes just fifteen minutes to get the first batch of fritters onto the table. It will take longer to cook the rest. You can, however, have the second batch cooking whilst you’re eating the first and so on. Alternatively, keep the first batch warm in a low oven whilst you cook the rest.
So, all you really need to do is mash the leftover cooked vegetables, then stir in the remaining ingredients. Heat up a large pan and fry spoonfuls of the mixture on both sides. Voilà, you have hot and delicious vegetable fritters.
Root vegetables are ideal for fritters as they mash relatively easily. But if you want to add leftover Brussels sprouts or other greens, go right ahead. Just slice them up and add to the the fritter mixture after you’ve mashed any root vegetables.
I used swede & carrot mash, roast parsnips and roast potatoes with a tiny bit of braised red cabbage to clear up the leftovers from our Christmas and Boxing Day meals. In fact swede & carrot mash make excellent fritters all on their own. I made a batch of them when I knocked up this carrot and swede mash before Christmas.
Serve hot with yoghurt sauce or tomato sauce. Coleslaw, salad or a green vegetable of choice make a good accompaniment.
Different Quantity of Leftover Cooked Vegetables?
This recipe for vegetable fritters is more of a guide than anything else. I happened to have 600g of leftover cooked vegetables after we’d finished feasting. This made eleven fat fritters. But it’s quite likely you will have more or less in the way of leftovers.
If you have a couple of hundred grams more or less than the quantity stated here, stick to one egg. But you’ll need to adjust the amount of flour you use so that the fritter mixture can hold its own. You don’t want it to be too wet. If you’ve got more than 800g, go for two eggs and adjust the flour, spices and seasoning accordingly.
Can You Freeze Vegetable Fritters?
Fritters will freeze well. Freeze fritters on an open tray so that they don’t lose their shape or stick, then bag up until needed. Defrost and heat in a pan, in the oven or in an air fryer.
Other Recipes for Using Up Leftovers You Might Like
- Chocolate macaroons
- Frozen stock cubes
- Leftover Easter egg chocolate ice-cream
- Leftover mincemeat buns
- Mincemeat brownies
- Pear almond butter
- Pineapple shrub
- Slow cooker end of season vegetable stew with mushroom dumplings
- Summer green soup
Leftover Vegetable Fritters. PIN IT.
Keep in Touch
Thanks for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make these fritters from leftover vegetables, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. Do share photos on social media too and use the hashtag #tinandthyme, so I can spot them.
For more delicious and nutritious recipes follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest. And don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to my weekly newsletter. Or why not join the conversation in our Healthy Vegetarian Whole Food Recipes Facebook Group?
If you’d like more fritter recipes, follow the link and you’ll find I have a few of them. All delicious, of course.
Choclette x
Vegetable Fritters – The Recipe
Vegetable Fritters Made From Leftover Cooked Vegetables
Ingredients
- 600 g leftover cooked vegetables (I used swede & carrot mash, roast parsnips and rosemary roast potatoes with a tiny bit of braised red cabbage)
- 1 tsp curry powder , chilli powder or smoked paprika – go with your favourite (I’ve used both zhug and smoked paprika to good effect)
- 1 large egg
- 50 g wholemeal flour
- salt and pepper to taste (I just used a pinch of sea salt as my vegetables were already seasoned)
- 1 tbsp rapeseed oil or sunflower oil
Instructions
- Roughly mash all of the vegetables together in a large bowl.600 g leftover cooked vegetables
- Stir in your spice mix of choice then beat in the egg, followed by the flour and any salt and pepper you’d like to add.1 tsp curry powder, 1 large egg, 50 g wholemeal flour, salt and pepper
- Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Drop in heaped tablespoons of the vegetable mixture, placing them well apart. Flatten them a little with the back of the spoon and shape into rounds. I got four into my pan.1 tbsp rapeseed oil
- Fry for about five minutes on one side, then flip over and fry for 3-4 minutes on the other side. If it looks like the fritters might burn, turn the heat down a little.
- Repeat the process until all of the mixture has been used up.
- Serve hot with yoghurt sauce or tomato sauce. Coleslaw, salad or a green vegetable of choice make a good accompaniment.
Notes
Nutrition Estimate
Sharing
I’m sharing my fritters made with Christmas vegetable leftovers with Recipes Made Easy for #CookBlogShare.
Nancy Mesheau says
I have boiled beets, summer squash and butternut squash puree. what can I do with those?
Choclette says
Make these fritters. They’re my answer to most of my leftover veg. The other one is soup or a thick vegetable sauce/gravy.
Jayne Holland says
Looks a lovely recipe while I was searching, made the mix up and it’s in the fridge for tomorrow to cook! I ran out of my own steam tonight lol, but I know after steeping overnight they will be fab, the smell is wonderful! Thanku x
Choclette says
I know what you mean about running out of steam. I’ve usually lost it by the evening. Hope you like them. I make them quite a lot in the winter.
Geri says
This was great and delicious for my one year old
Choclette says
Really pleased you both liked the fritters. What veg did you use?
Jacqui Bellefontaine says
What a great way to use up leftover vegetables. These sound delicious. Thank you for linking to #CookBlogShare
Choclette says
I know there’s a lot of other things you can do with them, but fritters always seem like a bit of a treat.
johanna @ green gourmet giraffe says
Happy new year – these look delicious – I see leftover vegies as a real bonus, especially after lots of cooking – we have lots of leftovers but mainly sweets right now – though I have some leftover veg haggis from new year that I will use for dinner!
Choclette says
Thank you Johanna and a Happy New Year to you too. I’m usually happy with leftovers of any kind, but as I’m doing Veganuary this year, I wanted the house cleared of sweet stuff.
Chloe Edges says
I went elsewhere for Christmas Dinner this year so no leftovers for me but I’ll definitely try these after my next roast!
Choclette says
Hope you had a lovely time Chloe – leftovers or no leftovers.
sherry says
vegetable fritters are fantastic! or you can put them in a frittata or a quiche etc. endless uses:-) happy new year.
Choclette says
Good idea Sherry. Next time I have left over veg, I might well try a frittata. Happy New Year to you too.
angiesrecipes says
These veggie fritters look absolutely mouthwatering! This is definitely a winner!
Choclette says
Thanks Angie. They make a nice change from soup – which is the usual way I deal with leftovers.
Rosemary says
These spicy fritters look delicious and are a really good alternative to soup or bubble and squeak.
Choclette says
Yes indeed. They are really good. But today the final lot of leftovers went into a soup – which was also delicious.
CAMILLA HAWKINS says
Yummy, love the addition of curry powder to these veggie fritters, a nice change from Bubble & Squeak:-)
Choclette says
Well bubble and squeak is delicious too, but yes, these fritters are delicious and make a nice change.