Turn Tired Vegetables into Crispy Fritters | Cook's Country (2024)

I don’t know about your fridge, but at this time of year, mine is always harboring random produce: an abundance of zucchini and carrots we received in our CSA share; bell peppers my husband bought to add to salads but never got around to using; partially used things like half an onion; some almost wilted scallions; the remains of a bunch of cilantro from various recipes I made throughout the week; and so on. Luckily, there’s no need for these vegetable misfits to go to waste.

All these vegetables (and then some) can be cut or shredded and turned into vegetable fritters. They just need a simple, light batter of flour, cornstarch, and baking powder mixed with seltzer to tie them together. The seltzer and baking powder ensure that the fritters are shatteringly crisp–even slightly tired vegetables emerge from the oil crunchy, fresh, and sweet. And don’t fear the frying. These fritters fry in just ¼ inch of oil.

Watch the video below to learn how to make Crispy Vegetable Fritters.

These hot, crunchy, tender fritters are satisfying on their own, but if you have some mayo and horseradish on hand plus a lemon (in my case, there’s usually one that I’ve zested for something rolling around in the crisper), you can whip up a quick, tasty sauce to pair with them.

You can make these fritters with any combination of vegetables (except corn, which pops in the oil), as long as you keep to the 3 cups called for in the recipe, which makes them a great way to create something from all those bits and bobs in the fridge that might otherwise end up in the compost.

Want to fry more vegetables? Try these recipes.