Did you know that you can make veggie noodles out of cucumber, carrots, kohlrabi, and more? We’ve all heard of zucchini noodles by now, but lots of other vegetables can transform into curly, colorful noodles too! Making these veggie noodles is one of my favorite summer cooking projects. It doesn’t require the stove or the oven, so unlike baking, it won’t heat up the whole house. It’s also a great way to showcase peak-season summer produce. But most importantly, it’s fun! There’s something mesmerizing about watching a humble root veggie turn into vibrant vegetable noodles. You can make vegetables noodles with a regular vegetable peeler, julienne peeler, or mandoline slicer, but my favorite way to do it is with a spiralizer. I’ve worked with two types of spiralizers – countertop spiralizers and the KitchenAid Spiralizer Attachment. Of the countertop spiralizers I’ve owned, the Inspiralizer (pictured below) has been my favorite. It clamps to the counter, so it doesn’t move around while you work. It’s also easy to clean and relatively small, so it’s not hard to find a place to store it. The KitchenAid Spiralizer Attachment makes great curly vegetable noodles too. It’s pricier, but if you want to spiralize sweet potato or butternut squash, it’s the best option: it’ll cut through these tough vegetables without requiring tons of arm strength. Below, you’ll find a breakdown of the vegetables I spiralize most often, along with serving suggestions for each of them. Try just one, or mix and match them into colorful salads and bowls. Get creative, and have fun!
Butternut Squash Noodles
To make butternut squash noodles, look for a squash with a long neck. Chop off the fat, seedy base of the squash, but don’t toss it! It’s not ideal for making veggie noodles, but you can still roast it or turn it into soup. Butternut squash noodles are one of the few types of vegetable noodles that I cook. Lightly sauté them with a drizzle of olive oil until they soften slightly. This only takes a minute or two – the noodles should keep a nice al dente bite. Then, it’s time to eat. Here are a few of my favorite ways to serve them:
In a plant-based riff on spaghetti and meatballs. Top the noodles with marinara sauce, vegan meatballs, and vegan Parmesan cheese. In place of the regular noodles in my Easy Pesto Pasta. Serve them with classic basil pesto or vegan pesto and tender greens like spinach or arugula. In an all-veggie riff on Spaghetti Aglio e Olio. Toss the noodles with sautéed garlic and kale, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vegan Parmesan or regular Parmesan cheese.
Beet Veggie Noodles
I love the brilliant red color of these beet veggie noodles! I serve them raw or lightly sautéed, and I often combine them with other spiralized veggies like carrots. Toss them with pesto, vegan pesto, or lemon vinaigrette, and top them with roasted chickpeas, crumbled feta cheese, and fresh herbs to make them a meal.
Cucumber Noodles
These cool cucumber noodles are so refreshing on hot summer days! I like to make them out of English cucumbers, as they’re less watery than other cucumber varieties. Toss them with tahini sauce or peanut sauce, fresh mint or cilantro, and baked tofu or tempeh for a light meal, or use them in any of these recipes:
Spiralized Daikon “Rice Noodle” Bowl Soba Noodle Picnic Salad with Tahini Miso, page 117 of Love and Lemons Every Day Radish “Noodles” with Cashew-Coconut Sauce, page 141 of Love and Lemons Every Day Cold Sesame Cucumber Noodles, page 133 of The Love and Lemons Cookbook
They’d also be an excellent addition to this soba noodle recipe!
Carrot Veggie Noodles
Tip: For really long, curly carrot noodles, look for nice, fat carrots. I have the best luck finding them in the bin of juicing carrots at my grocery store. Carrot noodles are good on their own, but they’re even better alongside other vegetable noodles. They’d be delicious with spiralized kohlrabi or beets, and I often mix them with daikon and cucumber noodles. Try this combination in any of these recipes:
Spiralized Daikon “Rice Noodle” Bowl Radish “Noodles” with Cashew-Coconut Sauce, page 141 of Love and Lemons Every Day Mango and Daikon Glass Noodle Salad, page 237 of The Love and Lemons Cookbook
Daikon Radish Veggie Noodles
Daikon veggie noodles have a delicious peppery bite and al dente texture. Because of its pale, translucent appearance, I like to use white daikon radish as a substitute for rice noodles, but purple daikon or watermelon radish works wonderfully too. Toss raw radish noodles with tahini sauce or peanut sauce and baked tofu or tempeh, or use them in any of these recipes:
Spiralized Daikon “Rice Noodle” Bowl Radish “Noodles” with Cashew-Coconut Sauce, page 141 of Love and Lemons Every Day Mango and Daikon Glass Noodle Salad, page 237 of The Love and Lemons Cookbook
Summer Squash Vegetable Noodles
These sunny summer squash noodles are zucchini noodles’ closest cousin. They have the same delicate texture and mild flavor, and they’re tasty raw or lightly sautéed. Serve them on their own, with marinara sauce or pesto, or toss them with regular pasta for a heartier meal. They’re also fantastic in these two veggie pasta noodle recipes:
Vegan Pasta Salad Zucchini Noodle Puttanesca, page 177 of Love and Lemons Every Day
Spiralized Kohlrabi
Not sure what to do with the kohlrabi in your CSA box? Spiralize it! Use kohlrabi noodles instead of the kohlrabi matchsticks in this noodle salad, or swap them in for the daikon noodles in my Spiralized Daikon “Rice Noodle” Bowl. If you’re looking for more ways to serve them, try any of these suggestions:
Drizzle them with tahini sauce. Sprinkle roasted chickpeas, diced tomatoes, diced cucumbers, parsley, and mint on top. Lightly sauté them and toss them with marinara sauce or creamy pomodoro sauce. Add a few vegan meatballs to round out the meal. Toss them with peanut sauce, baked tofu or tempeh, and crushed peanuts or cashews. A handful of fresh mint and a drizzle of gochujang sauce will take these veggie noodles over the top.
Sweet Potato Noodles
Like butternut squash noodles, I lightly sauté sweet potato noodles before I eat them. Once they’re cooked, I use them in this vibrant version of pasta aglio e olio, or I top them with marinara sauce or pesto, fresh herbs, pine nuts, and vegan Parmesan cheese. For a heartier meal, garnish the vegetable noodles with a handful of roasted chickpeas.
Zucchini Noodles
These mild, delicate veggie noodles are popular for a reason! They’re healthy, versatile, and so darn easy to make. I recommend serving zucchini noodles raw so that they retain an al dente bite, but you can lightly sauté them if you prefer. Be careful not to cook them for too long – it only takes a couple of minutes for them to become mushy. Served with a flavorful sauce like Alfredo sauce, marinara, or pesto, these veggie noodles are delicious on their own. However, I also like to toss them with regular noodles to lighten up my favorite pasta dishes. You’ll find them in the Zucchini Noodle Puttanesca on page 177 of Love and Lemons Every Day, my broccoli pasta salad, and my plant-based Spaghetti and Meatballs. They’d be fantastic in this Linguine with Lemon and Tomatoes, too!
More Favorite Veggie Noodles and Grains
If you love making these vegetable noodles, try one of these veggie noodle or grain recipes next:
Spaghetti Squash Cauliflower Rice Broccoli Rice
