Think Outside the Box: Raw Vegan Leftovers Are Perfect for Culinary Experimentation

Smoothie: Photography: Dawn Langley

Repurposing leftovers can be a fun and creative challenge in the raw vegan world. It's a chance to use our culinary skills to transform mundane leftovers into exciting and flavourful new dishes. Rather than viewing leftovers as a nuisance, perhaps we should see them as a canvas for our creativity, and use them to make interesting and delicious meals?

Leftovers don’t have to be destined for the compost. They offer an opportunity for creative experimentation in the kitchen. Instead of viewing them as a waste, you could transform them into exciting and flavourful new dishes. Repurposing leftovers can be a great way to flex our culinary muscles, challenge ourselves, and create something new and delicious. By using leftovers, we can save time and money, reduce food waste, and promote sustainability.

Seeing leftovers as a canvas for our creativity can inspire us to mix and match various ingredients and spices to create unique flavour profiles we've never tried before. With some imagination and culinary skills, leftovers can be a source of immense satisfaction, reward, and fun in the kitchen.

Apart from granulates (which we make in the Diploma in Raw Chef Mastery), one way to play with leftovers make it fun is to experiment with different flavour combos. You can also experiment with different spices and herbs to enhance the flavours of the leftovers.

Why not challenge yourself to create a dish using only your leftovers? This can be a fun and inventive way to use up all the bits and bobs lying around in the fridge and pantry, while also reducing food waste.

It's a challenge that can be enjoyable, satisfying and rewarding. So, the next time you have leftovers, don't throw them away - see them as an opportunity to get creative and have some fun in the kitchen…

Here are a few more ideas of what you can do with your leftovers:

1.       Make a smoothie bowl with leftover fruits, nuts, and seeds.

2.       Use leftover vegetables to make a salad.

3.       Blend leftover fruits and vegetables into a soup.

4.       Create sushi rolls using leftover veggies, nori, and cauliflower rice.

5.       Mix leftover veggies, nuts, and seeds to make a trail mix.

6.       Dehydrate leftover herbs and veggies into powders to add to raw cheeses.

7.       Juice leftover fruits and vegetables for a nutrient-dense drink.

8.       Blend leftover fruits and nuts into a creamy dessert.

9.       Use leftover courgette to make raw courgette noodles.

10.   Chop up leftover veggies and make a raw veggie wrap.

11.   Use leftover fruit to make a fruit leather.

12.   Mix leftover nuts and seeds to make a hand chop muesli.

13.   Use leftover coconut to make coconut yogurt.

14.   Blend leftover berries and fruits into a jam – just add few chia seeds to thicken it.

15.   Use leftover veggies to make vegetable crisps in the dehydrator .

16.   Combine leftover fruit and coconut water to make a smoothie.

17.   Use leftover veggies to make a pizza crust.

18.   Mix leftover fruits and veggies with coconut water to make a gazpacho.

19.   Use leftover avocado to make a guacamole.

20.   Use leftover fruits and veggies to make a raw vegan crudité platter with dips like hummus or herb cashew cheese.

Use your creativity in the kitchen to repurpose leftovers and make delicious, nutrient-dense meals and snacks. By using some of these ideas, you can make the most out of every raw vegan ingredient and minimize food waste.

If this doesn’t grab you, why not turn your scraps into compost instead? You can discover how to create nutrient rich compost here.

If you’d like more ideas, you can check out the recipes on my website.