Freezer Veggie Mix for Easy Family Meals
I’m always trying to add a little more vegetables to our family meals, but I don’t always want to chop vegetables from scratch every single time I cook.
So I started making this freezer veggie mix ahead of time. I chop everything very small, cook it down until soft and flavorful, then freeze it flat in small portions. When I’m making eggs, meat sauce, chicken nuggets, soup, fried rice, or something else that could use a little veggie boost, I can just break off a piece and add it in.
The amounts are very flexible. Onion, mushrooms, and carrots are the vegetables I use most often, then I add whatever else I have that cooks down well.
Recipe at a Glance
A Few Helpful Notes
Don’t worry about exact amounts. The quantities below are just a rough example of one batch. If you have more carrots, use more carrots. If you don’t have celery or zucchini, skip them. The goal is simply a finely chopped mix of vegetables that cook down well together.
Finely chop everything. I usually use a food chopper because I want the vegetables very small. They blend into whatever I’m cooking later instead of feeling like big pieces of vegetables.
Give the onion a head start. I cook the onion by itself first until it becomes very soft and starts to brown before adding the mushrooms.
Don’t worry if the finished mix looks quite brown. Mushrooms darken the mixture, and I like cooking the onion and mushrooms until they are nicely browned. That gives the veggie mix a deeper, more savory flavor.
I leave the mix unseasoned. I don’t add salt while cooking because I use this in lots of different meals and season the finished dish instead.
Press portion lines into the bag before freezing. Once the veggie mix is cool, flatten it in a freezer bag and divide it into sections. After it freezes, you can easily break off only what you need.
Ingredients
These amounts are only a rough example. Use more or less depending on what you have.
- 2 medium onions , finely chopped
- 5–7 mushrooms , finely chopped
- 2 carrots , finely chopped
- 3 celery stalks , finely chopped
- 1/2 zucchini , finely chopped
- 1/2 cup cauliflower, very finely chopped
- olive oil, as needed for cooking
Other vegetables that work well include bell pepper and other vegetables that soften and cook down easily. I usually avoid tomatoes, potatoes, and sweet potatoes for this particular mix because they change the texture and moisture level quite a bit.
Visual Guide
A quick look at how the vegetables cook down and get ready for the freezer.
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Instructions
1. Prepare the vegetables Finely chop all of the vegetables. I usually use a food chopper because I want the pieces very small so they disappear easily into other meals later.
2. Start with the onion Heat a little olive oil in a large pan. Add the onion and cook until it is very soft and beginning to brown.
3. Add the mushrooms. Add the finely chopped mushrooms and continue cooking until they release their moisture and become well browned. I like taking the onion and mushrooms pretty far because the browning gives the finished veggie mix a deeper flavor.
4. Add the carrots, celery, and remaining vegetables Add the carrots and celery, followed by the zucchini, cauliflower, and any other vegetables you are using.
5. Cook everything down Continue cooking, stirring as needed, until all of the vegetables are very soft and most of the excess moisture has cooked away.
6. Look for a soft, browned mixture The finished mixture may look fairly brown, especially if you use mushrooms. That is exactly what I want. Everything should be soft and cooked down rather than watery.
7. Cool completely. Let the veggie mix cool before packing it for the freezer.
8. Flatten and portion Transfer the cooled veggie mix to a freezer-safe zip-top bag. Flatten it into an even layer, then press lines into the bag to divide the mixture into about 12 sections.
9. Freeze flat. Place the bag flat in the freezer. Once frozen, break off a section whenever you need a quick veggie boost for another meal.
Easy Ways to Use It
- Eggs and omelets: Add a small frozen piece to the pan, warm it through, then add your eggs.
- Meat sauce: Stir it into ground meat and tomato sauce for an easy vegetable boost.
- Chicken nuggets: Mix a small amount into homemade chicken or chicken-and-tofu nuggets.
- Soup: Add a portion directly to soup or broth while it cooks.
- Fried rice: Warm a portion in the pan before adding rice, egg, and your other ingredients.
- Pasta sauce: Stir it into tomato, cream, or meat-based pasta sauces.
- Meatballs or hamburger patties: Mix a little into the meat mixture before shaping.
FINISHED RESULT
A Little Veggie Boost Ready Whenever You Need It
The finished mix is soft, finely chopped, and already cooked, so it blends easily into other meals without adding much extra prep.
Sunny Table note: I especially like this for meals where I know my kids are less likely to eat larger pieces of vegetables. When everything is chopped very small and mixed into something they already like, adding a little extra vegetable becomes much easier.
Sunny Table Notes
- The amounts are only a guide. This is less of a strict recipe and more of a meal-prep method. Use the vegetables you have and adjust the quantities however you like.
- My usual base is onion, mushrooms, and carrots. Those are the three vegetables I use most consistently. I often add celery, zucchini, cauliflower, or bell pepper too.
- Chop everything very small. I use a food chopper because finely chopped vegetables blend into other foods much more easily.
- Let the onion and mushrooms brown. The finished mix can look quite dark when mushrooms are included. That doesn't mean it is burned — the browning adds flavor.
- I don't add salt. Since I use this mix in so many different recipes, I prefer seasoning whatever meal I add it to later.
- About the yield: My batch made roughly 30 tablespoons of cooked veggie mix. I divided it into about 12 freezer sections, so each section was roughly 2–3 tablespoons. Your yield will vary depending on the vegetables you use and how much they cook down.
- Skip very wet or starchy vegetables for this base. I usually don't use tomatoes, potatoes, or sweet potatoes because they change the texture of the mix quite a bit.
- Recipes at Sunny Table are always evolving a little as I make them again for my family. This is the version tested and photographed here.
