10 Tasty Ways to Enjoy Raw Veggies (Besides Salads)

Vegetables are certainly healthy, whether you eat them raw or cooked. Some research shows that raw vegetables may help increase life expectancy more so than cooked, though that doesn’t mean you don’t gain benefits either way (including lower blood pressure). There’s a good reason that raw veggies may be more beneficial for certain conditions: in their uncooked state, they haven’t yet lost any nutrients. While cooking is important for the bioavailability and concentration of some nutrients, such as lycopene in tomatoes, for some vegetables you’ll get the most nutrition bang for your buck when they’re in their raw state. 

But this doesn’t mean you’re stuck in a carousel of endless salads. Instead, we’ve rounded up a variety of fun, flavorful recipes featuring raw veggies to help you pack more produce into your diet — without sacrificing flavor. 

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1. Raw Carrot Pasta with Ginger-Lime Peanut Sauce

Spiralized zucchini (also known as zoodles) has been popular for some time. But carrots are starchier, so they make a slightly closer replacement for pasta, as in this dish. You can use peanut or almond butter for the sauce, depending on your preference. Fresh ginger, lime, and garlic add plenty of kick. 

Try this recipe from The Roasted Root.

2. Rainbow “Raw-Maine” Taco Boats

You can keep things completely raw in these by using a sprouted hummus, but you’ll still get plenty of raw veggies even if you choose a conventional version. Lettuce leaves create the “boat,” and you fill them with a hearty combo that includes alfalfa sprouts, carrots, avocado, and hemp seeds. With a tahini-lemon sauce, they don’t have anything like a Mexican-inspired flavor, but they are tangy and bright. 

Try this recipe from Minimalist Baker.

3. Ten Minute Raw Vegan Curry Over Zucchini Noodles

Zoodles get new life, and quickly, in this unfussy 10-minute raw vegan curry. The curry base, which includes lots of cashews and some coconut water, as well as curry powder, chili paste, and cayenne, is remarkably filling. Having a heavier topping for a spiralized zucchini dish is an excellent way to make it more satiating. 

Try this recipe from The Fitchen.

4. Vegan Cauliflower Rice Sushi

Sushi is already pretty healthy, and this version, with raw riced cauliflower, adds even more nutrients and fiber. Opt for the pre-riced version, which removes a time-consuming step. Paired with a filling of scallions, bell peppers, and sunflower sprouts, these little rolls are pretty much all raw vegetables. 

Try this recipe from Olivia Budgen.

5. Best-Ever Guacamole

OK, technically avocado is a fruit. But hopefully you’ll let that slide and just make this crowd-pleasing dip, which also featured onion, tomatoes, jalapeño, and garlic. Double down on the raw veggies by enjoying it with cut-up carrots, celery, and jicama for dunking, instead of chips.

Try this recipe from Downshiftology.

6. Raw Vegan Beet Ravioli with Macadamia Pesto Cheese

Marinating the thinly sliced raw beets softens them a bit and infuses them with flavor. Then you wrap them around a simple-to-prepare plant-based cheese made with macadamia nuts and lots of fresh herbs. Or, to save time, you could use pre-made cheese (vegan or dairy) mixed with store-bought pesto.

Try this recipe from Best of Vegan.

7. Carrot Gazpacho

Because gazpacho is so common as a raw vegetable dish, we wanted to give you a recipe for one that wasn’t the usual tomato or cucumber. This carrot gazpacho has just a few ingredients, and uses avocado to provide a thick and creamy texture. The carrot flavor comes from freshly juiced carrots. If you don’t have a juicer, you can buy fresh carrot juice; we recommend avoiding the jarred version, as that won’t have the raw goodness that’s so important. Don’t skip the parsley and cilantro, as fresh raw herbs are equally as nutritious as other leafy greens and count as raw vegetables too.

8. Veggie Wraps with Ginger Tahini Dressing

From the collard wraps to the carrots in the ginger-tahini dressing, these beautiful wraps are bursting with fresh raw veggies. Add some well-drained tofu along with the vegetables for a healthy shot of protein, if you like.

Try this recipe from The Wooden Skillet.

9. Raw Vegan Lasagna

Unlike many raw vegan lasagna recipes that require days of dehydrating, sprouting, and other prep, this one only takes 20 minutes to make from start to finish. The “cheese” layer is made of soaked cashews and almonds, and the pesto layer is made extra creamy with avocado. The “noodles” are simple thinly sliced zucchini, and the tomato layer features both fresh and sun-dried tomatoes. 

Try this recipe from Green Evi.

10. Jicama Slaw

This jicama slaw is the perfect example of how versatile slaws can be, and they don’t even need any cabbage at all. Jicama and green apple are a delicious combination, with the mild sweetness of jicama naturally playing off of green apple’s tartness. Jicama is a good source of prebiotics, which are the fiber that probiotics eat. Use this slaw as a topping for sandwiches and burgers, or as a side for whatever you’re grilling. 

Try this recipe from Healthier Steps.

Read next: 10 Vegetable Side Dish Recipes You Can Make in Under 30 Minutes