8 Low-Waste Recipes That Prove There’s No Such Thing As Kitchen Scraps (2024)

Baked Overnight Spiced Oatmeal

This recipe will help you start every day this week off on the right foot. It’s also easy to prep ahead so you can bake and enjoy right out of the oven on Monday. Assemble everything, cover, and refrigerate. Bake it the next morning, stopping to add nuts if desired before the last five minutes or so.
Pro tip: Use just 2/12 cups milk if you’d prefer a more firm oatmeal. To make this vegan, substitute a flax egg—let 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed combined with 3 tablespoons of water sit for 15 minutes.
Low-waste note: Freeze any leftovers in portion-size increments in an airtight container. Reheat in the oven, covered loosely in foil, and drizzle with maple syrup when hot.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Grease an 8 x 8-inch baking dish and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, vanilla, spices, baking powder, salt, and sweetener of your choice. Stir in the rolled oats and fruit. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 8 hours.
3. Preheat oven to 350 F. Bake the oatmeal for 35 minutes, stopping to add nuts if desired. Bake for another 5 to 10 minutes or until the top is golden and the oatmeal is set. Serve hot.

Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or in the oven.

Open-Faced Chickpea Salad Sandwich

This dish is a great alternative to tuna or chicken salad. For additional protein, you can always add a couple of chopped-up hard-boiled eggs (you’ll need these for tomorrow’s Chicken Cobb Salad). Use it for lunch or dinner—and pair with a bowl of soup or salad if desired.
Low-waste note: You’ll use the other half of the lemon in this dish for your salmon. The parsley is used for this recipe, the salmon, and Chicken Veggie Soup, proving that you can, indeed, use up one whole bunch of herbs in a week’s time.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a food processor, briefly pulse together the chickpeas and parsley. Transfer to a medium bowl and stir in the celery, green onions, lemon juice and zest, tahini, mustard, granulated garlic, salt, and pepper.
2. Serve on toasted bread.
3. Garnish with a few slices of cucumbers and radishes. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and season with sea salt and freshly ground cracked pepper before serving.

Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container for three to four days.

Salmon with Lemon, Parsley, And Asparagus

Salmon is a quick, healthy protein that’s also super easy to cook. This recipe bakes in the oven for about 10 minutes (exact cook time will depend on the thickness of your salmon). Look for salmon that’s sustainably raised—try buying wild whenever possible. (Not sure? Check out the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s well-regarded sustainable seafood and fish guide.)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 425 F.
2. Place the salmon on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil. Drizzle the olive oil over the filets and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Transfer the salmon to the oven and bake for about eight to 10 minutes until it reaches 125 F on an instant-read thermometer for medium-cooked salmon.
3. Meanwhile, set up a steamer insert inside a 4-quart pot, or add a few inches of water to a pot and bring to a boil. Cover and steam the asparagus for four to five minutes (or more, if it’s thicker), until bright green and tender.
4. Serve the salmon with asparagus and rice. Zest the other half of the lemon right over the salmon, asparagus, and rice. Sprinkle parsley over the rice and salmon and serve. Quarter the lemon and serve the wedges with the salmon.

Refrigerate any leftovers in a covered container for two to three days and reheat the salmon gently in a low oven, or use cold in a green salad.

Rotisserie Chicken Cobb Salad

There’s no shame in buying a good quality pre-roasted rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. This might be the biggest meal prep trick ever. You don’t even need to reheat the chicken for this salad.
Pro tip: Hard boil 6 eggs ahead of time; I like to steam them. Place them in a pot with a few inches of boiling water. Cover the pot and steam the eggs for 10-12 minutes, depending on how hard-cooked you like your yolk. Remove from the pot and submerge immediately into a bowl of ice water. Store in the fridge. Use leftover eggs as snacks during the week, or crumble and add to the chickpea salad.
Low-waste note: Reserve 2 cups of chicken along with the carcass for soup later in the week.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Remove the chicken from the bone and dice about 4 cups’ worth.
3. Set the romaine in a large bowl and add the chicken.
4. Cook the bacon until crisp, about 10 minutes, and drain on paper towels. Crumble or cut using kitchen scissors right into the salad bowl.
5. Add the sliced eggs, avocado, grape tomatoes, and red onion. Add the salad dressing and toss gently to combine.

Chicken Veggie Soup with White Beans

Making soup is one of the best things you can do with a rotisserie chicken. You’ll make your own stock before you start the soup. Set a large pot on an adjacent burner and simmer the carcass in 8 cups of water along with some salt, pepper, and bay leaves. For extra flavor, add some organic vegetable base.
Low waste note: Save the remaining canned white beans for the carrot soup recipe. You’ll use chopped broccoli stems for this recipe, then use the tops for frittata later.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Melt the butter or heat the oil in a stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, salt, and pepper and cook 5 to 6 minutes until softened, stirring occasionally.
2. Add the celery and carrots and cook for 3 or 4 minutes. Add the chicken stock you made and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 7 to 8 minutes.
3. Add the chicken and white beans, and cook for a couple of minutes to heat everything through. Add the parsley, and serve immediately.

Greek Veggie Frittata

Frittata, like soup or pasta, is one of the best empty-the-fridge dishes you can make. You can use any veggie you want, but we’ve called for veggies that will give this a Mediterranean flavor and ones you’ll use throughout the week as you make the other dishes. This one includes spinach and feta, with some oregano, too, for a Greek spin.
Low-waste note: You’re using just the broccoli tops here, but the stems were used in the Chicken Veggie Soup with White Beans.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs with the milk, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
3. In an 8- or 10-inch skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Cook the onions for 5 to 6 minutes until softened, or longer if you want more color on them.
4. Add the broccoli stems and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes until just tender.
5. Add the baby spinach and briefly turn up the heat to medium-high, and stir continuously until just wilted. This will happen quickly.
6. Turn off the heat and carefully pour the egg mixture into the pan, making sure it’s evenly distributed. Place the tomatoes cut side up into the pan and scatter the crumbled feta cheese. Sprinkle the oregano on top along with a bit of salt and pepper.
7. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the frittata puffs up slightly and the middle is set. Remove from the oven to cool.

Frittata will keep covered in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or the oven until hot.

Vegan Carrot Ginger Miso Soup

This soup takes its inspiration from the salad dressing you often get with your favorite takeout sushi, but it’s got more umami, thanks to miso and a drizzle of toasted sesame oil before serving. The white beans in this recipe are undetectable but add creaminess without dairy and protein and fiber without animal fat. If you’re serving this to someone who’s gluten-free, check to make sure the miso is gluten-free.
Low-waste note: The rest of the beans will be used in another soup, so don’t worry about them hanging about in your fridge until you forget about them!

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a medium stockpot or Dutch oven, melt the butter or oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 to 6 minutes until softened and translucent.
2. Add the carrots and ginger to the pot and cook for 5 to 7 minutes until tender. Add the stock and bring to a simmer, and then reduce the heat. Cook for 10 minutes or until the carrots can be pierced with a fork. Stir in the white beans. Add the miso and stir until completely dissolved.
3. Transfer the soup to the base of a high-speed blender and puree until completely smooth. Return the soup to the pot over low heat, stir, and adjust to taste.
4. Serve immediately garnished with a few slices of green onion, a sprinkling of sesame seeds, and a drizzle of toasted sesame oil.

Penne with Bacon, Tomatoes, and Kale

Pasta is perhaps the ultimate blank slate. This recipe can be made with any short, stubby pasta you like, such as whole-wheat or gluten-free penne. You’ll cook the onion in the rendered bacon fat to use it up, but if you’d rather not, feel free to empty the pan and add a little olive oil before cooking the onion. You’ll also reserve some cooking water from the pasta; the starches will help create a sauce and add back some moisture to the cooked veggies.
Low-waste note: Save the kale ribs to use in the chicken soup. You can also pour off the bacon fat into a glass jar and store in the fridge to be used sparingly for cooking later on.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large stockpot with salted water, cook the pasta according to package directions. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta water and set the pasta aside.
2. In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crispy. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Pour off most of the bacon fat, but leave a bit in the pan. Add the red onion, turn the heat to medium-high and cook for 5 to 6 minutes.
3. Add the balsamic vinegar and stir quickly to scrape up any bits that are stuck to the pan. Add in the grape tomatoes and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until they’ve softened but not completely fallen apart. Add the chopped kale and stir together quickly until wilted.
4. Transfer the pasta back into the pot you cooked it in, and add the veggies, olive oil or butter, and reserved pasta water. Stir until combined. Serve immediately, garnished with cheese.