Zero Waste Recipes For Every Day

Easy zero waste recipes

1. Spicy baked cauliflower wings

Zero waste chef and campaigner Max La Manna is on a mission to help people waste less food in the kitchen, and this delicious recipe makes the most of the cauliflower leaves as well as the florets for extra crunch. They are dredged in a spicy buffalo hot sauce for the ultimate weekend treat.

Discover more of Max La Manna’s vegan low-waste recipe collection.

2. Fridge-raid fried rice

Pan of stir-fried rice with veggies and chicken

Melissa Thompson‘s five-star rated fried rice recipe makes the most of leftover cooked chicken (or any other meat), along with a rainbow variety of veggies – which you can substitute depending on what needs using up from your fridge. Combine with leftover rice, eggs, sesame oil and oyster sauce for an easy, weeknight family dinner.

Don’t let anything go to waste with our leftover rice recipes.

3. Waste-nothing loaded potato wedges

Potato wedges topped with chorizo and cheese on a baking tray

Giving your potatoes a good scrub means there’s no need to peel them for these zero waste potato wedges – plus it adds extra flavour, texture and fibre. Use up the odds and ends of a variety of leftover cheeses then top with crispy chorizo for a delicious Friday night treat.

Find out how to waste fewer potatoes.

4. Fridge-raid one-pan pesto pasta

Fridge-raid one-pan pesto pasta in a saucepan and bowl

Got a jar of pesto lying around in your fridge that needs using up? We love this recipe, as not only does it use up the remaining scraps from your pesto, but also any leafy greens that are starting to look past their best. The result is a creamy pasta that’s whipped up in a flash – perfect for busy weeknights.

Get inspired with more spinach pasta recipes.

5. Thai curry noodle soup

This low-calorie and low-fat dinner transforms the veggies in your fridge into a spicy, creamy curry with a tablespoon of Thai green curry paste. Straight-to-wok noodles means it’s on the table in 20 minutes.

Discover our budget-friendly noodle recipes.

6. Korean bibimbap

The beauty of this dish is all veggies taste great when liberally doused in the sweet and spicy Korean gochujang sauce. Layer up your bowl with leftover cooked sushi rice, your choose of veggies and top with a fried egg and sesame seeds.

Get the most of out this condiment with our gochujang recipes and find out how to ferment vegetables to make them last longer.

7. Leftover porridge pancakes

Stack of pancakes topped with blueberries, raspberries, yogurt and maple syrup

Save leftover porridge from the bin with this easy pancake recipe – also great for using up a ripe banana. Top with whatever fresh fruit you need to use up, yogurt and a drizzle of maple syrup.

Next make our porridge bread with any more leftovers, then find out more ways to use up leftover yogurt.

8. Spicy sweet potato hummus

Spicy sweet potato hummus in a bowl with crudites

Blend cooked sweet potato with tahini, smoked paprika and garlic for a vegan low-waste recipe to serve at a party or as a healthy snack. If you’ve got leftover wraps, you can transform them into homemade tortilla chips for dunking, or get creative by swapping the sweet potatoes out for other roasted veggies.

9. Waste nothing chicken & dumpling stew

Pot and bowl of chicken and dumpling stew

Roast a larger chicken at the weekend so you can transform the leftovers into this warm and comforting stew. The carcass is used to make a flavourful stock, topped with fluffy thyme dumplings for a weeknight treat.

Now try our roast chicken for weeknight leftovers and even more leftover chicken recipes. Plus, discover more ways to use up Sunday lunch leftovers.

10. Fridge-raid soup

This budget-friendly option blitzes leftover veggies into a hearty soup with cannellini beans. Top with crumbled feta, chopped olives, chilli flakes and a drizzle of olive oil for an easy, high fibre meal.

Discover our most popular budget family meals.