Yemi Adelekan is a food writer and blogger who was a semi-finalist in the 2022 series of BBC TV’s Masterchef competition.

Every Saturday Yemi writes on the Stray Ferret about her love of the area’s food and shares cooking tips – please get in touch with her if you want her to review a restaurant, visit your farm, taste the produce you sell or even share a recipe.

Let’s be honest, vegetables haven’t always had the best PR. Too often, they’ve been side-lined; over-boiled to the point of losing texture, flavour and colour; under-seasoned, and treated like a penance instead of the pleasure they can be. Who doesn’t remember the Brussels sprouts, boiled to within an inch of their life, being the only vegetables left on the table after Christmas dinner?

For years, I ate my vegetables first because frankly speaking, I was trying to get it over and done with so I could enjoy the rest of my dish. These days, when veggies are well cooked and perfectly seasoned with the right bite to them, I find myself eating them first, because I'm loving the taste and deriving pleasure from eating it. I have sometimes surprised myself by pulling an ‘Oliver Twist’: wanting more.

The point is, vegetables don’t have to be boring. In fact, with a little boldness and a dash of creativity, vegetables can not only hold their own, they can steal the show too.

Turn Up the Heat

There’s a reason vegetables taste better in restaurants, and that's ‘fire’ – and sometimes smoke. One of the easiest ways to make vegetables shine is by playing with heat and texture. Charring sweetcorn before tossing it into a rice and bean salad brings a smoky, nutty depth that boiled corn could never deliver. Roasted carrots with harissa and a drizzle of honey until the edges catch ever so slightly and you’re left with a sticky, spiced revelation.

Want your pepper dip to make people sit up and take notice? Scorch the skins of bell peppers over an open flame or under the grill until blistered. Peel, then blitz with garlic, olive oil, and tahini and chick peas for a smoky red pepper hummus that’ll make shop-bought versions blush.

Or take beetroot – which is often underrated an not much loved – blend it into hummus to create a shade of purple hummus that will have eyes turning for another look. Add lemon juice from a charred lemon and toasted cumin for an earthy twist on a classic.

Elevate with Unexpected Flavours

Flavour is everything. When we match vegetables with spices that lift and deepen their character, we allow them to sing. Try rubbing courgettes with za’atar before roasting, or tossing roasted parsnips in a garlicky miso glaze. Add a splash of pomegranate molasses to roast aubergine, or finish steamed greens with a lick of chilli oil, some acid like lemon juice and sesame seeds.

This isn’t about doing more – it’s about doing better. Treat your vegetables like VIPs. Season them well. Add crunch. Think acid, heat, texture, colour. A sprinkle of dukkah or crushed toasted nuts. A drizzle of infused oil. A final flourish of fresh herbs or edible flowers. These little touches go a long way.

The Joy of Saucy Greens...

(...and I’m not just talking cream-based sauces.)

In Nigerian cooking, vegetables are never boring. We cook them in richly flavoured sauces that wrap around the sliced or shredded leaves. One of my favourite dishes is Efo Riro, a glorious, peppery, vibrant spinach dish that’s often served with rice, yams, or swallow (like pounded yam, semolina, ground rice or eba). It’s proof that vegetables, when treated with love, don’t need meat to feel rich and satisfying. Don’t get me wrong, we add ‘assorted meat and fishes’ but we do a version without the extras and it still tastes amazing.

Here’s a simplified version of my go-to Efo Riro recipe that you can try at home.

Efo Riro – Nigerian Style Stewed Greens

Serves 4

Ingredients:

· 2 red bell peppers

· 1 medium onion

· 1 – 2 scotch bonnet peppers (optional, or use chilli flakes to taste)

· 2 tbsp tomato purée (use for a milder and sweeter taste; I leave this out)

· 1 tsp smoked paprika

· 3 tbsp groundnut or vegetable oil (I used red palm kernel oil)

· 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

· 1 tsp ground crayfish (optional but adds great umami)

· 300g fresh spinach or 500g frozen, squeezed of excess water, or you can use any other leafy greens, such as beetroot leaves or kale

· Salt and seasoning to taste

· Optional: mushrooms or aubergine chunks for extra body

· Optional: pre-cooked meat and fish

Method:

1. Blend the bell peppers, onion, and scotch bonnet to a coarse blend (option to blend smoothly)

2. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the garlic gently, then add the tomato purée and cook it out for 2-3 minutes until it darkens.

3. Add your pepper blend and cook the sauce on medium heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the oil rises to the top and the sauce reduces.

4. Stir in the smoked paprika, crayfish if using, and season well.

5. Add your spinach (and any extras like mushrooms, meat, fish) and stir through until fully coated and warmed through.

Serve it as a main with rice, yam fries or couscous, or on the side with grilled fish or fried tofu.

Vegetables aren’t a punishment! They’re a canvas. A palette. A joyful, abundant part of every cuisine. The next time you’re planning a meal, don’t ask “What can I put with the meat?” but “How can I make these vegetables sing?”.