Autumn Produce (with Vegan Recipes)

Autumn produce in season right now includes hearty winter squash, crisp apples, and earthy brussels sprouts. Make the most of these versatile fall vegetables and fruits with some of my favorite vegan recipes. I've included recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, side-dishes desserts, and snacks.

Fall Food

Autumn is my favorite time of year. I love the cool, crisp air, the multi-colored leaves the trees, and baking pumpkin pies. And of course, I love autumn produce!

According to the calendar, autumn is the exact same length of time as the other seasons, but it always seems like such a small sliver of time that’s wedged in between a far-too-hot summer and a when-will-it-stop-snowing winter. To stretch out the season as much as I can, I like to plan fall fun activities such as apple picking, walking in tree-line parks to gawk at leaves, and cooking as much tasty fall-themed food as I can.

Autumn Produce

Most people think of summer as the peek time to buy produce, but fall brings quite a lot of tasty fruits and vegetables, too. These foods are heartier and more grounding than the light fare that grows earlier in the year, which is perfect for the cooler weather. They can keep us warm and cozy on chilly autumn days.

I've put together a list of my ten favorite fall fruits and vegetables.

Autumn Produce in Season Right Now

Pears

The most common types of pears in North America are bosc and bartlet, and they’re at their peek ripeness at the very beginning of autumn. Pears are chock-full of vitamins and minerals, so they’re great for the immune system. They’re also one of the highest-fiber fruits around, making them excellent at fighting heart disease, keeping the colon working, and reducing the risk of diabetes.

Apples

Did you know that there are 2,500 types of apples grown in the U.S.? Apples are packed with antioxidants, which can help prevent chronic illness, and also help you fight off winter colds. I usually go apple picking at the beginning of the season and snack on them for next few months.

Some of my favorite apple recipes include:

• Cinnamon Oatmeal Baked Apples
• Fall Farro Salad
• Apple Pie Oatmeal
• Date Sweetened Caramel Apples

Winter Squash

There are many types of winter squash, such as butternut, acorn, kabocha, and delicata. They’re warming and hearty, and they’re incredibly versatile – I like to puree them for soups and stews, mash them like potatoes, cubed and roasted and roast, and stuff them with grains and veggies. They’re also loaded with vitamins and minerals that are known to help fight off many ailments.

Some of my favorite squash recipes include:

• Mac and Peas with Creamy Butternut Squash Sauce from Laura Theodore's Vegan-East
• Spaghetti Squash with Lemon Caper Sauce
• Maple Miso Glazed Squash
• Butternut Squash Lasagna with Kale

Pumpkin

Pumpkin is ubiquitous in the fall, and it’s probably the most popular of all of the winter squashes. Most of the products that are being marketed as “pumpkin spice” don’t contain any pumpkin at all, but rather cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. I say skip those and go straight to the pumpkin, which can help boost vision, lower blood pressure, improve quality of sleep, and protect the heart, among other things.

Some of my favorite pumpkin recipes include:

• Curried Pumpkin Peanut Soup
• Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal
• Pumpkin Pasta Carbonara 
• Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins

Brussels Sprouts

I used to hate Brussels sprouts, until I discovered how tasty they are when roasted, and now I can’t get enough of them. I like to shred them for salads, roast them, and pan sear them. If I can get my hands on them in the summer time, I’ll even throw some on the grill. Brussels sprouts are part of the cruciferous vegetable family, and they have many health benefits, including warding off various cancers, improve digestion, keeping the heart healthy, alkalizing the body, fighting inflammation, and strengthening bones.

Some of my favorite brussels sprouts recipes include

• Sweet and Sour Brussels Sprouts
• Cornmeal Crusted Brussels Sprouts
• Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad with Maple Mustard Dressing
• Pan Seared Brussels Sprouts with Caramelized Shallots

Broccoli

While most kids were told they had to sit at the table until they finished their broccoli, I was scarfing mine down and asking for seconds. It has always been my favorite vegetable. Broccoli is available all year, but its peek season is in the fall. Like Brussels sprouts, it’s part of the cruciferous vegetable family, and it has similar heath benefits to Brussels sprouts.

Some of my favorite broccoli recipes include:

• Lemon Pepper Soy Curls with Broccoli
• Kung Pao Tofu with Broccoli
• Broccoli and Tempeh with Spicy Peanut Sauce
• Vegan Broccoli Frittata with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Sweet Potatoes

Most people use the terms “sweet potato” and “yams” interchangeably, but they’re actually two different vegetables. What we know as “yams” here in the U.S. are really sweet potatoes. I like to bake sweet potatoes and stuff them with chili, slice them into French fries, and add them to curries. They’re a good source for vitamin B6, vitamin C, magnesium, potassium, iron, and other nutrients, and they’re excellent at balancing blood sugar.

Some of my favorite sweet potato recipes include:

• Sweet Potato and Black Bean Taquitos from Go Dairy Free By Alisa Fleming
• Thai Sweet Potato Curry from The Meatless Monday Family Cookbook by Jenn Sebestyen
• Kale and Sweet Potato Pizza
• Green Curry with Green Beans and Sweet Potatoes

Mushrooms

Many mushrooms are in season in autumn, including porcini, chicken of the woods, and chanterelle. I used to dislike mushrooms, but now their one of my favorite vegetables, and I eat them several times a week. Mushrooms are not only extremely beneficial for optimum health, they’re also a good source of umami, which is known as the fifth taste. Umami often described as the savory or meaty ‘mouth-filling’ taste, which a lot of foods in the plant world are missing.

Some of my favorite mushroom recipes include

• Spinach Mushroom Quiche
• Lemon Dijon Tempeh and Mushrooms
• Caramelized Onion and Mushroom Tart
• Sloppy Joes with Tempeh and Mushrooms

Parsnips

Parsnips look like white carrots, and they have an earthy, peppery flavor. They are high in vitamins and minerals, especially potassium. They also contain antioxidants and a high amount of dietary fiber. I like to add them to stews, or roast them with a mixture of other hearty fall vegetables.

I use parsnips in my Irish Stew recipe.

Beets

Beets always make me think of Dwight from The Office. I tend to “cheat” with beets, and buy the cooked, packaged beets that can be found in the produce department in an attempt to avoid dying my hands and kitchen counters red. Beets can boost energy, lower blood pressure, help ward of cancer, reduce inflammation in the body, and aid in weight loss, among other things, so they’re definitely worth the mess they make.

• Swedish Bagels from The Ultimate Vegan Breakfast Book by Nadine Horn and Jörg Mayer
• Roasted Beet and Citrus Salad
• Festive Garlicky Roasted Vegetables

What's your favorite autumn produce?