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Spiralizer Beginner’s Guide + Veggie Spiralizer Recipes

From which vegetables can be spiralized to what vegetables make the best pasta, this post is your Spiralizer Beginner’s Guide to understand all things Spiralizer + grab tons of easy veggie spiralizer recipes!

Veggie Spiralizer Recipes | Spiralizer Beginner's Guide + Easy Veggie Spiralizer Recipes | A Sweet Pea chef

How To Make Spiralized Veggies

One of my absolute favorite kitchen tools is my spiralizer – it helps make cooking veggies so much easier and funner and is a great way to replace noodles with much healthier options.  In this post, I’m going to show you how to spiralize a TON of different veggies so you can see how easy it is and maybe get inspired to try them for yourself.

I am using this spiralizer which costs about $25 and comes with several attachments.  It’s been awesome and I highly recommend it.

If you don’t have a spiralizer tool, you can also use a “Y” peeler or a regular vegetable peeler to make long, think strands of many of the vegetables we’ll be working with today. While it’s not quite the same, it’ll still do the trick!

Overhead view of a spiralizer to show how to spiralize veggies.

Best Vegetables To Spiralize for Pasta

While you can spiralize all sorts of vegetables, squash, and fruit for pasta, I do have my favorites.  The characteristics of what makes a good spiralized noodle include (1) flavor, (2) texture, and (3) nutrition.  Personally, my favorite vegetable to spiralize for pasta is zucchini, but the following list contains some great options as well:

  • Zucchini
  • Sweet Potato
  • Beet
  • Yellow Squash
  • Carrot
  • Bell Pepper
  • Broccoli Stems 
  • Jicama
  • Butternut Squash

How To Spiralize Zucchini

Overhead view of a zucchini being spiralized to show how to spiralize zucchini. Bowl filled with spiralized zucchini noodles to show spiralizer veggie recipe.

Zucchini is my most commonly spiralized veggie and it couldn’t be easier.  Just remove both ends of the zucchini as straight as possible and then place onto the spiralizer.  No need to remove the peel, as it’s edible and nutritious.

I try to find straight wide zucchini for making noodles — this makes it as easy as possible for making the noodles.

Zucchini Spiralizer Recipes

How To Spiralize Yellow Squash

Overhead view of a yellow squash being spiralized to show how to spiralize yellow squash. Bowl filled with spiralized yellow squash noodles to show spiralizer veggie recipe.

Just like with zucchini, yellow squash makes perfect zoodles – just remove both ends of the yellow squash in as straight a line as possible and then place onto the spiralizer.  No need to remove the peel, either.

While some yellow squash have crooked, narrow ends, I try to fins yellow squash that are as straight and wide as possible for making noodles — this makes it as easy as possible for making the yellow squashnoodles.

Yellow Squash Spiralizer Recipes

How To Spiralize Sweet Potato

Overhead view of a sweet potato being spiralized to show how to spiralize sweet potato. Bowl filled with spiralized sweet potato noodles to show spiralizer veggie recipe.

Sweet potato noodles are great because they are hearty and hold up very well to cooking.  You can choose to remove the sweet potato skin if you choose, but I often leave it one, especially since it contains high amounts of nutrients and fiber.

Just like with the zucchini and squash, remove both ends as flat as possible and then attach to the spiralizer.  Then, spiralize into sweet potato noodles.

Sweet Potato Spiralizer Recipes

How To Spiralize Cabbage

Overhead view of a red cabbage being spiralized to show how to spiralize cabbage. Bowl filled with spiralized cabbage noodles to show spiralizer veggie recipe.

Using a spiralizer for cabbage, either red or green cabbage, is an easy way to shred cabbage perfectly for cole slaw or as a topping for chili or tacos.   Just remove to outer layer of the cabbage and cut the root end so that it’s flat before attaching to the spiralizer.  So flipping easy!

Cabbage Spiralizer Recipes

How To Spiralize Carrot

Overhead view of a carrot being spiralized to show how to spiralize carrot. Bowl filled with spiralized carrot noodles to show spiralizer veggie recipe.

Carrots can be a little trickier to turn into noodles if you don’t have the right size, since they can get out of alignment with the spiralizer and need to be repositioned.  You’ll want to use wide carrots, if you can, and start with the widest part of the carrot towards the blade.  Then, cut both sides evenly and attach to the spiralizer. Spiralized carrots can be added to raw salads for a tasty crunch.  Plus, kiddos love them as a fun new way to eat their veggies.

Carrot Spiralizer Recipes

How To Spiralize Cucumber

Overhead view of a cucumber being spiralized to show how to spiralize cucumber. Bowl filled with spiralized cucumber noodles to show spiralizer veggie recipe.

Spiralized cucumber is perfect for adding to salads and couldn’t be easier.  Just like with zucchini, cut both ends flat and then spiralize.  Because cucumbers can be a little soft, you’ll also get quite a bit of juice as it is spiralized, depending on how soft the cucumber is.  English cucumbers work best.

Cucumber Spiralizer Recipes

How To Spiralize Bell Pepper

Overhead view of a red bell pepper being spiralized to show how to spiralize bell pepper. Bowl filled with spiralized bell pepper noodles to show spiralizer veggie recipe.

Spiralized bell pepper is great for adding to fajitas, in a quick saute, or omelets.  Make sure the tip of the stem is cut down as flat as possible and then attach the bell pepper, non-stem-side towards the blade.  You’ll need to remove some of the seeds and core once it’s been spiralized, but it’s very easy to do so.

Bell Pepper Spiralizer Recipes

How To Spiralize Broccoli Stems

Overhead view of a broccoli stem being spiralized to show how to spiralize broccoli stems. Bowl filled with spiralized broccoli stem noodles to show spiralizer veggie recipe.

Do you usually just throw out your broccoli stems?  Turn them into broccoli stem noodles instead!  They’re so good and a great way to make use of a lesser used part of the broccoli.  You’ll want them to be as thick as possible, then remove any excess leaves, cut both ends flat and spiralize, just as you would a carrot.

Broccoli Stem Spiralizer Recipes

How To Spiralize Butternut Squash

Overhead view of a butternut squash being spiralized to show how to spiralize butternut squash. Bowl filled with spiralized butternut squash noodles to show spiralizer veggie recipe.

Have you ever tried butternut squash noodles?  They’re awesome — like sweet potato noodles, but with butternut squash!  You’ll need to remove the outer skin of the butternut squash using a vegetable peeler since it isn’t edible.  Then, slice both ends of evenly and attach to the spiralizer.  Try to find the most narrow and long squash, if you can.

Butternut Squash Spiralizer Recipes

How To Spiralize Beet

Overhead view of a raw beet being spiralized to show how to spiralize beet. Bowl filled with spiralized beet noodles to show spiralizer veggie recipe.

Spiralized beets are really pretty and make awesome noodle replacements.  To prep, just slice both ends off the beet to make it as flat as possible.  Then, peel using a vegetable peeler.  You’ll want the beet to be raw, not cooked.  Attach it to the spiralizer and transform it into beautiful beet noodles.  So easy.

Beet Spiralizer Recipes

How To Spiralize Red Onion

Overhead view of a red onion being spiralized to show how to spiralize red onion. Bowl filled with spiralized red onion noodles to show spiralizer veggie recipe.

Spiralize a red onion or any onion to add as shredded onion in any recipe or as a topping on hamburgers.  Makes sautéed onions a breeze!  To make onion noodles, remove the outer peel of the onion and slice both ends flat so they can easily attach to the spiralizer. So much easier than slicing!

Red Onion Spiralizer Recipes

How To Spiralize Jicama

Overhead view of a jicama being spiralized to show how to spiralize jicama. Bowl filled with spiralized jicama noodles to show spiralizer veggie recipe.

I love jicama in any form, especially when spiralized into jicama noodles.  Just remove the peel using a vegetable peeler and cut both ends flat.  Attach to the spiralizer and go.  Spiralized jicama can be used as a garnish or in a salad for extra flavor and texture.

Jicama Spiralizer Recipes

Can You Spiralize Fruit?

Spiralizing isn’t just for veggies and squash.  You can also spirals firm fruits, like apples and pears.  Just make sure they are as firm as possible so they hold up when turned into noodles.  If they have a core, try to have it line up as best as you can with the center of the blade so it doesn’t get spiralized.

How To Spiralize Apple

Overhead view of an apple being spiralized to show how to spiralize apple. Bowl filled with spiralized apple noodles to show spiralizer veggie recipe.

You can also spirals firm fruits, like apples and pears.  To spirals apples, make sure they are as firm as possible – granny smith apples work great.  Just remove the step and make the step side as flat as possible and then attach to the spiralizer step side facing toward the blade.

Apple Spiralizer Recipes

How To Spiralize Pear

Overhead view of a pear being spiralized to show how to spiralize pear. Bowl filled with spiralized pear noodles to show spiralizer veggie recipe.

The same goes for firm pears when spiralizing fruit – try to align the core so it gets right to the middle and you don’t wind up grinding any of the seeds.  No need to remove the peel, either.  Saute spiralized pear noodles with a little coconut oil and cinnamon and you’ve got yourself a tasty sweet treat!

Pear Spiralizer Recipes

Spiralizer Beginner’s Guide – Veggie Spiralizer Recipes

Can Spiralized Vegetables Be Frozen?

Many spiralized vegetables can easily be frozen and saved for later, which makes them a great grab and cook option when you’re out of fresh produce.  The best vegetables for freezing when spiralized are sweet potato, butternut squash, beet, carrot, and broccoli stems.  While zucchini and cucumber noodles can be frozen, they contain such a high amount of water that they break down when thawed.  When ready to cook, you can add directly to your pan and cook, covered, until thawed or allow to thaw overnight in the fridge.

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Did I miss anything?  Share what veggies and/or fruits you love to spiralize in the comments!

This post contains affiliate inks for products I use regularly and highly recommend.

Lacey Baier

Hey there! I’m Lacey Baier and I’d like to welcome you! I’m a healthy lifestyle influencer and the creator of this clean-eating blog and YouTube channel, as well as cleanish, my clean-eating supplement brand. My recipes have been published on Food Network, Good Morning America, FoxNews, Tastemade, Fitness Magazine, and much more. I live in Austin, Texas with my husband and four kiddos. Let’s get started!

4 thoughts on “Spiralizer Beginner’s Guide + Veggie Spiralizer Recipes

  1. Lacey, this post is a treasure! Thank you for all of your recipes and how-to’s for each vegetable. I look forward to cooking in a new way using my spiralizer and these delicious recipes.

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