Learn all about cooking vegetables like a 1950s housewife. There are a lot of classic and unique vintage vegetable recipes you can try today as well.
Homemakers of the 1950s were also concerned about their health and the health of their families. They got a lot wrong those days, should we talk about smoking and lead in the 1950s? But not all of their advice is no longer valid and the general struggle of making sure their family had nutritious food is something we share.
A quick look at suggested meal plans from 1950s magazines and books will show a lot of vegetables. Many of the books and magazines from the time were still encouraging homemakers to grow their own vegetables. Better Homes and Garden had a lot of articles about eating seasonal produce from your own garden, something we are seeing make a comeback.
I looked through some vintage magazines and found an article sharing tips for cooking frozen or canned vegetables and also found a lot of recipes suggested for “making vegetables more delicious.” I have searched and found similar recipes online so they are a bit easier to follow than the recipes from the 1950s which sometimes left a lot of guessing, especially the ones found on recipe cards from someone’s grandma.
Enjoy this look at cooking vegetables in the 1950s!
Cooking Vegetables Tips & Tricks
Cooking Frozen Vegetables
This is the way some 1950s homemakers recommended cooking frozen vegetables for more flavor. I would suggest adding more seasoning than just salt. A little butter can also go a long way. For a lot of vegetables, I also like to add a bit of freshly grated parmesan on top.
- Heat water to boiling.
- Add frozen vegetables to boiling, salted water.
- Cook the vegetables in a covered pan.
- When the water returns to a boil, separate frozen pieces with a fork.
- Reduce the heat to simmer until the vegetables are done. Don’t overcook them.
Cooking Canned Vegetables
According to a 1950s homemaking article cooking canned vegetables like this is better for “eating and health.”
- Pour liquid from canned vegetables into a saucepan.
- Simmer liquid down to one-half. This will give the vegetables a delicious flavor, and save minerals and vitamins for extra health. You will not half to drain off any excess liquid after cooking.
- Add vegetables to liquid. Season with salt and pepper, and add butter.
- Heat only until the butter is melted. Canned vegetables are already cooked so you need only heat them through. Serve quickly.
Vintage Vegetable Recipes
These days I often serve vegetables just cooked and seasoned. Maybe with some butter or parmesan cheese. When I read vintage meal plans and vintage recipes you'll see a lot of more interesting vegetable recipes.
If you want to try something new and enjoy vintage recipes you may want to try some of these vintage vegetable recipes.
These recipes are recreations of recipes I've seen in 1950s and 1960s magazines but are written in a modern way to make them easier to create now.
Easy Broccoli with Parmesan Cheese Sauce
This is an easy broccoli recipe from the 1960s. It's family-friendly and can be whipped up in no time.
Golden Touch Beans
I'm not sure what year these are from but my grandma ate them as a kid. They are still one of her favorite recipes.
Creamed Lima Beans
I've seen a version of this recipe in a few 1950s magazines and cookbooks. For modern tastes consider adding more seasoning, I'd recommend some creole seasoning for a bit of spice.
Honey Butter Glazed Carrots
Honey carrots are recommended in a lot of vintage articles sharing ways to use harvest vegetables.
Sweet Potato Casserole with Pineapple
Sweet potato casserole complete with marshmallows on top is still a southern tradition for Thanksgiving but I've not seen it with pineapple! However, I have seen it in 1950s magazines, pineapple seems to be 1950s favorite.
Old Fashioned Asparagus Casserole
This is a pretty classic vegetable casserole that you will see often in magazines and cookbooks from the 1950s.
Vintage Cheesy Potato Casserole
This is my updated version of a classic potato casserole. It's a delicious and easy side dish.
Grandma's Cauliflower Cheese Recipe
I first saw this recipe in an 1950s article titled "try garden vegetables these good ways." It seems most of these "good ways" are a can of cream of something soup and cheese. I can't disagree, that does often make vegetables better.
Sausage Squash Special
This vintage vegetable recipe is more of a main dish than a side. It sounds pretty good and so far has a 5-star rating so it's worth a try.
Old Fashioned Stuffed Bell Peppers
Stuffing veggies seemed to be another 1950s trend, including the classic stuffed bell pepper.
Pea Salad
This recipe is a step up from the vintage one I found that called for frozen peas, canned water chestnuts, butter, and salt and pepper. It still has a vintage feel though.
Savory Jello Salad Recipes
And of course we can't forget to serve our famlies vegetables inside of a jello mold! I have seen a lot of these on 1950s menus and actually spotted a couple on a recent episode of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. I haven't been brave enough to try one yet, maybe someday.
giulia lombardo says
I love veggies and all of the ideas in this post!