The Simple Way To Totally Revive Soggy Canned Vegetables

While fresh produce is often the go-to for making nutritious meals, canned vegetables can also be a great way to incorporate more greens into your diet. Canning keeps food ready-to-eat for a long time, and canned foods have a much longer shelf life than fresh food. 

Vegetables in cans are harvested during the right growing seasons, so only the freshest foods are packed. Plus, they're typically only a few dollars at the grocery store, making them a budget-friendly option for when you're preparing at-home meals.

While canned vegetables may initially seem less appealing than their fresh counterparts, one internet chef showed off a way to elevate canned veggies' flavors. Actor and social media star Tabitha Brown, who has been a vegan since 2017, often posts vegan recipes and cooking tricks on TikTok and Instagram. In one Instagram video, Brown showed her follows how she upgrades the flavor of canned vegetables.

In a 2020 Instagram video, Tabitha Brown showed off her trick for an easy meal using canned foods she found in her kitchen cabinets — perfect for delaying a big grocery restock. Brown showed off cans of garbanzo beans, hearts of palm, and mushrooms. She explained that she lays them out on a pan and sprinkles them with a variety of seasonings, including garlic powder, nori furikake, curry, and a coconut-based soy sauce alternative.

Once the seasonings are spread across the veggies, Brown places the uncovered tray in the oven at 475 degrees Fahrenheit and roasts them for around 20 minutes. She then combines rice cooked in vegetable stock, mixed greens, lettuce, avocado, tomatoes, and the roasted canned vegetables in a bowl. She tops it off with dressing, salt, and pepper to finish and compares the meal to a buddha bowl.

Brown's followers commented that the canned vegetables had seemingly transformed, looking much more appetizing after being roasted in the oven.

Commenters on Tabitha Brown's Instagram video were impressed with the upgrade to the canned foods. "I never knew how to use canned foods (I'm serious) but this is now my favorite dish!" wrote Instagram user @lucskabalaz. "Thank you so much for sharing!" Another user, @nancy_pupss, shared that they "NEVER thought of roasting canned veggies!! I always roast fresh veggies though!"

When you're prepping the vegetables for roasting, you may want to drain the canning liquid and pat the vegetables dry before placing them on the pan; vegetables roast better the more dry they are. You can also chop vegetables into smaller pieces for a quicker roasting time, though canned vegetables may already be bite-sized. Additionally, certain veggies may take longer to roast than others, so you may need to work in batches.

The next time you find a long-forgotten can of green beans in the back of your cupboard, try roasting them for a tasty addition to your dinner.