6 Veggies You Can (Actually) Regrow from Scraps

All you need are some green onion roots (the white parts) that didn’t make it into your nacho dip. Arrange them, roots down, in a glass or mason jar and fill with water until covered. In a week, you’ll have a bounty of your favorite garnish. Just make sure to change the water every couple of days so no grossness ensues.

Whether you use it to protect against mosquito bites or to add that perfect Thai accent to a dish, lemongrass is great to have around. To regrow from scraps, chop off any part of the foliage, place stalks in a couple inches of water and leave in a sunny spot. Like the onions, you should replace the water every couple of days and you’ll have new leaves in a week.

Noticing a theme here? Keep going. In a small bowl, cover the base of your leftover leeks with water. Place it somewhere it can get some sun, and within a week you’ll have some usable potato-soup ingredients happening right in your kitchen. (And because you’re a pro by this point, remember to change the water.)

You know how sometimes your garlic starts sprouting? Well, those weird green buds are actually edible if you let them grow enough. So if you see one of your cloves sprouting, put it in a jar, and fill with just enough water to touch the bottom of the garlic. Once the sprouts grow about two to three inches, you can cut and use just like you would green onion. Who knew?

You know the drill: Put the unused bulb in a bowl. Cover it with water. Give it some sun, and in a few days you’ll have some sprouts. Boom. Fennel for days.

Take the heart (the part of your Romaine lettuce you didn’t eat) and place it in a container with a half inch of water. Give it some rays, and in a few days you’ll have new leaves. Could this mean the end of the grocery store forever?