Lunch
2782 recipes found
Asparagus, Spinach and Leek Soup
This silky, verdant soup gets its color from a mix of green vegetables. Asparagus is the dominant flavor, with fennel and leeks adding sweetness, zucchini its plush texture, and spinach and herbs their earthy mineral character. The color is at its brightest right after puréeing and will darken as it sits, but this won’t affect its rich, complex flavor. If the soup thickens too much after cooling, add a little broth or water when you reheat it.
Crispy Coconut, Asparagus and Green Bean Salad
This sweet and salty salad celebrates the best of spring, starting with a base of asparagus and green beans. The crispy coconut almond topping is loosely inspired by serundeng, an Indonesian spiced coconut condiment, which adds texture to the salad. You can grill the beans and asparagus to add a smoky flavor to the dish, or swap out the asparagus for runner beans, broccolini or any spring vegetable. All the individual salad elements can be made in advance, but you’ll want to assemble just before serving for the best results.
Vegetable Tortilla Soup
This vegetarian spin on tortilla soup gets its savory flavor from deeply caramelized cabbage, which brings sweetness, bitterness and earthiness. It uses tortillas in two ways: Pulverized tortilla chips add body and a delightful undercurrent of nutty flavor. (Grinding the tortilla finely ensures that it integrates into the soup without needing a final blend.) They are also sprinkled on top, adding a satisfying crunch while echoing the soup’s corn flavor. Treat this recipe as a template, and add whatever other vegetables you may have. As with other tortilla soups, the final garnishes are key to balancing the complex flavors. Don’t skimp on the lime, as its bracing acidity lifts all of the elements.
Saltfish Buljol (Salted Cod Salad)
Salted cod has a long and venerable history in the Caribbean islands. It is at once classic and current; a relic from the trans-Atlantic slave trade that has been repurposed into delicious relevance. In this dish, bright, spiky notes come from the addition of lime juice, habanero chiles, fresh tomatoes and a bevy of fresh, grassy aromatics. Salted cod comes packaged either boneless or bone-in. You can use either, but boneless salted cod is a tad easier to prepare than bone-in. When working with salted cod, it is imperative to desalinate the fish by either an overnight soak or by rinsing it prior to boiling. Depending on your preference, you may need to boil the cod twice and change the water in between each boil to rid the cod of excess salt.
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Italian-American Pasta Salad
For a stellar pasta salad, skip the vinaigrette and opt for punchy, briny ingredients like capers and olives.
Oyakodon (Chicken and Egg Rice Bowl)
Oyakodon is pure bliss, combining the ease of lightly poached chicken with the velvety richness of eggs and onions simmered in sauce. In Japanese, oya means parent, while ko translates to child. Consequently, chicken and egg come together in a blend of dashi, mirin and soy sauce. A perfect weekday meal, oyakodon cooks in just under 30 minutes and is delightful alongside pickles and a bowl of miso soup. The chicken and egg bowl is a dream of soulfulness ladled over rice. Leftovers, if you have any, will hold in the refrigerator for a day.
Chicken Galbi Noodle Salad
This weeknight noodle salad is inspired by Korean galbi, short ribs that are seasoned in a garlic-ginger soy sauce marinade sweetened with sugar, onion and grated Asian pear. Fast-cooking ground chicken simmers in a simplified galbi sauce with garlic, ginger, scallions and sesame oil, quickly soaking in all of the aromatics. Allow the chicken to cook for a minute or two after the sauce has been absorbed, which creates crispy, caramelized bits. Don’t skip out on the basil, which instantly brightens the dish. The salad can be made a few hours ahead and is tasty both warm and at room temperature.
Coronation Chicken Salad
Coronation chicken salad is an easy, pantry-friendly dish, loosely based on a posh, classically French chicken recipe that was created to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953. This is the recipe you’d find during its heyday in Britain in the 1980s: a curried chicken salad loaded with dried fruit, mango chutney and sliced almonds, usually served as a sandwich filling or on top of baked potatoes. Debates rage over whether to include diced apricots or golden raisins (also called sultanas), but since each works well with the other flavors, you can use whichever you like. If you want a more intensely golden color, stir in 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric with the curry. And if you’re starting with leftover cooked chicken or a rotisserie chicken (you’ll need 6 cups), just skip Step 1. For a meatless version, you can try these cauliflower salad sandwiches.
Sheet-Pan Chile Crisp Salmon and Asparagus
A mixture of chile crisp, soy sauce and honey coats salmon bites that roast alongside scallions and asparagus for a quick and colorful weeknight dinner. While the salmon doesn’t need to be cubed, it’s an easy and enjoyable way to eat it; the bite-size pieces can be served over rice, cooked grains or big salads. Much like a grain bowl component, this recipe is versatile, and works as an add-on or base. Finish it as you’d like: Try some gently torn fresh cilantro, toasted sesame seeds, flaky sea salt, lime slices or an extra drizzle of chile crisp.
Thai-Style Crunchy Vegetable Salad
Inspired by Thai green papaya salad, this vibrant dish boasts a colorful medley of thinly sliced raw veggies; they’re electrified by a lime-and-fish sauce vinaigrette. This recipe builds upon a base of fresh asparagus, which is supercrisp, with a sweet, mildly grassy flavor, and cherry tomatoes. You can combine them with any mix of vegetables that are on hand: Radishes, cucumbers, carrots, snap peas, cabbage and yellow bell peppers are all great additions, each bringing their unique flavor and texture to the party. The just-tossed salad is bright and crunchy, but if you happen to wind up with leftovers, let the vegetables marinate in the dressing overnight and they transform into a pickled side dish that’s delightful in sandwiches or with grilled steak.
Oven Beans
The best way to cook dried beans? In the oven. The even heat keeps the water at a steady bare simmer, which results in beans that are tender all the way through — no hard spots or broken mushy bits — with almost no effort. Because the heat is dry, it also concentrates the inherent flavor of the beans and anything else thrown into the pot. You can simply simmer soaked beans in salted water or you can add aromatic ingredients, such as the garlic and dried chiles. Onion is also nice, and bacon and other cured pork products bring richness.
Tahini Ramen Salad
A breeze to make on busy weeknights, this fresh, colorful ramen salad is equally tasty at room temperature or chilled — which means it’s particularly picnic-friendly. Chickpeas add creamy texture, contrasting the crisp bite of vibrant veggies. Use your favorite combination: Yellow bell peppers, cucumbers, snap peas, radishes, celery, asparagus and cabbage are all great options. You can make the salad an hour ahead and let the savory tahini-garlic sauce soak into the noodles (at room temperature); just give it a quick toss before serving so that everything is evenly coated in the luscious sauce. If chilled, pull the salad from the refrigerator 10 minutes before serving to allow the sauce to soften, then give it a nice mix.
Bò Né (Steak and Eggs)
Bò né (which translates from Vietnamese to “dodging beef”) is often served for breakfast, but is delicious any time of day: The meal consists of sizzled beef (bò) and fried eggs, with a smattering of pâté and butter dashed across a crisp baguette. Bò né is generally served alongside a salad plate, and offered on roadsides throughout Vietnam, and in Vietnamese restaurants all over the globe. You can partake in each component individually, or fill your baguette to make a sandwich, or figure out a third way that works best for you; there are as many routes to eat bò né as there are diners, and each of them is flawless. Purchasing the pâté and butter from your local Vietnamese market or diner would be ideal (just ask if they sell it by the pound), but whatever you can find will be solid. And if you’re short on time, simply seasoning the beef with salt and black pepper also works.
Basmati Rice
How to cook rice to its perfect texture is an art: too much water and it’s gloppy; too little, and it’s dry and brittle. If it’s cooked for too long, it smushes together; not enough time and it’s grainy and hard. Different types of rice require different cooking methods, too. This recipe, specifically for long-grain basmati rice, boils it down to a science. The rice-to-water ratio used here is 1 cup rice to 1 1/2 cups water, but thoroughly drained rice, heat levels, cook time and resting time can all impact results. Even the size of the pot matters; you’ll want to select a small one in which the water level rises an inch above the rice level. Follow the steps exactly and cooking long-grain basmati rice is no longer an experiment but a formula.
Aloo Palak (Spicy Spinach and Potatoes)
Onion, tomatoes, ginger, garlic and layered spices make the base for this deceptively simple vegetarian main or hefty side — a preparation well-suited for the humble potato and spinach. As is typical for South Asian dishes, aloo palak packs a fiery punch. The key here is chopping the potatoes into 1-inch cubes so they cook quickly. Since spinach doesn’t take as long to cook, it’s added toward the end when the potatoes are almost done. Use frozen chopped spinach for convenience and dinner can be ready in about 30 minutes from start to finish. Serve with rice, roti or store-bought pita.
Liángbàn Gāndòufusī (Shredded Tofu Salad)
Take a stack of sturdy, nutty-tasting fresh tofu sheets (gāndòufu in Mandarin) and cut them up into noodle-like ribbons to combine with cucumber, cilantro and a spicy, garlicky sauce. The stunningly good, satisfying result is a northeastern Chinese treat, a favorite of cookbook author Hannah Che. This recipe was adapted from her debut, “The Vegan Chinese Kitchen” (Clarkson Potter, 2022). Look for vacuum-sealed packages of tan-colored, nubby gāndòufu, often labeled as “soy tofu sheet” in the refrigerated tofu section in Chinese markets. Enjoy this salad with dumplings or a cozy soup. Change things up by stuffing it into a baguette or featuring it in lettuce wraps.
Chicken Kofta in Tomato Gravy
Kofta are delightful little balls of heavily spiced ground meat, most often beef or lamb. They exist on a spectrum of flavors and textures across multiple regional cuisines and even continents (and spelling variations exist). In Pakistan, they are tender and cooked in a spiced gravy. This kind of preparation makes them perfect to eat over basmati rice and roti, the gravy poured over the former or sopped up with the latter. Though traditionalists will say poppy seeds are a must, this chicken version makes allowances for what might be available. Gram flour acts as a binding agent and vinegar is a tenderizer. Make the kofta ahead of time (and the gravy, too, if you like) and freeze for up to three months. To cook from frozen, add the kofta directly to simmering gravy.
Kerala-Style Vegetable Korma
A korma can be made with any combination of meats and vegetables, braised or stewed. In the Indian coastal state of Kerala, where coconuts are abundant, vegetable korma is made with desiccated fresh coconut and coconut milk. This quick, convenient version uses the same foundation — onion, tomatoes, ginger and garlic — while skipping the fresh coconut. It works just as well with whatever combination of fresh or frozen vegetables that might be handy. Cashew butter is used in place of making a paste from soaked cashews. Black mustard seeds add complex bitterness; Thai green chiles, black pepper and garam masala give it a kick. Cutting corners doesn’t quell any flavor in this recipe.
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Phở Saigon (Southern Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup)
Phở Saigon delivers a satisfying and hearty bowl of soup featuring five different cuts of beef and rice noodles in a delicate, flavorful broth.
Radicchio-Anchovy Salad
Radicchio, once rarely seen (by non-Italians), is now a familiar produce staple, and many farmers’ markets also feature other red-leafed radicchio varietals, such as Treviso or Chioggia. Feel free to mix and match, but pair them with an assertive dressing: The pleasant bitter flavor of the red leaves calls out for something bracing.
Vegan Sopa de Maní (Bolivian Peanut Soup)
This vegan version of a traditional Bolivian soup is made with a base of puréed peanuts but has none of the heaviness of peanut butter. Instead, it’s creamy yet delicate, hearty without heft. Patrick Oropeza, the chef of Bolivian Llama Party in Sunnyside, Queens, primes the stock with a powder of locoto chiles, gutsier than jalapeños, and quilquiña, an herb that delivers the sunny grassiness of cilantro, with a sly kick. (Both may be found at Latin markets and specialty grocers online.) Then he drops in potatoes, and tubes of penne that are toasted first in a dry pan to draw out their nuttiness and change their texture just enough that they hold firm in the soup. In Bolivia, a bowl of sopa de maní typically comes topped with thick wedges of fried potato, like steak fries. Mr. Oropeza uses matchsticks instead, which fry faster and stay crispy.
Gochujang Potato Stew
Plush baby potatoes braised in an aromatic gochujang broth form the heart of this satisfying, vegetable-packed stew. The spice-timid can lower the amount of gochujang, the Korean red-pepper paste, and heat seekers should feel free to add more to taste at the end. Canned white beans and dark-green Tuscan kale (also called lacinato or dinosaur kale), stewed with soy sauce and honey, create a deeply savory flavor that is reminiscent of South Korean gochujang jjigae, a camping favorite starring pantry staples, and dakdori tang, a gochujang-based chicken and potato stew.
Egg and Onion
Served to start the Sabbath dinner or as a simple breakfast on weekends, this Ashkenazic dish of mashed hard-boiled eggs and ultracaramelized onions feels indulgent in its rich flavor. Lisa Goldberg, a founder of the Monday Morning Cooking Club in Sydney, Australia, shares her grandmother’s Polish Jewish recipe for this beloved, time-honored dish, also called “eier mit tsibeles” in Yiddish. The key to deep, complex flavor is in the onions, which should be cooked slowly until caramelized, with a slightly burned texture. Save the leftover onion-infused oil to add flavor to vegetables or chicken. Serve this as an appetizer, with good bread or matzo, or as breakfast, with bagels or matzo.
Pineapple Ham Pizza
Pineapple ham pizza, sometimes referred to as Hawaiian pizza, was reportedly named after a brand of canned fruit, Hawaiian Pineapple Company. Sam Panopoulos, a Greek immigrant in Canada, used that fruit to create the ambrosial combination in 1962. But here, skipping canned pineapple in favor of fresh fruit and using cubed ham, ideally leftovers from a bone-in roast, means juicier meat and more vibrantly flavored pineapple. The comforting mellowness of Marcella Hazan’s famous tomato-butter sauce works well with the tangy fruit and savory pork, but use whatever pizza sauce you like. As with any homemade pie, bake this hot and fast, as close as possible to your oven’s heat source, either on the highest or lowest rack depending on the model.