Vegetables
1337 recipes found
Spinach and Endive Salad With Kasha and Mushrooms
Kasha is not the main ingredient here, so I wouldn’t call this a grain salad, but rather a substantial leafy green salad with grain. I love pairing this nutty grain with both cooked and raw spinach, and with walnuts and walnut oil. Kasha also goes well with foods that have a bitter edge, like endive, so I included some in the salad.
Carrot Salad With Cumin and Coriander
These lemony carrots taste lovely just as the recipe is written, perfumed with toasted cumin and coriander, a hint of garlic, and a touch of cayenne. This recipe draws its inspiration from Moroccan carrot salads, many of which use cooked vegetables, but this version uses slivered raw carrots instead. But if you want to splash out, try a pinch of cinnamon, and top with lots of fluffy chopped cilantro and thinly sliced jalapeño. Or add crumbled feta and olives. For the best-looking salad, use the julienne blade of a food processor, or cut the carrots into thin matchstick shapes with a sharp knife. The large holes of a box grater will work, too, but the result won’t be quite as attractive. (But avoid those supermarket bags of pre-grated carrots. They’re not suitable here.)
Ratatouille Pie
In this buttery, rustic pie, chunks of eggplant, zucchini and tomato are roasted with olive oil until velvety soft, then covered in a cheesy, mayonnaise-spiked custard. Chopped olives scattered on top cut through the richness and give the whole thing a salty tang. It's the perfect next-day use for ratatouille, should you have some. Use it here instead of roasting the vegetables. You’ll need about 3 to 4 cups (enough to fill the pie crust two-thirds of the way up). You can parbake the crust, roast the vegetables and make the custard the day before, but don’t bake everything together until the day of serving.
Fennel and Celery Salad With Lemon and Parmesan
This crisp, lemony salad of raw fennel and celery (you could add thinly sliced celery root to the salad as well) makes a refreshing start to a meal, garnished with radishes and slightly bitter Treviso or radicchio leaves. It could also be a light meal on its own. Don’t slice the vegetables paper-thin; you want the salad to have some crunch. You may prepare the vegetables up to an hour in advance and keep refrigerated, but don’t dress the salad more than 10 minutes before serving.
Farro Salad With Corn and Crispy Chickpeas
This nubby, gently spiced grain salad is filled with tender corn kernels, crunchy roasted chickpeas and plenty of thinly sliced fennel, scallions and herbs. Drying the chickpeas before roasting gives them the deepest crunch, so don't skip that step. All together, the salad walks the line between hearty and light, a substantial side to grilled meats or fish, or a summery main course all on its own.
Little Gem Salad With Garlicky Almond Dressing
This tart, garlicky dressing is made with toasted almonds and sherry vinegar for a simple but delicious green salad. Little Gem lettuce, a cross between romaine and butter lettuce, has become justly popular for a crunchy salad. Crisp and bright green with small crinkly leaves, it won’t immediately wilt when dressed. If unavailable, look for similar small sturdy heads of lettuce or choose hearts of romaine.
Spiced Lamb Loaf
One-Pot Chicken and Rice With Ginger and Cumin
Inspired by Indian flavors, this one-pot chicken-and-rice pilaf comes together in under an hour by taking advantage of spices that pack a punch: Mustard seeds bring heat, cumin adds nutty notes and cardamom provides depth and warmth — and all of the spices are toasted in oil and butter, which concentrates their flavor. Golden raisins lend a touch of sweetness. To make it a vegetarian side, omit the chicken and use vegetable broth or even water in place of the chicken broth.
Sesame Snap Pea-Chicken Salad
This simple salad features crisp-tender sugar snap peas, delicate shredded chicken and creamy sesame dressing. The cooking methods are important here: Blanching the peas, then shocking them in ice water ensures that they retain crunch and color, while gently poaching the boneless chicken breast and plunging it into an ice water bath means it stays moist. The tangy dressing, which is a nod to the highly addictive Japanese-style goma dressing, is made with earthy roasted sesame seeds and mayonnaise; it finds its way to the craggy edges of the shredded chicken. Try to shred the meat the same size as the sliced peas for the best texture. This salad is great to serve immediately, and even better after spending at least an hour in the refrigerator.
Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad
This mix of roasted, caramelized brussels sprouts and slawlike raw slices is topped with a lemony, garlicky dressing that’s a bit like Caesar, but lighter, brighter and anchovy-free (though you could add some if you like). Serve it as a satisfying side dish to a simple pasta or roast chicken, or as a light meal on its own.
Moo Shu Mushrooms
Joyce Chen put moo shu (or “moo shi,” as she calls it) pork on the menu of her restaurant in Cambridge, Mass., in 1958. The classic version of this Chinese-American restaurant staple combines slivered pork with scrambled egg, wood ear mushrooms and day lilies, stir-fried together, then served with paper-thin Mandarin pancakes and hoisin sauce. For this version, I like to flip the ratio of mushrooms to pork on its head, loading up with an assortment of mushrooms and just a bit of pork. For the fresh mushrooms, I love using a mix of Asian mushrooms like shimeji (beech), shiitake, enoki, oyster and maitake (hen of the woods), aiming for a mix of flavors and textures, but cremini or button mushrooms will also do in a pinch. If you cannot find dried day lily buds, you can substitute canned bamboo shoots in their place; use 4 ounces sliced bamboo shoots and omit the soaking step.
Smoky Sweet Potatoes With Eggs and Almonds
Slow-roasting sweet potatoes in coconut oil and spices gives them a rich flavor and delicately crisp texture on their exterior while they turn velvety within. Don’t be tempted to take them out of the oven early. As Steven D., a reader, wrote in the notes of the recipe upon which this one is based: “The potatoes are soft after a half hour or so, but then the crusts harden in the second half hour, giving them the delicious texture that makes the dish unique.” Adding fried eggs, a smoky yogurt sauce and crunchy almonds turns a sweet potato side dish into a satisfying, meatless meal. And if you don’t have coconut oil on hand, you can use olive or another cooking oil, though the potatoes won’t have the same texture.
Fried Winter Squash With Mint
In Sicily this dish, which I find to be irresistible as a side dish and a snack, is served both hot and at room temperature. If you make it for Thanksgiving and don’t want to be in the kitchen frying squash at the last minute, opt for the room-temperature version. Or fry the squash ahead of time and warm in a low oven. The recipe works equally well with butternut and starchier squash like kabocha.
Chiles en Nogada
Considered by many to be the national dish of Mexico, chiles en nogada showcases the colors of the country’s flag: green, white and red. Created by nuns in Puebla in 1821, the dish was presented to the general of the Mexican Army, Agustín de Iturbide, after he signed the treaty that recognized Mexico’s independence from Spain. The nuns used the best of the late-season harvest in the dish, including poblano chiles, peaches, pears, apples and walnuts grown in farms near Puebla. The original dish was stuffed, battered and fried, and significantly heartier than this version. Here, fresh poblanos are fried until lightly cooked, peeled, stuffed, topped with creamy walnut sauce, then eaten at room temperature. It’s served throughout the country every September, in honor of Mexico’s Independence Day.
Okra Salad With Toasted Cumin
Even avowed okra-phobes love this salad, which is seasoned with a warm and earthy Moroccan spice blend. The okra cooks for only 2 minutes in salted water, and the resulting flavor and texture are somewhat reminiscent of asparagus. The salad tastes best at room temperature.
Roasted Potatoes With Anchovies and Tuna
In this pantry-friendly recipe, golden, crackling-skinned potatoes move from side dish to main course after being tossed with tuna, capers and a pungent sauce of anchovies melted in brown butter. It’s extremely adaptable. If you don’t have (or like) tuna, use chickpeas or white beans instead. Just don’t skimp on the onion, which adds a crisp sweetness to the potatoes. With their slightly thicker skins, fingerlings work especially well here, but use whatever you’ve got.
Diana Dávila’s Chiles Rellenos
In her singular take on chiles rellenos, Diana Dávila crosses two classic Mexican preparations of the dish — chiles rellenos ahogados and chiles en nogada — to come up with her own remarkable variation. Roasted, peeled poblanos are stuffed with a ground meat picadillo spiked with apples, raisins, cider vinegar and brown sugar, then dunked in a feathery egg batter and fried until golden. Just before serving, those stuffed, fried chiles are bathed in a brothy tomato sauce lightened with carrot juice. It does take time to put all the elements together, but you won’t regret a minute of it when you taste what might be the best chiles rellenos you’ve ever had: complex, sweet and spicy, and deeply brawny. At Mi Tocaya Antojería, her restaurant in Chicago, Ms. Dávila uses a combination of chopped duck confit and ground pork for the picadillo. But using all ground pork works equally well.
Fried Eggplant With Chickpeas and Mint Chutney
In this gently spiced vegetable dish, baby eggplant slices are first fried until golden, then braised with chickpeas, tomatoes and garam masala until soft, velvety and richly flavored. A quickly made fresh mint chutney adds a complex, herbal, spicy note thanks to the jalapeño in the mix. Serve this over rice or with flatbread as a main course, or on the side of grilled meats or fish.
Potato Soup With Indian Spices
This easy vegetarian soup is surprisingly full flavored. (To make it vegan, substitute cooking oil for the butter and ghee.) If you want it more stewlike, use less water; if you want it brothy, use more. It keeps well and actually tastes even better a day or two after it is made. I like to add a pinch of asafetida (also called hing), which can be found in specialty spice shops or Indian groceries and lends a heady aroma that is especially good with potato dishes. Don’t worry if you don’t have it on hand. More important are the sizzled cumin seeds, mustard seeds and garlic (the tarka) added when the soup is finished, which really give the soup its character. If you find the soup too thick upon reheating, just add a splash of water and adjust the salt as necessary.
Smashed Roasted Carrots
This wintry salad, inspired by Asian smashed cucumbers, stars sweet roasted carrots. After being roasted until just tender, the carrots are lightly flattened to create texture on their surface, then broiled to char their edges. The gingery, garlicky dressing is a bracing contrast to the sweetness of the carrots. You can use either black vinegar or rice wine vinegar here. Although their flavors are completely different — the black vinegar is caramelized and rich, the rice vinegar lighter and fresher — they each harmonize with the other ingredients in the dressing. Serve this salad warm or at room temperature: It holds up well if you want to make it a few hours in advance. This salad will also work with parsnips.
Carrot Ring
A cross between a carrot cake and a carrot pudding, this velvety, warm, gently sweet side dish is a classic Jewish holiday offering. This version is adapted from Dana Green of Benicia, Calif., who got it from her grandmother. "Everyone who encounters it is wary of the name, carrot ring, but they end up loving it, they have seconds," Ms. Green said. You can make this ahead by allowing the ring to cool in the pan, then wrapping the whole thing in plastic wrap, pan and all, and freezing it for up to one month. Let thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Unwrap and reheat in a 300-degree oven for about 30 minutes or so before serving.
Serious Turkey Stock
You won’t regret having this turkey stock at hand, for dressings, stuffings, soups and more during the holiday season. A stint in a 400-degree oven draws out flavor from the turkey parts, and a long simmer concentrates them. Plan ahead: Make it when you have time, as the temperature starts to drop, and keep it in the freezer.
Korean Braised Spare Ribs With Soy and Black Pepper
These St. Louis-style spareribs are braised until tender and lacquered in a savory Korean soy sauce glaze that’s spiked with fragrant garlic, ginger, scallions and lots of black pepper. There’s no marinating required and little hands-on work, but you will need to make sure the tough membrane on the back of each rack has been removed before cooking. (That task is easy: Set the ribs meat side down and find the thin, translucent skin that sits over the bones. Gently pull it up at one corner, inserting a sharp knife to loosen it at one end if necessary, then peel the membrane off in one piece.) The potatoes and carrots sit underneath the ribs and soak up the meaty drippings. The pork and vegetables all release flavorful juices as they roast, resulting in a rich, assertive pan sauce. A quick broil at the end achieves golden, crispy edges.
Mushroom-Farro Soup With Parmesan Broth
This dish is layered in earthiness and umami thanks to its ingredient list: farro, dried and fresh mushrooms, shallots and Parmesan broth. Farro is a rustic grain, hearty enough to maintain its integrity and stand up to a long simmer. Similar to arborio rice, pearled farro readily releases its starch as it cooks, thickening the broth and marrying the ingredients in a blissful union. A pinch of fennel pollen at the end is a classy move, though absolutely not mandatory.