Vegetables
1337 recipes found
Sautéed Mushrooms
To create perfectly browned and crisp mushrooms, a combination of steaming and searing is helpful. First, steam the sliced mushrooms in a covered pot to forcefully remove their water and prevent them from soaking up fat. (Soggy and greasy mushrooms, begone.) Then, add the butter and let the mushrooms sear, stirring only occasionally, until crusty, then pour in a little water or wine to pick up the flavorful browned bits in the pot. Serve wherever you’d like a hit of savoriness: alongside air-fryer steak or congee, or in omelets or quesadillas. Refrigerate for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 6 months. (There’s no need to thaw before warming.)
Tamarind-Maple Brussels Sprouts
Earthy and slightly bitter brussels sprouts always benefit from a touch of sweetness, and in this recipe they are bathed in a tart, tangy, sweet and glossy tamarind glaze. The sharp sourness of tamarind is tempered by buttery, caramel-like maple syrup, and together, they form a thick, luscious coating that would be equally enticing with other cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower or broccoli. Thick, viscous tamarind purée (which is often interchangeably labeled as concentrate or paste) is preferred for this recipe, but you could also use the rehydrated pulp (sold in blocks), though the glaze may not be as glossy. A nob of butter is all it takes to add a silky richness to the sauce. (Vegan butter would work here, too.) Eat with rice, or as a tasty side dish.
Bagara Baingan (Creamy Spiced Eggplant)
Tender and round, Indian eggplants are slit, shallow-fried and simmered in a rich, nutty, spiced gravy in this fiery Hyderabadi dish. There are a few different ways of making it, including stuffing the eggplants with a paste of peanuts, coconut and sesame seeds. This version minimizes tedium by skipping that step and using peanut butter instead of freshly ground peanuts. Whole mustard seeds bring texture and a delicious bitterness. Tamarind paste and cilantro add a citrusy freshness. Though the ingredient list is on the lengthier side, the only ingredient that needs chopping is an onion — and this deeply flavorful dinner cooks in just 40 minutes.
Eggplant Adobo
This superpunchy, one-skillet vegetarian meal is inspired by chicken adobo, a beloved Filipino dish. Here, eggplant cooks in rich, tangy adobo sauce — a blend of soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, black pepper and bay leaf — absorbing the savory flavors as it simmers. Coconut milk is added in some versions of adobo, creating a rich, silky texture to balance out the sauce’s tart notes. This recipe includes a shower of fragrant basil, which brings a fresh hit that lifts the dish. (Thinly sliced scallions would also be great.) Serve the eggplant over rice to catch all of its flavorful drippings.
Whole Roasted Jerk Cauliflower
This stunning vegetable dish from the chef Gregory Gourdet of Kann in Portland, Ore., applies his interpretation of Jamaica’s enduring smoky and earthy jerk seasoning to the creamy texture of roasted cauliflower. A little sugar in his jerk glaze brings out the spices’ complexity and helps the cauliflower brown. At Kann, the cauliflower is served with a coconut sour cream which tempers the spicy heat of the Scotch bonnet chile and offers a cool contrast to the cauliflower. This works great as a side dish or as a main course served alongside a salad.
Cauliflower Cheese
Cauliflower cheese is classic British comfort food. In its simplest form, the vegetable is cloaked with white sauce (béchamel) and Cheddar, then baked until bubbly. It may be served as a side dish but is often the main course for a frugal lunch or supper.
Broccoli With Sizzled Nuts and Dates
Broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables, like cabbage and brussels sprouts, can handle some char. Blackening makes them sweet and caramelized rather than bitter and burnt. The key is to cook the vegetables hot and fast, so the pieces develop color without becoming mushy and they’re crackly at the edges while still crisp-tender at the cores. Make sure your broccoli florets are thoroughly dried before cooking by taking them for a ride in a salad spinner. (Water will slow down the browning, resulting in florets that steam instead of char.) A topping of toasted nuts, sticky dates, bright lemon and bites of peppercorn adds complexity to this humble vegetable.
Kurikinton (Japanese Sweet Potatoes and Candied Chestnuts)
A staple of osechi ryori, a box filled with a variety of traditional Japanese New Year’s dishes, kurikinton is said to represent gold and bring good economic fortune. The chef Niki Nakayama likes to imbue the Japanese sweet potatoes with a golden hue by simmering them with gardenia pods. If those are not available, a pinch of saffron works too. Do not discard the syrup that the candied chestnuts sit in — it’s used to flavor the mash. The candied chestnuts are available in Japanese markets, particularly around the New Year, and the white sweet potatoes with red skin are available in most supermarkets.
Whole Roasted Squash With Tomato-Ginger Chickpeas
With creamy squash, sticky chickpeas and tangy yogurt, this vegetarian sheet-pan feast easily serves a crowd. The method here doesn’t bother with cutting rock-hard raw winter squash. Instead, roast them whole until you can rip them apart into wedges. Meanwhile, chickpeas, tomatoes, olive oil and a warming combination of cinnamon, ginger and marjoram concentrate until the chickpeas are buttery-soft and the tomatoes caramelized. Accompany with yogurt and perhaps salad greens dressed with lemon or lime juice. To make ahead, refrigerate the cooked squash pieces, chickpeas and yogurt separately for up to 4 days; reheat the squash and chickpeas covered in a low-temperature oven or serve at room temperature. To make vegan, add lemon or lime juice to non-dairy yogurt until tangy.
Jansson’s Temptation (Creamy Potato Casserole)
One of Sweden’s most delicious exports, Jansson’s temptation, otherwise known as Janssons frestelse, is a creamy potato casserole with melty onions and umami-packed tinned sprats (see Tip). There are a few theories as to the origin of this Swedish classic, which is often served with schnapps as part of the Julbord, or Christmas table. One suggests that it was named after a 1928 silent film, while an older story says that it was named after the opera singer Per Adolf Janzon — but that one’s “not so likely” according to Jens Linder, a Swedish food writer. What we do know, Mr. Linder says, is that Jansson’s temptation did not appear on the Christmas table until after World War II, establishing itself as a holiday food only in the 1970s.
Roasted Carrots and Chorizo
In this pretty, party-worthy side dish, coins of sweet carrots roast with coins of smoky chorizo. When the carrots are tender and the chorizo is crisp, you’ll squeeze some lemon over them, stirring the citrus and the chorizo drippings together for a makeshift sauce for the carrots. Serve this dish alongside white fish, turkey or brothy chickpeas; tossed into a kale or grain salad; or piled into pita with hummus or yogurt. When shopping for this recipe, look for hard, cured Spanish chorizo (as opposed to fresh); the shelf-stable sausage is usually found near salami and other cured meats.
Sautéed Broccoli Rabe
Spicy broccoli rabe is often blanched in a big pot of salted water to tame some of its bitter sting, then sautéed with copious olive oil, dried chiles and garlic until silky. But this recipe streamlines and expedites that process: Toss the broccoli rabe in the garlicky oil, add a small quantity of water, cover and steam until fork-tender, then uncover. By the time the liquid has evaporated, the broccoli rabe will be ready. If you find it too bitter, just keep cooking; it will only grow sweeter and softer. Serve this dish any time you’d make a side of broccoli, with meat, fish, beans or other proteins.
Spiced Vegetable Phyllo Pie
In this spectacular meatless meal, crisp sheets of buttery, golden phyllo surround vegetables and chickpeas stewed with sweet spices, preserved lemon and earthy turmeric. You can prepare the vegetable stew the day before; just reheat it so it's warm when it meets the phyllo pastry. Once it’s baked, you can serve this hot or at room temperature, making it perfect for a party. Since it’s baked on a sheet pan, it makes enough to feed a crowd.
Easy Crudités
A crudités platter can be as simple as a bunch of vegetables piled on a plate, or as composed as a work of art. Use a mix of raw and blanched vegetables, or just raw, keeping in mind that a variety of colors, shapes and textures will help create a beautiful platter and provide guests with more options. Keep the platter simple, or dress it up with additional snacks, such as marinated olives, artichokes, crackers and nuts, and add homemade or store-bought dips, such as hummus, tzatziki or ranch. This recipe easily scales up or down, just plan on about 1 cup vegetables total (blanched and raw) per person. Serve crudités alongside a charcuterie board for a more substantial spread.
Cheesy Spinach Bake
This baked spinach gratin is similar to creamed spinach but has even more going on. It’s rich but uses half-and-half, so it’s not too heavy, and it’s crunchy with crisp toasted bread crumbs. It tastes verdant from so much spinach, sweet with onion and garlic, and sharp and gooey from two aged cheeses. It’s great alongside turkey, steak or white beans. To prepare this dish in advance, refrigerate the spinach mixture and the bread crumb topping separately for up to 24 hours before assembling and baking. If cooking chilled ingredients straight from the fridge, you may need to increase the cook time by 5 to 10 minutes.
Spicy Roasted Mushrooms With Polenta
Packed full of umami, roasted mushrooms and tomatoes are coated in a fresh, fragrant Sichuan chile oil and served on top of creamy polenta in this midweek dinner hit. The oil can be made ahead, and will continue to develop in flavor. Make extra, as you’ll want to drizzle it over your eggs in the morning. Try using a variety of mushrooms — some oyster mushrooms torn into chunks, or portobellos cut into thick slices — but do make sure to slice them to the same thickness so that they cook evenly as they roast. The mixture is perched on a very simple polenta, but feel free to add butter, milk and cheese to it for a bit of extra indulgence.
Caramelized Brussels Sprouts With Lemon
Separating the dark green outer leaves from the lighter green cores of brussels sprouts allows you to roast them so they’re both tender and crispy. Prep them ahead of time for an easy side dish. (Watch Claire make Thanksgiving dinner from start to finish on YouTube.)
Onion Bhajiya (Spicy Fritters)
On Diwali, people in India light up their homes, say prayers and go door-to-door exchanging boxes of snacks and sweets. In the northern part of the country, some people fry fresh onion bhajiya, or crispy onion fritters, as an appetizer or snack for visiting guests. Palak Patel, the author of “The Chutney Life: 100 Easy-to-Make, Indian-Inspired Recipes” (Abrams, 2023), included her mother’s recipe in her cookbook, which represents Ms. Patel’s life as an Indian American. Her mother is from Raipur, where the street food is dipped in cilantro chutney, but her children and husband like to dip the fritters in ketchup. Depending on the region, bhajiya can also be called pakora or bhaji. They’re often eaten as a snack during monsoons and served with masala chai.
Green Bean Casserole
In the original 1955 green bean casserole recipe, the home economist Dorcas Reilly called for canned cream of mushroom soup. It is, to be clear, delicious. But almost as easy is a quick homemade sauce zhuzhed up with celery salt and nutmeg, pantry spices that make food taste good. Plus, without the mushrooms, the green beans here can fully shine. This casserole should be spoonable — and who has the extra time on Thanksgiving to hand-trim all those green beans? In November especially, it makes sense to take advantage of frozen cut green beans. In this recipe, half of the beans are simmered in broth to bring out their hyper savory flavors and the rest are baked into the casserole to maintain their color and structure. Don’t hesitate to use the store-bought French-fried onions in a can. They cannot be improved.
Hasselback Potatoes
With their signature accordion-like appearance, Hasselback potatoes are said to have been invented at Hasselbacken restaurant in Stockholm in the 1950s. The potatoes are thinly sliced, but kept intact at the base, making for crispy edges and tender insides. While this technique may look difficult to tackle, it requires only a pair of chopsticks or wooden spoon handles to prevent the knife blade from cutting all the way through the potato. Hasselback potatoes are a canvas for toppings of all kinds: A dollop of sour cream, or a sprinkle of Cheddar, bacon bits or chopped scallions would all be nice additions.
Mushroom Galbi
This vegan twist on traditional galbi swaps meaty mixed mushrooms in place of the meat. The garlicky soy-and-sesame-oil sauce deepens the flavor of earthy mushrooms, which get roasted alongside scallions and green bell pepper until tender and golden. A final broil imparts a nice char and smoky flavor that mimics the grill. Leftovers turn into a fantastic fried rice the next day, topped with a fried egg.
Ayote en Miel (Squash With Spiced Syrup)
Many countries throughout Latin America honor their ancestors on Día de los Muertos, which is often celebrated Nov. 1 and 2, with dishes like pan de muerto or this recipe for ayote en miel. Though this dish is enjoyed in many countries, this recipe is from El Salvador by Alicia Maher, the author of “Delicious El Salvador” (Pacific Apicius Corporation, 2013). Ayote is a squash that is native to this region and is similar to cinderella pumpkin or butternut squash in the United States. The squash is braised with panela or piloncillo, water and spices, which cook down until as syrupy as honey. Serve the jammy pieces in a shallow bowl with spoonfuls of the spiced syrup on top. In some countries, the dish is served with crema, but in Ecuador, the dish is served throughout the year, often accompanied by queso fresco or quesillo, a cheese similar to fresh mozzarella.
Crispy Green Bean and Potato Sabzi
Indian cooking is filled with one-pan sabzis that come together fast and deliver big, complex flavor. This variation on a potato and green bean sabzi has a twist: almond butter, which gives the vegetables a nutty, almost tempura-like coating, made fragrant with warm spices, ginger and garlic. The green bean and potato combination makes for a nice contrast of textures, but you can easily make swaps: potatoes for sweet potatoes, green beans for broccoli. Chaat masala — a salty, tart and delightfully funky spice blend — is widely available in South Asian grocery stores or online and is well worth having in your pantry to give sabzis like this one some extra sparkle.
Braised Green Beans and Potatoes
In this simple but powerful recipe, fresh green beans are the alpha and the omega, the bean and the broth. You know a recipe is going to be good when it calls for both onion powder and garlic powder in addition to fresh onion and fresh garlic. The muskier dried versions of these alliums aren’t redundant; they lend fortification to the savory structure that only onion and garlic can build. The potatoes, simmered until soft and fuzzy at the edges, make this holiday side dish — served, please, with a slotted spoon, as part of a buffet plate — feel more like a complete meal when enjoyed later, as leftovers. The ham hock (or smoked turkey leg) isn’t just an afterthought, said Scotty Scott, this recipe’s author and the author of “Fix Me a Plate.” Picked off the bone and chunked into a bowl with the green beans and their rich broth, the meat is a reminder of the soft but important boundary between special and ordinary.