Vegetarian
6897 recipes found
Hellbender’s Masa Pancakes
The chef Yara Herrera is clear: “I didn’t invent the idea of a masa pancake.” But she perfected the form at Hellbender restaurant in Ridgewood, Queens, where the theme of native heirloom corn runs through the tacos and tostadas on the menu. For brunch, masa gives the pancakes a sturdy crackle at the edges around a crisp top. Inside, it infuses the batter with a depth not usually found in pancakes, as does the addition of yogurt, yielding a crumb that’s at once fine and fluffy. Fresh masa, a doughy mass of ground nixtamalized corn, can be purchased from tortillerias and some Latin markets (see Tip). It’s blended into a batter that stays light using Ms. Herrera’s technique of cooking tall pancakes in tiny individual skillets. But masa harina, shelf-stable flour ground from dried masa, is more readily available and can be substituted as directed below, with the batter sizzled into the usual flatter rounds.
Burst Cherry Tomato Orzotto
Peak-season cherry tomatoes and fragrant basil join forces in this light and summery one-pot orzotto. Cherry tomatoes are first cooked down with aromatics until they burst and their juices thicken. This concentrated tomato mixture fortifies the broth, imparting its flavor to the orzo. Stirring every minute or so releases the pasta’s starch, while a pat of butter makes this dish silky and that much more reminiscent of a saucy risotto. The orzotto is only as good as the tomatoes you use, so be sure to use the best ones you can get your hands on. Topping each serving with a handful of arugula is a wonderful way to incorporate more greens and add a bit of fresh, peppery zing.
Strawberry Pasta
This Polish childhood staple of creamy strawberry sauce over pasta is a fast, fuss-free way to make the most of peak summer berries.
Corn Soup
This simple corn soup tastes like sweet, buttery popcorn, though its richness comes more from the corn than the half-and-half. Blended silky smooth and studded with whole kernels for texture, this soup is an excellent canvas for almost anything. Serve as recommended with a sprinkle of minced chives, or round out the sweetness by adding minced tarragon instead. A dollop of sour cream or Mexican crema, a sprinkle of cayenne and a squeeze of lime will drum up the flavor of Mexican street corn. Bulk it up by serving whatever roasted protein or vegetables you're craving in a pool of it.
Mango Soft Serve
When an ice cream craving hits at home, you’ll find near-instant joy in this quick, fruity mango soft serve. Juicy, creamy, tangy or anywhere in between, any frozen fruit will work here; strawberry, peaches, raspberries and blueberries are also excellent choices. Condensed milk delivers body and richness, transforming the fruit into a creamy concoction that mimics the whipped, airy texture of commercial soft serve. While this soft serve can be eaten right after blending, it will achieve a firmer texture closer to that of ice cream after a brief stint in a freezer. There’s room for add-ins too: Lime zest goes well with the mango, or, if using other frozen fruits, pair with vanilla extract, a touch of rose water, or even spices like cardamom or ginger. Make it vegan by using a nondairy condensed milk.
Ginger-Lime Cucumber Salad
Cooling, refreshing and supremely easy to make, this cucumber salad spotlights spicy ginger, bright lime juice and a blend of fresh herbs to emphasize its green color and flavor. The most essential ingredient, an often-overlooked component in the cucumber universe, is patience. Marinating cucumbers, even if only for 10 minutes, allows new and distinct flavors the opportunity to penetrate the juicy flesh, resulting in a more savory outcome. Make this salad a couple of hours before serving, or even the night before, to allow the dressing its most optimal influence. Spoon this salad over freshly toasted, crusty bread, with or without a few slices of gravlax, along with the juices that inevitably pool at the bottom of the salad bowl.
Charred Cherry Tomato Pasta
There are countless variations on cherry tomato pasta, but this version is anything but standard. Cherry tomatoes are blasted under the broiler, releasing their sweet juices and charring their skins. The tomatoes are then finished in a skillet with garlic-perfumed olive oil and butter, yielding a simple and savory sauce for pasta. The twist: Stirring in a fresh egg yolk just before serving adds an unexpected, sophisticated richness. If you’d rather skip the egg yolk, a dollop of ricotta or some torn burrata would also fit the bill.
Lemon Zucchini Bundt Cake
It seems like everyone has a glut of zucchini in the summer, and this is a great way to make a dent in that pile of produce. This simple cake batter has a hint of cinnamon and a generous amount of lemon zest, and the finished cake is coated with two layers of lemon glaze for a crackly, sweet and tart finish. The classic Bundt shape and its long shelf life makes this the perfect cake to have on your counter for both afternoon snacks and unexpected guests all season long.
Roasted Pepper, White Bean and Mozzarella Salad
Sweet, fruity jarred roasted peppers power this hearty cannellini bean salad that comes together with almost no preparation. Like many jarred vegetables, store-bought roasted peppers are a timesaver without any sacrifice in flavor; opt for fire-roasted ones, if available, for smokier notes. Here, the succulent texture and vibrant hue of roasted peppers pair beautifully with tender cannellini beans and creamy mozzarella. You can put down that knife: As there’s no chopping required, you’ll create a range of textures by simply tearing the peppers, mozzarella and herbs. If you’ve got a glut of fresh summer bell peppers available, you can take advantage of them at their prime by roasting them for this salad, using any color or variety; check the Tip for instructions.
Potato Salad With Pickles
Those who love salt and vinegar chips already know that potatoes thrive when paired with acid, and this recipe shows that this same formula also works in a salad. Pickles bring lively acidity, imparting their classic tang to lighten potato salad. The mustard dressing is punchy, and sharpened by the addition of pickle brine. Dill pickles vary in sweetness, saltiness and acidity, so taste your brine and add accordingly. Dill, chives or parsley freshen the potatoes, but consider this as an opportunity to use up whatever soft herbs you have around. Boiled eggs make this potato salad feel more like a main meal than a side, but there are many ways to customize; crispy chickpeas or crumbled feta achieve similar effects.
Sour Cream Baked Doughnuts
You’re a mere 25 minutes away from freshly baked sour cream doughnuts when you make them at home. The vanilla and nutmeg in the batter make them taste like your favorite store-bought cake doughnuts, but you can actually enjoy these fresh doughnuts warm, when you make them in your kitchen. Melted butter gives them a rich flavor, and sour cream ensures that the crumb is tender and moist. Enjoy them plain, or with a heavy dusting of powdered sugar. Because these doughnuts taste best the same day they are baked, this recipe only makes a half dozen, but if you’re feeding a bigger crowd, you can simply double the recipe to make a full dozen, baking the doughnuts in two batches.
House Dressing
This perfect vinaigrette recipe comes from Via Carota, the charming West Village restaurant run by Jody Williams and Rita Sodi. Since I first wrote about this recipe, it’s become indispensable not only for me but also for my entire Culinary Brain Trust, who now simply call it House Dressing. This version comes from my book, “Good Things” (Random House, 2025). The warm water in this recipe might surprise you. “We add warm water to make it more palatable,” Ms. Williams said. “Pure vinegar is just too strong — it assaults the taste buds. We want a salad dressing so savory and delicious that you can eat spoonfuls of it. We want you to be able to drink it!” Drizzle this liberally over everything: boiled asparagus, farro salad, steak, fish or roast chicken. And if you don’t have both types of mustard on hand, just use twice as much of whichever you do have.
Creamy Sesame-Ginger Dressing
This is the recipe that inspired my book, “Good Things” (Random House, 2025), and my entire palate still puckers with pleasure every time I make it. After I’ve balanced and adjusted the flavors and dipped a bit of lettuce or cabbage into the dressing for a final taste, I always marvel at the way it manages to take every element — salt, acid, umami, fiery ginger, garlic and spice — right to the edge . . . without stepping over.
Pesto alla Trapanese (Pasta With Tomatoes, Almonds and Mint)
There’s an inspiring casualness to the best Italian cooking: Combine a handful of high-quality, local ingredients, season them simply and let them be. A great example is pesto Trapanese, a simple sauce that digs deeply into the Sicilian soil it comes from. Rich almonds and fruity olive oil mingle with fragrant herbs while tangy tomatoes make it brighter and sweeter than green pesto, its more famous cousin from Genoa. This mint version, adapted from “Made in Sicily” (Ecco, 2012) by Giorgio Locatelli, the London-based chef and restaurateur, swaps out the traditional mortar and pestle for a food processor but keeps the earthy soul of the dish intact. Besides tossing this pesto with pasta, try spooning some over fish, shrimp or roasted potatoes.
S’mores Layer Cake
This cake is a labor of love, but you can make all of the individual parts ahead of time, and the finished dessert truly tastes like a bite of old-fashioned s’mores. The base is a deeply chocolatey sour cream cake that stays soft and moist for days. The cake layers are sandwiched together with toasted marshmallow buttercream and graham cracker crumbles. The sweet and salty graham crumbles, made from graham cracker crumbs that are mixed with sugar and melted butter and then baked, add crunchy texture to the cake and make a terrific garnish, too. You will need a kitchen torch to toast the meringue for the buttercream, but it’s totally worth it for that iconic, deeply caramelized marshmallow flavor.
Sugar Cookie Bars With Berries
Draped in frosting and adorned with festive berries, these sheet-pan cookie bars are fit for a party. Browned butter and cream cheese give the cookie depth and richness, plus a pleasantly chewy texture. The fluffy vanilla frosting is a canvas for whichever berries look best at the market. If you like, dust the fruit with a bit of powdered sugar just before serving for a little extra flair. The cookie and frosting can both be prepared the day before your celebration, but you’ll want to assemble and dress with the berries the day you plan to enjoy this dessert. For the cleanest slices, use a long, sharp knife and gently cut through the berries and cookie base.
Sheet-Pan Socca (Savory Chickpea Pancake)
Crispy on the outside and creamy at their core, socca are thin, olive-oil-rich chickpea pancakes. In Provence they’re often made on wide, flat copper skillets, but a screamingly hot sheet pan works extremely well, too — and makes an extra-large chickpea cake that can serve as a light dinner or an easy appetizer. Socca are usually not topped with anything more than black pepper; they are delicate and can’t support more than minimalist additions. However, a light scattering of toppings — like anchovies, pecorino and scallions here — makes socca qualify as a simple and delicious meal. A handful of chopped olives added before baking would also work, as would a garnish of torn slivers of prosciutto, draped on top just before serving.
Chocolate Chia Pudding
Ideal for a quick, grab-and-go breakfast or snack, chocolate chia pudding is a nutritional powerhouse that takes minimal effort to prepare. Flavored with cocoa powder and warming spices like cinnamon, cardamon and a pinch of nutmeg, this cooling pudding can be prepared with your milk of choice, no cooking required. It does need an overnight rest in the refrigerator to set: For the best texture, stir the pudding mixture together in the evening for breakfast or a snack the next day. The longer the pudding rests, the more the chia seeds will expand and absorb the liquid. Add a splash of milk to thin out to desired consistency when serving, and top with any combination of fruits, nuts and granola.
No-Cook Chili Bean Salad
All the usual suspects found in a vegetarian bean chili appear in this salad — canned beans, tomato, bell pepper, red onion and spices — but there’s no cooking-with-heat required. The tomatoes are salted to tenderize and coax out their sweet, umami juices. Cumin, coriander, smoked paprika and dried oregano inject smoky earthiness and complexity. While black and pinto beans are used here, it is absolutely viable to use whatever beans you have on hand for this pantry-friendly recipe. Best of all, the salad can be dressed up with the usual chili toppings such as avocado, sour cream and cheese. Eat as is, or with tortillas or corn chips on the side.
Masala Chickpeas With Tofu and Blistered Tomatoes
Like a warm and gentle nudge, masala spice gives onions and chickpeas a distinctively comforting heartiness. Glimmering with droplets of ghee, they become rich in this any-season dish. Tearing the tofu allows for ample crooks and crannies that cradle and accentuate the aromatic goodness of the spice. Cherry tomatoes, slightly and delicately blistered, are welcome as juicy bursts of acidity in every bite. Serve this over rice, or with a gently poached egg, along with a few slices of lime for squeezing.
Lemony Peas and Dumplings
With no kneading or fussy shaping required, these easy, spoon-formed dumplings make the perfect dinner in a pinch. More like German spaetzle and Hungarian galuska than Italian gnocchi, these dumplings are made with a thick, pancake-like batter that comes together in minutes, ready to scoop and plop into boiling water. A fresh nod to chicken and dumplings, these lemon-scented dumplings develop an irresistibly chewy texture as they simmer. Thanks to the residual heat from the water, the frozen peas thaw in a couple of minutes, before getting dressed in the buttery lemon sauce. To ensure a silky-smooth sauce, gradually stir the fridge-cold butter in the lemon juice, two tablespoons at a time. Highlight the sweetness of the peas and the brightness of the lemon juice and zest with a generous sprinkle of salt to finish.
Skillet Sprinkle Sugar Cookie
You don’t need any special equipment to make this superfun, supersize sugar cookie; just a bowl, a whisk, a spatula and a skillet. Not only is making one huge cookie instead of two easier than baking several batches, there is something extraspecial about a giant dessert that is meant to be shared. Eat it warm from the pan with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream on top; or let it cool and slice it up as you would a pie. Swap out the rainbow sprinkles for holiday-themed sprinkles or whatever colors delight you.
Marinated Green Beans
This snappy, tangy and super easy recipe for Italian marinated beans makes a perfect side dish, salad or addition to an appetizer spread. The green beans are cooked briefly in salty boiling water just to turn them bright green, then tossed with olive oil, red wine vinegar, grated garlic and fresh herbs and left to marinate. Gently cooking the beans and marinating them while they are still warm allows them to soak up more flavor from the dressing. They are delicious served cold or at room temperature, and you can add a little kick to them with crushed red pepper, if you like. Green beans are available year round, which means this side dish is ready to become a staple in your kitchen.
Light Soup With Mushrooms
Impossibly rich but never heavy or thick, light soup is a Ghanaian favorite, made by gently simmering dried fish or meat in a pot, then briefly adding onion, tomato, ginger and chiles to the broth. This version replaces the protein with mushrooms and is endlessly adaptable. You can add any summer vegetable of your choice, such as baby potatoes, spinach, squash or zucchini. If you prefer to add fish, toss in some chunks of a simple white fish at the end of the cooking process. The choice is really yours.