Vegetarian
6951 recipes found
Maitake au Poivre
Hold the steak. This vegetarian take on steak au poivre, from Manhattan’s Café Chelsea, boasts the same generous application of crushed black pepper, mellowed with cream, stock and a vibrant splash of Cognac, but calls for slabs of maitake mushroom instead of beef. To strut its meaty swagger, the dish is listed on Café Chelsea’s menu among the grilled choices (a grill pan or skillet works just as well) rather than being relegated to the vegetable section. The restaurant opts for large slices of maitake, but the recipe works with several smaller pieces as well. Though quick to assemble, it’s not easy to scale up, so think intimate dinner or Valentine’s Day.
Portobello Mushroom Milanese
Milan. The city’s name represents a recipe. You know it: a flattened, crisply breaded surfboard of veal or chicken that’s often big enough to cover the plate. Sometimes fish is called on. Or pork. Here, the technique is applied to large mushrooms, which are also flattened and then treated to the step-by-step of a dusting of flour to dry the surface, then an egg wash to grab the final coating of crumbs. (The same technique will also produce a schnitzel.) Marissa Lo, the executive chef at Boat House in Tiverton, R.I., was inspired to try the technique with big portobello caps after visiting Italy. Serve them dressed with a tangle of salad greens, or top with tomato sauce and melted cheese like a Parm. However you serve your Milanese, consider a platter of them for a holiday party.
Ipo Pain Perdu (Coconut-Bread French Toast)
Pain perdu, which Americans know as French toast, traditionally calls for crusty French bread. Heimata Hall, who runs food tours on his native Mo‘orea in French Polynesia, uses ipo, a Tahitian bread rich with grated coconut and coconut milk. The dough should be as sticky as possible — so sticky, you think it must surely need more flour or liquid, but no. Some recipes call for baking or boiling, but Mr. Hall prefers steaming because it holds in moisture and gives the bread a smooth, clean finish. For pain perdu, he cuts the ipo into thick slabs and dunks them in coconut milk, just enough so they’re coated but not sopping, then in egg. The pan gets a brushing of butter (not too much), to crisp the outside of the bread and caramelize the coconut. The finish: fresh mint, nuts, whatever fruit is in season, and, for extra luxury, a spoonful of coconut cream complete the dish.
Kristen Kish’s Squash and Coconut Milk Custard
In my take on a Thai dish called sankaya faktong, roasted squash halves are filled with coconut milk that’s cooked into a savory crème brûlée of sorts — delightfully jiggly — then topped with brown butter and walnuts. I like to serve it as a starter or as a side with roasted chicken; the coconut flavor gives the squash that sweet-savory mix. This recipe, adapted from “Kristen Kish Cooking” (Clarkson Potter, 2017), is a great autumn dish that would make a nice veggie option at Thanksgiving.
Hobakjuk (Korean Squash Porridge)
Traditionally made with kabocha squash, this soothing porridge showcases the natural velvety texture of winter squash. Make this when squash is in season, as the flavor of the porridge will be best when the gourds are at their peak, both nutty and sweet; use kabocha, butternut or any orange-fleshed squash or pumpkin. Sweet white rice, also known as glutinous rice, becomes sticky and thickens the mixture naturally as it cooks. Typically topped with slivered Korean dates and pine nuts, a more modern, crunchier nut-and-seed topping contrasts this creamy, bisque-like soup. Leftovers freeze very well.
Baked Korean Sweet Potatoes With Scallion-Miso Butter
Korean sweet potatoes are full of surprises: Their gorgeous purple skin reveals not orange but white flesh underneath, which has a floral, honey-like sweetness and a supercreamy texture. (Japanese sweet potatoes can be used interchangeably, and even any supermarket sweet potato variety can be used for this recipe.) Wrap your sweet potatoes tightly in foil and roast until completely soft in the center, about 1 hour. While your oven works, make a quick scallion-and-miso compound butter that complements the sweet potatoes but can also elevate all sorts of roasted veggies like cauliflower, carrots and broccoli. Split open the hot potatoes and dollop with the compound butter and a spoonful of sour cream. Each bite has a wonderful balance of sweet and salty; the addition of sour cream introduces nostalgic sour cream and onion vibes.
Cranberry Grilled Cheese
Somehow, there is always leftover cranberry sauce after all of the other Thanksgiving leftovers have disappeared. The classic grilled cheese sandwich comes to the rescue, welcoming any cranberry sauce you have on hand into its warm, melty embrace. A meat-free alternative to the traditional Thanksgiving leftover sandwich, this cranberry sauce grilled cheese thrives with mild or sharp Cheddar, though any cheese is welcomed here. Adding in a layer of Dijon mustard and of course, a few slices of turkey, are also great ideas.
Potatoes Romanoff
Light and airy potatoes Romanoff are a nostalgic side dish popularized by chef John Schenk, formerly of Strip House steakhouses, who has credited his mother with preparing the dish using leftover baked russet potatoes. Whole russets are baked a day in advance and completely cooled in the refrigerator overnight for this version. This ensures the potatoes remain fluffy and don’t get mushy and wet. The potatoes are then grated (skins on) and gently tossed with shallots, Cheddar and sour cream. For the signature, almost souffle-like texture, take care to aerate the mixture, gently tossing it rather than mashing. A classic oval baking dish is ideal to mound the mixture and bake it in the oven, set in a hot water bath, but any oven-safe casserole dish will do. (Smaller individual dishes work as well.) Potatoes Romanoff complete a steak dinner and are equally welcome alongside a roast chicken or a holiday turkey.
Martha Stewart’s Mashed Potatoes
One of our family’s favorite dishes growing up was the delicious mashed potato recipe Mom would prepare to accompany her roast pork loin, roasted chicken, and, on Thanksgiving, her big roasted turkey. Her secrets? Idaho potatoes, peeled and boiled until fork-tender. Lots of fresh butter. A lot of cream cheese and hot milk added for creaminess. Salt and pepper, of course. It was not possible to find Yukon Golds in the Nutley Co-Op, where we shopped for all our groceries in the ’40s, or in the ShopRite, which came to Nutley, N.J., in the early ’50s. But these days, I love the tenderness of Yukon Golds, and I grow a hardy crop of them in my Bedford garden in New York. I also use both heavy cream and milk, and I use a food mill with the finest sieve to ensure the creamiest, smoothest and silkiest mashed potatoes ever.
Maangchi’s Diced Radish Kimchi (Kkakdugi)
Kimchi made with large Korean radishes is the second most popular kimchi, after traditional napa cabbage kimchi. This recipe, adapted from my cookbook, “Maangchi’s Big Book of Korean Cooking” (Harvest, 2019), is great both freshly made and fermented, so you can eat some of it right after you make it and put the rest aside. Well-fermented kkakdugi is always served with rice and goes well with just about any Korean soup or stew.
Spicy Black Bean Soup
There are a lot of things to love about this soup: It comes together in 20 minutes in just one pot with fewer than 10 ingredients. But most importantly, minimal effort results in a velvety yet bright soup. The cocoa powder accentuates the fudginess of the black beans, while the salsa verde adds surprising tartness. The tomatillos in the salsa also contain pectin which, along with the starchy bean liquid, quickly thickens the soup. While the soup’s cooking, ready your garnishes as you’ll want plenty to top the bowls. Leftover soup keeps for up to three days, but will stiffen as it sits, so thin with water as needed or turn it into refried beans.
Rice and Peas
This steamed pilaf of rice and red kidney beans (also known as “red peas" in Jamaica) is a beloved companion to many Caribbean classics like oxtail, curry goat and escovitch fish. It is also supremely satisfying on its own with a simple pat of butter. Coconut milk, onion and thyme mingle with the beans as they cook, creating an earthy broth that eventually plumps the rice and gives it its signature hue. Sometimes, the coconut milk is prepared from scratch, but the canned version requires much less effort and adds a similar richness. Some may prefer to pressure cook their beans for speed, but this version calls for an overnight soak (which speeds up the cooking process and helps the beans cook evenly) and some good old-fashioned patience.
Spicy Molasses-Stewed Winter Squash
Sweet, starchy slices of roasted kabocha squash are stained in a dark brown gravy in this vegetarian recipe, which can serve as a side but also makes a stunning centerpiece. Onions, bell peppers and soy sauce sing a savory melody, and fruity tamarind balances the dish with welcome acidity. Kabocha squash is a sturdy winter squash that does very well in this preparation, but other winter squash varieties like acorn, butternut or red kuri can be stewed to success. Skip the peeling if you're not fussy, and save the seeds for roasting as you would pumpkin seeds.
Instant Pot Applesauce
From-scratch applesauce rivals the flavor and texture of store-bought, and with the help of an Instant Pot, it can be made in a jiffy, without monitoring or stirring. Firm, tart-sweet apples are suggested, but feel free to use any variety, or a mix of varieties, for a customized batch. (Firm varieties will produce a chunkier sauce and can be puréed further; soft varieties can also be used, but they’ll break down faster.) After the fruit is peeled, use an apple slicer, if you have one, to streamline the slicing and coring; there’s no need to slice the apples further, as they’ll break down under the pressure of the Instant Pot. For a smoother sauce, mash the apples or whiz them in a food processor after cooking. Ground cinnamon is a classic addition, but an equal amount of pumpkin spice or a pinch of ground cardamom will also enhance the fall fruit.
Easy Baked Mac and Cheese
You don’t have to boil the pasta ahead to make this easy baked macaroni and cheese. The noodles will absorb enough moisture from the milk to cook through while the pan is in the oven. Enriched with cream cheese (or cottage cheese, ricotta or sour cream, depending on what you have), and topped with plenty of Cheddar and a crunchy, Parmesan-spiked bread-crumb topping, it’s a simple, adaptable and crowd-pleasing recipe that you can probably even make from what’s already in your pantry.
Christina Tosi’s Corn Bake
A one-bowl wonder (my family’s specialty is no muss, no fuss), corn bake is a celebration of an Ohio farm family’s love of corn, butter and deliciously simple food. Part cornbread, part corn pudding, it is so legendary in my mom’s family that if you shout “Corn bake!” the crowd of matriarchs will echo back in unison “1 box Jiffy! One half tub sour cream! 1 stick butter!…” and so on — knowing the recipe by heart is a rite of passage. There is never a potluck, family get-together and certainly never a Thanksgiving without it. The recipe easily doubles or triples depending on the size of your crowd.
Carla Hall’s Creamed Kale
I love creamed spinach, so I figured I’d really love creamed kale. I was right! Because the leaves are so much sturdier, they don’t break down in the sauce or release much water. That means a more satisfying chew with each bite, and more nutrients, too. This may sound like a trendy take on a classic, but kale’s been a soul food staple for hundreds of years. Everyone’s figuring out now what we’ve known forever: Kale really is delicious.
Potato Pavé With Parmesan Crust
In the long line of elaborate potato recipes like pommes dauphine, hasselback gratin and Jannsson’s temptation, the pavé feels uniquely party-worthy. While typically found on restaurant menus, it’s perfectly doable at home, with a little patience and effort (in the way of peeling and slicing five pounds of potatoes, but a mandoline makes it easy work). Prepare and chill the terrine in advance so you can simply sear the pieces when ready to serve. This pavé strays from tradition with the addition of cheese: Dip each piece in shredded Parmesan to coat on two sides, then sear until the cheese fuses into a salty frico crust. You could sear all sides, if desired, but two requires less energy — and also highlights the lovely contrast between the crunchy frico crust and the creamy center, which holds pure potato flavor.
Min Jin Lee’s Corn Pudding
I was 24 years old when I married Chris, and his grandfather’s old friend Tony and his elegant wife, Sue, invited us newlyweds to their Fifth Avenue apartment for dinner. The meal was terrific, but in particular, I loved the corn pudding. The recipe was from Sue’s friend, and that friend had attributed it to someone named Babs. In my mind, Babs is Anonymous — that unheralded and unacknowledged writer of all reliable recipes we turn to when we are desperate for something tasty, easy and budget conscious. The original recipe was for half the volume, but because absolutely everyone at Thanksgiving likes it so darn much, I now double it for ease. Lastly, corn was the generous gift of the Wampanoag to the starving Pilgrims, and when I make it, I remember the history of the Indigenous people, Sue and Tony, and of course, Babs.
Saag Paneer Lasagna
While writing her cookbook “Amrikan” (W. W. Norton & Company, 2024), Khushbu Shah became convinced that a spinach lasagna could be greatly improved by swapping in the flavors of saag paneer for the filling. It’s a dish she jokingly refers to as “lasaagna.” Ms. Shah uses a saag base made with warm spices, spinach, cilantro and dried fenugreek leaves (which are optional but highly encouraged, and add a beautiful earthy note to the sauce), and then adds fistfuls of grated paneer for an extra punch of cheese. Many of the lasagna’s components may be made ahead (see Tips), making assembly a breeze, especially when making this dish for a dinner party or as a vegetarian meal during the holidays.
Maple-Roasted Squash With Charred Lemon
This colorful roasted squash dish is both bracing and sweet. Charred bits of lemon balance the maple syrup, which almost candies the squash as it roasts, while cardamom and coriander add a perfumed, sophisticated touch. Using a mix of winter squashes will give you the most interesting flavors and textures since they’re all a little different. Any combination of delicata, butternut, honey nut and kabocha works very well. The only variety to avoid is acorn, which has a starchier texture that doesn’t absorb the syrup as well as the others.
Bhel Puri for a Party
Bhel puri — a type of chaat made with puffed rice, chutneys and various toppings — is the ultimate entertaining dish, whether you are hosting or bringing a dish to a potluck. Most of it can be prepared in advance, leaving mostly the assembly which allows you to really put on a show for your guests. You can make a good chaat with store-bought chutneys and bhel mix. But it’s the homemade chutneys and fried tortilla strips that make this exceptional, providing the sweet-salty-fresh-crunchy combination that is the hallmark of chaat. The ingredient list is long, but after you make the chutneys, you are 80 percent of the way there. When you have the components prepared, set them out in bowls, invite all your guests to gather around, and make your chaat live, tasting and tossing for everyone to see.
Fire Crackers
This spicy, savory snack, also known as Alabama fire crackers or comeback crackers, is of unclear origin but beloved in the South. Though fire crackers are traditionally prepared using saltines, oyster crackers are also common — and the choice here because they’re fun to devour by the handful. Classic fire crackers are marinated with store-bought ranch seasoning and red pepper flakes then baked until crisp and golden. This version calls for a quick, homemade ranch-inspired blend. These crackers will stay fresh for up to one week, making them ideal for impromptu holiday gatherings and gifting alike.
Herby Cottage Cheese Dip
Cottage cheese provides a rich and creamy base for this herb-packed dip that makes a perfect appetizer, snack or light lunch along with crudités and bread or crackers. A handful of browned onions give the dip a depth of flavor more impressive than the work it took to achieve it. Salt levels vary quite a bit from brand to brand of cottage cheese, so make sure to taste as you go and adjust the salt and pepper to your liking.