Vegetarian
6901 recipes found
Chiltomate Salsa (Tomato and Habanero Sauce)
Smoky and fruity and with a sneaky heat, chiltomate salsa is a combination of habanero chiles and tomato popular throughout the Yucatán peninsula. While it’s made in many ways, this version, which is adapted from the chef Alex Henry, is particularly fresh. The tomatoes are cooked only by blackening their skins so their tang remains. They’re then mashed — skin, seeds and all — with charred habanero, cilantro leaves and stems into a chunky sauce. At El Molino del Sureste, Mr. Henry’s restaurant in St. Louis, it’s served over venison sausage and black beans, and at Sureste, his food hall spot, it tops steak tacos, but it’s great on all grilled meats.
Scrambled Eggs With Soy-Marinated Tomatoes
Scrambling eggs with tomatoes is a classic comforting pair, particularly in Chinese cuisine. But instead of cooking the tomatoes along with the eggs, here, the eggs are cooked separately, while the ripe tomatoes break down, their flavors concentrating when left to sit in a sweet soy-sesame dressing. Pile the scrambled eggs and the tomatoes onto crusty bread to soak up all the flavor. Add chunks of avocado to the marinated tomatoes too, if you like.
Spicy Pizza Sauce
A homage to the famous Marcella Hazan tomato sauce, this iteration has you switch the order: First, the butter is melted, so it can then bloom a heaping tablespoon or two of chile flakes to bring out their fruity heat. Any kind works, but what this recipe can teach you is how to mix and match between different chile powders to find exactly the flavor you’re craving in any given moment. Because at the end of the day, chiles have so much flavor, so much nuance, beyond just their spiciness. Use this all-purpose red sauce for pizza, pasta, sandwiches and everything in between.
Crispy Gnocchi With Spinach and Feta
Inspired by the herbaceous and jaunty flavors of spanakopita, the savory, ever popular Greek pie, spinach and feta headline this textural gnocchi salad. The spinach is not cooked, but is simply massaged, which softens it while ensuring it maintains its leafy structure. Incorporating some feta to the spinach massage is a functional move — the salt in the feta helps to tenderize the leaves — but it also adds a hint of quiet luxury to this dish, as the leaves become coated with the creamy, briny cheese. Be heavy-handed with your herbs and lemon, as these bring boldness and freshness that play off the saltiness of the feta. Everyday shelf-stable gnocchi from your local supermarket is perfect for crisping in the pan; if you choose to use frozen variety, no defrosting is required.
Chłodnik Litewski (Chilled Beet Soup)
An ideal dish for peak summer, when hot meals seem unthinkable yet fresh produce is bountiful, chłodnik litewski is perhaps the best-known of the Polish chłodniki (chilled soups). Chłodnik litewski translates to Lithuanian cold soup, and reflects a time when Poland and Lithuania were under the rule of the same dynasty starting in the late 14th century, a period in which Polish cooking was influenced by Lithuanian cuisine and vice versa. It’s certainly the most eye-catching, with a lovely magenta hue that emerges when the roasted beets meet the kefir and sour cream to form the soup’s tangy base. It combines both cooked and raw ingredients — you’ll need to roast some beets and boil some potatoes and eggs — and is best prepared in advance, ready for easy assembly. (For the most vibrant pink color, be sure to refrigerate the soup overnight, as the color deepens with time.) Beets and their greens lend an earthy note, and fresh cucumbers and radishes provide a satisfying crunch. A tangle of fresh herbs and vegetables and a soft-boiled egg on top complete the dish.
Tomato Curry
If tomatoes are spilling from your larder, “this curry reigns supreme as the most delicious way to make a dent in the basket,” writes the farmer and cook Julius Roberts in his cookbook, “The Farm Table” (Ten Speed Press, 2024). A slow, steady cooking process, starring whole roasted tomatoes, is part of this curry’s promise, so take your time frying down the onions in the base, until they’re properly sweet and tender. Mr. Roberts says he drew inspiration from South Asian curries, in which you temper whole spices in oil to enjoy their musky fullness. It’s different than using just ground, though a little turmeric pigments the sauce gold, as in a Kerala-style egg curry. Marry those lovely flavor bases with plush coconut milk and the natural juices from the tomatoes. Serve over brown rice, with a leafy blanket of fresh cilantro and fried curry leaves.
Mango Labaniyad (Creamy Custard)
A much loved creamy custard dessert in many Somali households, labaniyad is a fixture during Ramadan, when it is often enjoyed as the sweet end to an iftar meal, and other special gatherings. A boxed custard mix is often used, and the results might be topped or mixed with an assortment of fruits such as mangoes, bananas, melons, strawberries or grapes. While the custard base is not typically fruit flavored, this recipe utilizes sweet, ripe mangoes for deeper flavor and nods to the fruits that normally decorate this dessert.
Charcoal-Grilled Corn With Honeyed Goat Cheese
The taste and appearance of corn grilled directly over a charcoal flame is unparalleled. The kernels become bright yellow, firm and plump, both smoky and sweet, speckled black, with bits of char. To make them even more stunning, the ears are coated with a sweet, tangy goat cheese spread that melts into every crevice, a fun, welcome alternative to simply basting cobs with butter.
Mocha Power Smoothie
Cold brew, cocoa powder, frozen bananas, sweet dates, chia seeds and oat milk make this smoothie the perfect get-up-and-go beverage.
Upma (Spiced Semolina With Cashews and Chiles)
Capable of soothing the soul, lifting spirits and energizing the body, upma is a popular breakfast food in parts of India (and beyond), where protein- and nutrient-rich semolina is a canvas for more potent and invigorating savory flavors. For this fluffy and flavorful preparation, coarse-grain semolina (called rava in the south of India and sooji in the north) is toasted in the pan and then cooked in water flavored with tempered spices, like sizzling black mustard seeds, plus aromatic curry leaves and toasted urad and chana dals, creating a thick, savory porridge. Cashew nuts or peanuts lend a happy crunch, and the chiles wake everything up with a touch of heat. You can also add a small handful of vegetables to the mix, like frozen green peas, chopped green beans and carrots. The water-to-semolina ratio ensures the upma is fluffy and light rather than mushy like oatmeal. Serve bowls of fragrant, belly-warming upma with a squeeze of lemon, extra sugar and coconut chutney for a satisfying breakfast or anytime snack.
Cold Tomato and Kimchi Soba Noodle Soup
When the coolness of gazpacho meets the punchiness of kimchi, magic happens. The result is a cold soup that is alive with freshness and rich with layered flavors that belie its ready-in-minutes preparation. The fruity tang of tomatoes and the mild vegetal sweetness of cucumbers are emboldened by the sour heat of kimchi. The soup serves as the perfect base for nutty soba, a noodle that always performs exceptionally well when served cold. If you don’t have soba, try rice, egg or wheat noodles. The soup could also be consumed noodle-free, served with crusty bread for a simple and quick meal that deeply satiates. If you like, top with extra kimchi and, on extra-hot days, dot with a few ice cubes.
Garden Salad
This simple salad works well as a side for almost any main dish and is an excellent way to use up whatever fresh vegetables you have on hand. You’ll end up with a delicious, well-balanced salad as long as you combine mild, crunchy items, like tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers, with more intensely flavored ones, like radishes and raw onion. Homemade balsamic, ranch or your favorite bottled dressing will all work well here, but do wait to dress the salad until right before serving for best results.
Tomato and Cottage Cheese Salad
In this deviation from a Caprese salad, slices of heirloom tomatoes are topped with dollops of cottage cheese and layered with red onions, olive oil and tender herbs, plus a savory spice blend inspired by everything bagels. Cottage cheese is a great blank canvas ingredient that plays well in sweet and savory applications, adding creamy richness to this tomato salad. Serve it up with grilled French bread at dinnertime or toasted bagels for a sunny summer brunch. Like most summer cooking, this dish is adaptable: Feel free to swap out the spice blend for your favorite textural alternative; try dukkah or za’atar.
Chopped Salad With Everything Bagel Croutons
This salad is somewhat of a New York style fattoush. Bagel pieces are tossed with olive oil, nuts and everything seasoning, then toasted in the oven to make supersavory, crunchy croutons. These are tossed through a green chopped salad with crispy lettuce, green bell pepper, scallions, cucumber, herbs and a zingy lemon dressing. The salad is rounded off with a base of tahini yogurt, adding a creamy, tangy finish that ties everything together. Perfect as a light lunch or a unique side dish, this salad is both wholesome and indulgent, offering layers of textures and flavors in every bite. Whether you’re a fan of bagels or crisp, textural salads, this recipe is sure to become a new favorite.
Corn Ribs
For a more novel approach to corn on the cob, these corn ribs are a fun, flavorful way to eat the juicy summer staple. Shucked ears of corn are quartered, coated in a barbecue-inspired spice blend, charred on a grill and tossed in butter. As they cook, the corn ribs curl, resembling pork ribs, thus earning their name. (They’re also eaten similarly, as the cob functions similarly to the pork bone.) A fair warning: Preparing corn ribs takes patience and a very sharp knife. The cobs should be patted dry before slicing, as slippery kernels will create even more instability for the tall, teetering cobs. Reach for a large chef’s knife, if you’ve got one, and make sure it’s newly sharpened for easier (and safer) slicing. Use a rocking motion to slowly slice through the center of the cobs — and don’t rush it. Serve the corn ribs as is, or with a creamy, spicy or herby dip.
Eggplant Lasagna
Roasted eggplant takes the place of pasta in this veggie-heavy riff on traditional lasagna. All the other lasagna elements are here, including a spinach, herb and ricotta filling; marinara sauce; and plenty of Parmesan and mozzarella cheese. The result is a completely gluten-free dish that tastes every bit as hearty and comforting as a true lasagna, with a welcome brightness from the addition of lemon zest. This is by no means a difficult recipe, but there are several steps. To save time, you can roast the eggplant slices in advance and store them in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before assembling the lasagna.
Zucchini Fritters
Mildly flavorful zucchini tends to adapt to whatever ingredients the vegetable is paired with, and here, a heap of tender herbs and lemon zest brings out the best in this summer staple. Crisp on the outside and creamy on the inside, these fritters are relatively simple to assemble: grab a box grater and some other seasonal produce, including scallions and basil or dill, and heat up the skillet. You’ll need to make them in batches, but frying only takes a few minutes per side. A little baking powder in the batter provides rise for extra-fluffy fritters. Serve them as a party starter, with tzatziki as a dipper, or as a summer side to burgers or grilled salmon.
Zucchini-Peach Salad With Creamy Lime Dressing
Raw zucchini deserves to be a summer salad staple. With just time and salt, sliced zucchini softens into tender bites that absorb any dressing that graces them. This easy salad pairs thinly sliced zucchini coins with sweet, juicy, ripe peaches in a loose, creamy, lime-forward dressing. It’s a full-on journey, in just a mouthful.
Spiced Roasted Eggplant
This simple eggplant recipe yields soft and deliciously spiced rounds. Eat them as a side with meat or fish, or as a vegetable main, with seasoned yogurt and chopped herbs. Don’t be afraid to use your broiler for extra crispness at the end of roasting, and consider leftovers an excellent start for your favorite eggplant dishes, like moussaka or ratatouille.
Tikel Gomen (Cabbage and Carrots)
Vegetarian Ethiopian dishes are a hallmark of Genet Agonafer’s menu at her acclaimed restaurant in Los Angeles, Meals by Genet. Tikel gomen, a flavorful, turmeric-tinged cabbage dish, is simple to prepare without compromising on taste. Ms. Agonafer prepares her tikel gomen (meaning cabbage in Amharic) with fork-tender carrots; other versions may also include potatoes. The cabbage is silky without being mushy and stands up well to the pronounced garlic. To achieve just the right texture and flavor, Ms. Agonafer first boils the finely chopped onion before cooking it in oil with the rest of the ingredients. Tikel gomen is typically served with injera; while not traditional, it can also be served with rice or any bread of choice.
Roasted Zucchini
Due to its high water content, zucchini takes well to high- and direct-heat cooking methods like sautéing and grilling. Using these methods, color (a.k.a. flavor) can develop before the squash releases too much moisture. This recipe for roasted zucchini employs a few tricks to combat sogginess. First, the oven is cranked up to 450 degrees, so the zucchini browns in a matter of minutes. Second, the zucchini is diced into 1-inch cubes, so the pieces are large enough to withstand the high oven temperature without breaking down. Finally, the sheet pan is preheated, giving the zucchini a headstart on browning when it hits the sizzling-hot pan. For best results, use small to medium zucchini and wait to salt the squash until just before it goes into the oven. You can season simply with salt and pepper, or toss the zucchini with hardy herbs like oregano or thyme before roasting, and finish with fresh lemon and tender herbs such as basil or mint.
Air-Fryer Zucchini
Popping zucchini into the air fryer is a quick way to cook the beloved summer vegetable, but the squash’s high water content can lead to sogginess. For crisp, can’t-stop-eating zucchini, employ these smart tricks: Remove the seeds, don’t salt before cooking, thoroughly dry the zucchini pieces, and finally, toss them with a little mayo before sprinkling with a mixture of panko, Pecorino Romano and cornstarch. You’ll end up with tasty, lightly crisped zucchini nuggets with a salty bite. For a vegan version, substitute vegan mayonnaise or olive oil and use nutritional yeast in place of the cheese.
Flour Tortillas With Honey and Butter
Every culture has some kind of basic flatbread. The recipe for this one, originating in New Mexico in the early 20th century, is quick, simple and rustic. You can roll the tortillas out to a thinness or thickness of your preference. For this purpose, keeping them a bit thicker and eating them hot off the comal, with soft salted butter and honey, is a great joy. You can also roll them thinner for tacos, keeping them warm in towels or tortilla warmers until you are ready to use them.
Saladu Nebbe (Black-Eyed Pea Salad With Tomatoes and Cucumbers)
Black-eyed peas are a common sight in West African cooking, stewed long until tender or turned into fritters like àkàrà. They’re also a staple ingredient in the American South, where they’re commonly eaten on New Year’s Day as a symbol of good luck for the year to come. The chef Isaiah Screetch’s saladu nebbe, based on the Senegalese dish of the same name, highlights the nuttiness of the beans in a fresh salad that has a bit of spice thanks to serrano chiles. Studded with juicy tomatoes, cucumbers and red bell pepper, the recipe calls for letting the salad meld its flavors together in a lime dressing for two hours, but it can also sit overnight, making it the perfect side dish for a barbecue or cookout.