Vegetarian

A steamed-then-mashed sweet potato adds creamy sweetness and extra nutrients to this cozy oatmeal that can be easily customized to fit dietary preferences. 

Cabbage has emerged as the hero of weeknight pantry cooking. Inexpensive and infinitely versatile, with an impressively long shelf life, one head of cabbage goes a long way. In this recipe, half of a cabbage is bathed in a turmeric-accented coconut milk until it’s meltingly tender and sweet. 

Don’t be surprised if this creamy, coconutty vegan gratin outperforms some of the heavier traditional Thanksgiving sides. 

Meera Sodha’s take on the beloved Indonesian dish nasi goreng uses shredded brussels sprouts two ways: Some are sautéed and incorporated into the rice mixture, while others are marinated and added on top for crunch and zing. Don’t skip the kecap manis—the syrupy Indonesian soy sauce is what gives nasi goreng its caramelization and depth.

Lara Lee’s meat-free version of the Laotian and Thai dish combines smoked tofu with pops of crunchy sesame seeds and a kick of lime dressing.

This is a “necessity is the mother of invention” kind of recipe, born from isolation, scant ingredients, an oversupply of kimchi, and sheer hunger. Yet this unconventional one-pot approach also happens to be one of the simplest ways to prepare mac and cheese. 

The high notes of these umami-laden noodles from Lara Lee, the author of Coconut and Sambal, are caramelized shiitake mushrooms.

So you love beets but don’t love waiting hours for them to roast? Shred ’em along with some potato to make these crispy dinner fritters.

When a recipe calls for sopping up sauce, these breadsticks are your sopper-uppers of choice. Topped with Kalamata olives, garlic, red onion, and Calabrian chiles, they’re also just as good on their own—serve them straight from the oven and let everyone rip them off with their hands. This recipe comes from Bryan Ford and is based on his Master Bread Dough. Feel free to customize them with whatever finely chopped toppings you desire; just be sure to press them into the dough so that they stick.

Christina Chaey’s mushroom dashi can go with whatever vegetables and proteins you have in the fridge. It’s her favorite cold-weather meal.

In this refreshing Thanksgiving salad, half the kale gets crisped up in the oven like chips while the rest is tossed with a gingery soy-tahini dressing.

Hibiscus is used in drinks throughout the African diaspora but most notably in Jamaica. Inspired by sorrel—a festive Caribbean punch—this sauce is sweet, tangy, earthy, and the perfect complement to the peppery profile of Jamaican jerk. Rum, allspice, and fresh ginger add a level of warmth and richness of flavor that is the signature of Caribbean cuisine. Serve with Jerk Turkey Sheperd’s Pie. 

Hetty McKinnon’s showstopping tater tot casserole is directly inspired by, and strikingly reminiscent of, tortilla española.

These melt-in-your-mouth dinner rolls from Claire Saffitz are even more tender and pillowy than the classic Parker House rolls.

Bharta is a Bangladeshi style of seasoned meat or mashed vegetables usually served at room temperature alongside hot steamed rice.

These make-ahead green beans soak up a bright lemon and sumac dressing overnight.

Flaky, nutty, buttery paratha you can prep ahead.

Ginger and orange juice give this raita a holiday feel. Treat it like cranberry sauce–it goes with everything.

This refreshing drink Sohla El-Waylly often uses to break fast during Ramadan gives all kinds of holiday vibes.

Make this on a Monday and show Garfield what’s up.

Make these sesame buns today, then question why it took you so long to make your own buns for burgers, egg sandwiches, fried chicken, and fillets o’ fish. This recipe from bread master Bryan Ford is based on his Master Dough recipe; simply portion it out, roll into tight balls, then dip in sesame seeds (or any small seeds and seasonings of your choice—poppy, flax, dried onion…). Ford bakes his buns in muffin rings, which gives them dramatic height—but free-form works just as well.

Lara Lee’s vegetable nasi goreng combines the beloved Indonesian fried rice dish with sambal matah and a citrusy relish fragrant with lemongrass, ginger, and makrut lime leaf.

Tearing the sweet potatoes creates more surface area to char and glaze. (It’s also fun.)

The secret behind many great breads is something called a preferment, a portion of the dough that ferments separately from (and for more time than) the rest of the ingredients. A preferment increases the strength of your dough (improving its final crumb structure) and contributes to aroma and flavor. In baker Bryan Ford’s cookbook New World Sourdough, the preferment is a sourdough starter; in this recipe, however, his preferment is the lower-maintenance poolish—a mixture of flour, water, and active dry yeast that grows overnight. Mix the poolish with more flour, water, and yeast as well as a touch of olive oil, sugar, and salt, and you get a resilient, flavorful dough that can be used in a nearly infinite number of ways. This is an instance when you really do need a kitchen scale—Ford encourages all bakers, especially beginners, to use one. The master dough can also be scaled up or down as desired.