4 Simple, Satisfying Dinners For the Days Leading Up to Thanksgiving
In the days leading up to the most over-the-top meal of the year, I crave dinners that are comforting, require little actual cooking, and have no turkey or mashed potatoes in sight. These four new weeknight-friendly dinners—including a nearly instant chicken soup and coconut-apple lentil soup—are bright but cozy, filling but never overwhelming. After all, you've got a lot of cooking and eating ahead of you.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Anna Stockwell1/4Citrus Shrimp Rice Bowls
Why make a marinade and a dressing when you can make one perfect sauce sauce that works as both? This tangy, spicy-sweet Sriracha-orange situation doubles as both. Drizzle as much or as little as you want over your assembled rice bowl. You can use any kind of steamed rice you like—though brown gives it a more virtuous glow.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Anna Stockwell2/4Chicken Soup With Charred Cabbage
Simmering a rotisserie carcass in water with a handful of aromatics gives you a broth that beats boxed chicken stock any day—and only takes about 20 minutes to make. While the broth simmers, char some mushrooms and cabbage to throw in with some shredded chicken. All together the soup feels clean and throughly warming, but for extra warmth and flavor, a drizzle of chili oil on top never hurt.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Anna Stockwell3/4Pasta with Sausage and Arugula
It’s easy to justify a pre-Thanksgiving pasta dinner when it feels like a salad, and this recipe does just that. Crumble up bits of spicy Italian sausage and roast them with sliced red onion and fennel: the sausage bits get nice and crispy and help season the vegetables as they cook. Then toss the whole thing with some gemelli, lemon, and lots of baby arugula, and dinner is served. Pro tip: Keep a box of arugula in the fridge all winter long. You can throw a big handful of greens into a stew or pasta or pile it on top of homemade pizzas—it’s one of those rare salad greens we can also get down with when hot.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Anna Stockwell4/4Coconut-Apple-Ginger Dal
This velvety lentil soup is the vegetarian antidote to holiday excess, with enough fresh ginger to feel almost medicinal. We love using red lentils because they finish cooking in 20 minutes and break down quickly. It makes excellent reheatable leftovers, so don’t be afraid to make extra. And, if you want to keep it vegan, just skip the yogurt topping or use coconut yogurt instead.
