Tofu

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.

The combination of corn, soy, and butter is as delicious as it is classic. As Hiroko Shimbo writes in her book Hiroko’s American Kitchen, corn and butter are a common pair in Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan, where both are produced. Here, the three come together along with pan-fried tofu, scallions, mirin, and sesame oil to make an ultra-flavorful, just-rich-enough vegetarian main. Serve it over rice, a chewy grain like farro or wheat berries, or arugula dressed with rice vinegar and more sesame oil. A crispy fried egg would also be welcome.

You’ll find a version of this quicker-than-quick dish on many Korean tables as a banchan, or small plate. But with rice and a side of greens, it’s dinner exactly when you need it: right now.

A little bit of prep work has a big payoff—a tasty, versatile lunch just waiting for its gochujang-lime dressing.

Black pepper deserves to be the star, not the sidekick.

In this 30-minute dish, which is inspired by Yotam Ottolenghi's recipe in his 2011 book Plenty, black pepper is the star, not the sidekick: When bloomed in oil, the coarsely ground peppercorns become piquant and fragrant enough to flavor the entire sauce, no red pepper flakes, dried chiles, or hot sauce needed. Take care not to burn the peppercorns as you toast them or the flavor could swing from spicy to bitter.

I felt like Goldilocks trying to find the perfect tofu recipe, but this one is juuuuuust right.

It’s a weeknight dinner FTW.

Choose your mushrooms carefully: Crimini and white button will never get as crispy as oyster or maitakes.

We took inspiration from picadillo, a saucy spiced ground meat dish packed with flavor, and thought, Why not give tofu a similar treatment?

A creamy, bright green dip that’s great with crunchy vegetables, meat, spread on sandwiches, or thinned out and used as salad dressing.

This quick vegetarian curry is a great way to use a CSA’s bounty of eggplant, summer squash, or whatever else your haul contains.

August is peak eggplant season; look for Japanese and Chinese eggplants for this stir-fry recipe.

Any vegetable or meat would be in good company with this stew’s spicy-funky base of kimchi, gochugaru, and gochujang.

For when you and hot dogs are on a break. You didn't break up, you're just seeing other people.

This is tofu we want to make again and again and again.

Crispy, craggy, and thoroughly coated in an addictive, peanut-y sauce, this tofu is so good that even the most stubborn carnivores won’t complain.

This fiery, bubbling Korean broth is a powerhouse mixture of alliums, kimchi, gochugaru, and briny, fresh seafood.

This fiery, addictive tofu is an absolute meal-planning miracle.

Chef Josh McFadden’s crazy-simple yogurt flatbreads from Bon Appetit’s August 2015 issue inspired this whole-grain version.

The trick to this recipe is using the pan sauce as a base for the sesame noodles.

This low-maintenance, weeknight-friendly recipe will turn you into a tofu fiend.

A Healthyish take on classic creamed spinach

Adding silken tofu to the base of this kid-approved recipe both enriches it with a little added protein and lends it a satiny texture.