Bean and Legume

Separate compartments are key to packing this lunch. Switch up the fixings to keep it fresh: Salsa, guac, and sour cream are all good options.

As with any other canned bean, find black beans with no spices. You can always add your own spices and herbs to suit your tastes.

Refrigerated resting is key to these burgers’ success. Air-chilling helps dry the burgers out slightly so they stick together in the skillet.

Cooked lettuces? Yes—but barely. When they hit the pan, they’ll pick up flavor from the chicken drippings, gently wilting and taking on the buttery sauce.

Add these addictive spicy chickpeas to your lunch bowl for a protein boost.

Savoy cabbage is a bright green, hearty member of the brassica family. Lightly braised with chickpeas and mustard, it becomes a vegetable worthy of a main course.

Browning and then braising whole legs for this turkey chili adds both body and flavor to the final product—so much better than the ground stuff.

Mujadarra is a popular Middle Eastern side dish comprised of lentils and rice. Here, it's perfumed with cumin and finished with yogurt. Serve along side roasted chicken or with a fried egg as a meal on its own.

You have a can of beans? You’ve got a meal. In this kale soup recipe, they take the place of traditional dried beans.

Prep like a pro: Chef Mike Lata of The Ordinary in Charleston, South Carolina, makes the vierge (a Southern take on the traditional French accompaniment to seafood) in the morning, so that when dinner rolls around, all that’s left to do is sear the fish.

Loosely based on Tom Kha Gai, Thai chicken soup recipe comes together in under an hour with easy to find ingredients.

Lentils and fresh and dried mushrooms give this vegetarian casserole its meaty character. You can prepare most of it in advance and bake it just before your guests arrive.

This rainbow trout recipe is ready in under 20 minutes, and that spiced-yogurt dressing? You're going to want it on everything.

You'll want to make this recipe part of your summer repertoire; it's the perfect side dish for a barbecue or picnic. It's equally delicious warm, cold, or at room temperature.