Weeknight Meals

This cream of broccoli soup (without the cream) gives the classic a run for its money.

This salad uses ancient grains to create a dish that reflects Mexico and the American South. For chef Maricela Vega it meshes both of their histories while making the most of the foods she is surrounded by.

Herbaceous, aromatic, fresh, and—maybe most importantly—simple, this Trini-inspired recipe from Brigid Washington is just the cure for those January blues.

Crisp tostadas topped with cheesy sautéed poblanos and mushrooms, charred cherry tomato and serrano salsa, and fried eggs.

The soul of this recipe comes from the ginger and tamari marinade that gives crispy tofu a sweet and savory winter coat. 

Tinned sardines add briney flavor (and protein!)—leave them whole or break them up and fold them into the soup.

Might you mistake this vegan cream for actual alfredo sauce? Maybe. Maybe not. It’s delicious either way.

To get the best texture, evenly distribute the rice in your pan and gently press down to flatten it. Don’t touch until you hear it crackle!

With plenty of protein, a double punch of acid from citrus and vinegar, and a garlicky chili oil, this salad is made for dinner.

The beloved Korean stir-fried chicken dish dakgalbi is spicy, sweet, aromatic, and comforting—and it comes together in a few easy steps and one pan.

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. 

This sour-salty soup was made for using up sweet, late-season tomatoes.

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

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

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

My grandma used to make a version of this dish using pork and showers of Parmesan. I have updated it to include ground chicken and miso for a lighter, late-summer dish with equally deep flavor,  but feel free to use whatever ground meat you prefer. Gently poaching the meatballs is not only faster than roasting, but means none of their flavor is lost to a baking sheet.

For this dinner-worthy sandwich, you’ll sear the eggplant on the stove, then marinate it in oil and vinegar to make it silky-soft and flavor-packed. 

The key to stress-free stir-frying is all in the prep work. Be sure to chop, slice, and grate everything before even thinking about turning on the stove. Top this dish with fried eggs to put it over the top, but it’s also great without them.

A quick sear gives corn kernels caramelized edges and concentrated flavor. Here, they're cooked with crisp chickpeas, then tossed with za'atar and dressed with a mixture of ginger, jalapeños, miso, and tahini. 

This picadillo is inspired by a version found in San Luis Potosí in central Mexico with potatoes and poblanos.