Category: Whole Food Plant-Based Diet Recipes

Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini

A special roasted cauliflower inspired by Sara Forte’s new cookbook. It’s wildly delicious – loaded with herbs, dates, nuts, roasted red onions and tossed with a tahini dressing.

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I’ve roasted cauliflower a thousand different ways, but this version, from Around Our Table by Sara Forte, quickly became a weeknight staple after the first time I tried it. A big head of cauliflower is cut into florets that are tossed with a spiced oil and roasted in a hot oven. Red onions and bits of dates are introduced along the way and the whole situation is tossed with lots of herbs, arugula, pine nuts, sesame seeds, and a creamy tahini dressing. It’s wildly delicious.roasted cauliflower on a platter with tahini glaze, mint, herbs, dates and more

Many of you know Sara from her o.g. food blog Sprouted Kitchen. Or maybe you’re a member of the SK Cooking Club? She’s beloved for good reason, creating wholesome, doable, family-friendly recipes while keeping it real. I told her I’d be gifting the book to all the busy parents in my life, and meant it. Here’s a look at her new book, a few of the beautiful spreads, etc.

Around Our table cookbook
Her husband Hugh did all the photography for the book. You’ll recognize his style from their beautiful site. I’ve always loved how fresh, natural, and unfussed their food always looks. Their projects always have family photos paced throughout. I remember (years ago) Sara told me, over lunch one day, that she always wanted her home to be the landing pad for her kids and their friends. That always stuck with me, a wonderful, genuine aspiration. 
Title page of Sprouted Kitchen Around Our table cookbook
table of Contents pages from Around Our table cookbook by Sara Forte Sprouted Kitchen
You can see a couple examples of the gorgeous photo spreads below. And the table of contents above.
Beautiful photo spread example from Sprouted Kitchen Around Our Table cookbookBeautiful photo spread example from Sprouted Kitchen Around Our Table cookbook

Roasted Cauliflower: Part of An Impromptu Dinner Menu

This roasted cauliflower anchored a fantastic (and simple to throw together) dinner spread when Wayne’s parents visited a couple weeks back. I made the roasted cauliflower (recipe below) the day prior and then threw together a few other easy wins for dinner the next night. Aside from the cauliflower, no component took more than five minutes of active time to make, and there wasn’t a bit left for leftovers in the end!

  • A Big Pile of Roasted Potatoes: I cut little potatoes in half, tossed them in a bit of olive oil and roasted them in a hot oven until tender. Whisked a bit of spicy bomba chile paste into some olive oil, and drizzled that over the potatoes on a big plate. Finished with lots of toasted sesame seeds and slivered basil.
  • Mustard Lentils: I covered (dried) French lentils with about 3/4-inch of water and simmered until the lentils were very tender. Then, the cooked lentils were tossed with a generous dollop (2+ tablespoons) of strong French mustard and a couple glugs of Camino red wine vinegar, and a splash of good olive oil. Seasoned with salt and pepper. Topped with canned, roasted cherry tomatoes (in oil), and slivered basil.
  • Hard-Boiled Eggs: I split each egg in half, sprinkled with spices( I used za’atar, but use any fave savory spice blend). Salt to taste. Drizzle with olive oil.
  • Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini: Recipe below. Serve at room temperature.

roasted cauliflower on a platter with tahini glaze, mint, herbs, dates and more

More Cauliflower Recipes

 

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Health Nut Vegan Chili

A special, triple-bean, vegan chili inspired by Jess Damuck’s new cookbook. It’s bold, flavor-packed and uses a technique to achieve the best texture of any chili I’ve eaten. It’s time to schedule a big chili night.

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There are a number of cookbooks this spring I’m wildly excited about and this exceptional vegan chili is from one of them. It is from Jess Damuck’s Health Nut: A Feel-Good Cookbook and I’ve been making it regularly ever since I saw an early version of the book last year. I’ll talk a bit more about the cookbook down below, but we’ll jump into the chili details first. Jess calls it her Very Good Vegan Chili. I double the recipe and cook it in the absolute largest pot I own – freezing the extra portions for later. It freezes brilliantly. The chili is bold, thick flavor-packed, and primed for lots of toppings.
bowl of vegan chili topped with sour cream and avocado

What I Like About This Chili

The two stand-out things I love about this chili are the flavor and the texture. Both are fantastic. Jess describes a chili full of “simmering on the stove all day” flavor, in minutes. Using smoked paprika and fire-roasted tomatoes absolutely contribute to hitting that mark. On the texture front, she has us puree a small amount of the chili with a hand blender, to lend a rich, creamy vibe when it is re-incorporated. This is a super clever technique I’ve used when making ribollita, but it never occurred to me to try it with chili. Total game changer!
marble table topped with bowls of chili and a skillet cornbread

Key Ingredients:

  • Beans: This is a triple-bean vegan chili. The beans are the stars. Jess lists a mix of black beans, pinto beans, and kidney beans. You can use canned beans or the equivalent amount of beans cooked from dried. Sometimes I use a blend of both depending on what I have on hand or in the freezer. I encourage you to experiment with different types of beans. One version I did that was extra good swapped Rio Zape beans for the pintos.
  • Chile Powder: Ok, here’s where you *really* need to pay attention. There is a wide range of “chile powder” out there. Chile powder can be pure, single-varietal chile powder, a blend of pure chile powders, or a blend of chile powder and other spices. Jess likes to use ancho chile powder in this chili, I tend to keep guajillo chili powder on hand lately, so I’ve been using that. If you have a chile powder you know and love, use it. The key: don’t go overboard. You can always add more, a bit at a time, but if you make your chili too spicy, it’s hard to go back. For a large pot like this one, Jess would use 4 tablespoons of ancho chili powder, I’ve been starting with 2 tablespoons of guajillo chili powder. Make notes so you can adjust in the future.
  • Tomatoes: As I mention in the recipe below, I make this with crushed tomatoes because that’s what I tend to keep on hand. Jess calls for diced in the original recipe. The key is: fire-roasted. It really brings some added depth and dimension to this chili.

health nut cookbook by jess damuck
Health Nut: A Feel-Good Cookbook

Take a peak at a few of the photo spreads from this book. As a life-long Californian I lost my mind (in a good way) when I first saw Health Nut. It has 70s California health food vibes throughout, and my co-op nostalgia kicked in hard. The fonts! The graphics! Omg the recipes!
opening page spread of health nut cookbook by jess damuck
chapter opener text and graphics from health nut cookbook by jess damuck

The sun-drenched photography is by Linda Pugliese and some amazing double-exposures by Roger Steffens. If real food with hippie vibes through an updated lens is where you want to be as a cook, track this book down. I know a lot of you were fans of Salad Freak, also by Jess, Health Nut is her follow up. You can follow Jess here.
photo of jess damuck in health nut cookbook
photos from health nut cookbook by jess damuck

Having a great chili recipe in your back pocket is never a bad idea. It’s legitimately the perfect go-to if you’re feeding a crowd. A chili like this one is both fantastic, and can accommodate the whole range of eaters – vegetarians, gluten-free, and dairy free. It’s great alongside this skillet cornbread.  

More Chili Recipes

bowl of vegan chili topped with sour cream, lime, cilatnro and avocado

More Bean Recipes

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Super Orange Citrus Rice

This incredible citrus rice is flooded with orange juice, flecked with celery and carrots, and boosted with a packet of French onion dip mix.

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This incredible citrus rice is flooded with orange juice, flecked with celery and carrots, and boosted with a packet of French onion dip mix. It’s beautiful, delicious, and if you’re in a rice or grain rut, it’s just the thing to get you out of it. This Super Orange Citrus Rice is also the perfect base for a rice bowl, and I love using leftovers the next day for a citrusy-y take on fried rice.

Super Orange Citrus Rice in a Serving Bowl
I cook rice a couple times a week. Half the time I’ll make it straight and simple – water, rice, and a bit of salt. The other times I like to mix it up with different broths, infusions, and favorite flavors, ingredients and textures. A lot of you know how much I love a good rice situation – I included a whole section of ideas in the back of Super Natural Simple. I also constantly revisit Bryant Terry’s Amazing Green Rice, this Congee with Brown Rice and Turmeric, and this herby rice situation. Recently, this super orange citrus rice has been in high-rotation. Here are the details!Super Orange Citrus Rice in a Kitchen on a Counter

Citrus Rice Inspiration

One of the things I love about flea markets, estate and yard sales is finding and browsing old cookbooks. I come across a lot of community cookbooks, and always have my eyes peeled for books that are special, unusual, and/or regionally specific. Today’s recipe was inspired by a cookbook I picked up a few years ago, published by Sunkist in 1968. It is cover-to-cover recipes that are citrus inspired – note the sub-title: lemons, tangerines – citrus treasures of the west – oranges, grapefruits. 

A few of the recipes caught my attention. In particular, there is an orange rice recipe that calls for “instant minced onions.” I imagined that would add a nice seasoning element to a citrus rice. I tend to keep French onion soup mix on hand to make the French Onion Strata in Super Natural Simple, and have dehydrated onions in my pantry as well.  Today’s recipe evolved from there. I love the way the onion helps counter the sweetness of the orange juice, keeping the whole dish squarely in the savory camp.
Super Orange Citrus Rice Surrounded by Plates and Ready to Eat
Super Orange Citrus Rice Surrounded by Plates and Ready to Eat

What Kind of Rice to Use?

I’ve been using brown basmati rice for this recipe. Short grain brown rice should also work, you might need to adjust the cooking time a bit though. I’ve tested a blend of half brown basmati with half white basmati and it wasn’t great. Unsurprisingly, the white grains really blew out and over cooked while the brown rice grains finished cooking.

The general rule of thumb here is yes, you can likely use your favorite rice, whatever it is. You should simply adjust the amount of liquid and cooking time according to whatever you typically use for 2 cups of rice. So, for example, if you’re using 2 cups of white rice, scale back the orange juice and water called for in the recipe from 4 cups to 3 cups (or 3 1/4 cups total liquid). Hope that makes sense. It’s a long way of saying you can likely make this with success with whatever rice you have on hand.

Super Orange Citrus Rice Surrounded by Plates and Ready to Eat

Make Citrus Rice into a Meal

You can easily add another hearty element to this rice and make a one bowl meal. You see the citrus rice pictured here topped with a bit of simply marinated, baked tofu. It’s just slabs of thinly sliced extra-firm tofu tossed in 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon wasabi paste, and 2 teaspoons soy sauce and baked until golden in a 375F oven. Wasabi paste can be tricky to come by, and when I’m out of it I’ll substitute a favorite curry paste or tobanjan paste. Throw some broccoli or cauliflower florets into the oven with the tofu for some added veg. And, you should absolutely use leftovers in this Herbed Rice Salad with Peanuts!

Alternately, I like to make a thin omelette with an egg or two, slice it thinly, and use that in place of the tofu. And before I forget, if your celery is extra leafy, be sure to make your own celery salt! It’s really wonderful on this rice, but also on all sorts of soups and salads.

Leftover Ideas

This recipe makes a good amount of citrus rice, and we often have leftovers. It’s SO good the next day, perfect for a quick fried rice for lunch, or easy dinner. The citrus element is really fantastic and unexpected if you aren’t in the know. 

If you’re looking for more rice recipes I have so many ideas. Laugh/cry. Be sure to try this green rice, my favorite mushroom casserole,  and this vegetarian take on paella.  I also love cooking with quinoa, cooking with lentils. Enjoy! -h

More Citrus Recipes

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Persian New Year Noodle Soup (Ash Reshteh)

An amazing Persian New Year Noodle Soup (Ash Reshteh) inspired by a version in Greg & Lucy Malouf’s beautiful book, Saraban. At its core, this is a celebratory bean and noodle soup featuring thin egg noodles swimming in a fragrant broth spiced with turmeric, cumin, chiles, and black pepper. Loaded with spinach and herbs, you serve it topped with walnuts, caramelized onions, and a dollop of something creamy. It’s amazing.

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I started cooking Persian New Year Noodle Soup (Ash Reshteh or Ash-e Reshteh) regularly sometime around 2010. Kate, a friend (and longtime reader of the site), told me the bookshop she works at (in Australia) hosted Greg & Lucy Malouf as they were promoting their book Saraban: A Chef’s Journey Through Persia. She told me to look for the book in the U.S. because she suspected I would enjoy it. Kate knows her cookbooks. I quickly tracked down the book and this, the Ash Reshteh (New Year Noodle Soup), was the first thing I cooked from it. Completely blown away, I was convinced it was the best thing to come out of my kitchen in years, and I’ve cooked it dozens of times since.

a bowl of persian new year noodle soup (Ash Reshteh) in a bowl

Ash Reshteh (Persian New Year Noodle Soup): The Details

Traditionally, this is a preparation associated with Persian New Year (Nowruz) but there is a long list of reasons I like to make it more often. In Persian culture, the new year is an opportune time to wrangle the “threads” in your life, and to set intentions and direction for the year ahead. That’s where the noodles come into play here. At its core this is a fortifying, nutrient-dense bean and noodle soup featuring thin egg noodles swimming in a fragrant broth spiced with turmeric, cumin, fresh chile, and black pepper. You use a medley of lentils, chickpeas, and cranberry beans to create a soup that is hearty and filling without being heavy. You add spinach, dill, and cilantro. You add lime juice for a bit of sour at the end. And then you prepare a number of toppings to add when you serve the soup – chopped walnuts, deeply caramelized onions, and sour cream (kashk). It’s a formidable ingredient list, but results in hearty bowls of, arguably, one of the world’s great soups.

The Ingredients:

A few notes related to shopping for ingredients.

  • Beans & Lentils: There are three types in this soup: borlotti (or cranberry beans), chickpeas, and lentils. They all have different cooking times which can be a bit of a pain. If I don’t have any beans pre-cooked in my freezer, I cook the cranberry beans from scratch, use canned chickpeas, and cook the lentils with the soup broth because they’re relatively quick to cook. I’m definitely a hard pass on canned lentils.
  • Stock/Broth: For this recipe I like to use water plus 2 tablespoons of this homemade bouillon powder to make my broth. Or you could do it with whatever bouillon you keep on hand. In general, stay clear of carton vegetable broths that have a lot of tomato or assertive vegetable flavors. You’re probably better off with water and can make adjustments from there if needed.
  • Noodles: I’ve played around with a range of noodles here over the years. I love to use thin-ish egg noodles, but the Persian grocer near me only stocks a generic sampling of spaghetti and vermicelli, so that’s where we landed the last time around. Andy Baraghani uses linguine in his wonderful version.

a bowl of persian new year noodle soup (Ash Reshteh) in a bowl to the side of a pot of soup on a sunny table

Persian New Year Noodle Soup: The Game Plan

Making Ash Reshteh can be relatively low lift if you do a bit of pre-planning. Making a couple of the components ahead of time, mostly passively, helps everything come together smoothly.

  • Make Ahead: Beans – The next time you cook borlotti or cranberry beans, make double and freeze them in sandwich-sized baggies. Same goes for chickpeas. Although, I tend to just grab a can of those off the shelf for this soup. The day you want to make this soup, you’re ready to go with fully cooked beans. Check.
  • Make Ahead: Caramelized Onions – Make the caramelized onions up to a few days prior. In fact, make triple the amount if you’re up for it. That way you have special onions to top the soup, AND pizza, pasta, or whatever sandwiches you might be throwing together. Keep the a jar in your refrigerator and bring up to room temperature before serving, so you’re not putting a cold topping on a hot soup.
  • Make Ahead Walnuts: Toast the walnuts up to a few days ahead of time.

Leftovers:

There are rarely leftover noodles, but usually there is enough broth, beans and lentils for great leftovers. I love to serve it over rice for lunch – loaded with toppings, of course!

a bowl of persian new year noodle soup (Ash Reshteh) in a bowl

Further Reading & Other Versions of Ash Reshteh:

Some of my favorite meals over the past few decade have been Persian or Persian-inspired. I love the abundant use of herbs, and color, and texture all rooted in traditional preparations. At one point I signed up, on a whim, for a brunch hosted by Komaaj in San Francisco, this was years ago. The food explored the ingredients and flavors of Northern Iran. It was regional Iranian, the menu happened to be vegetarian, and every bite was special. If you are interested in taking a deeper dive, or other versions of Ash Reshteh, here are a few suggestions.

More Noodle Soup Recipes

More Soup Recipes

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Kale Chips

There are just a couple details to get right for the perfect kale chips. This is how I make crispy pom-poms of kale everyone loves to snack on.

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This is my love letter to kale chips, a constant in my kitchen throughout the year. We bake them 3 or 4 times a week, even if we’re out in the trailer with a tiny oven. Even when it’s too hot for a reasonable person to turn on the oven. This is because kale chips are simple to make, and also because they’re *SO* good. Everyone loves snacking on them – even raw kale haters. They’re also an easy way to add a fantastic nutritional boost to all sorts of soups, salads, pizzas, and stir-fries by throwing a handful on (or in) whatever you’re eating. I’ve tweaked my technique little by little over the years to get the best results, outlined below! First thing to know – there are some details to get right.

Crispy baked kale chips in a bowl

How To Make Great Kale Chips

To make the best kale chips, a specific type of kale (curly!) is massaged with a delicious slurry of olive oil, nutritional yeast, and a bit of salt. Don’t skimp on the nutritional yeast, you’ll want to load up to get the perfect crispy crust on your chips. Bake until crisp and enjoy. The recipe is fantastically straight-forward, but the details matter. Here are the key pointers.

  • The type of kale matters. Purchase curly kale, premier kale, or curly purple kale. These types of kale have much more volume than kale varietals with flat leaves (for example, lacinato kale). The increased volume will result in crisped pom-poms of kale – exactly the best kind of kale chips.
    bunch of curly kale on a marble kitchen counter
  • Use dry kale. Make sure your kale is as dry as possible before starting. This will promote crisping and minimize steaming as the chips bake. You only want olive oil, nutritional yeast and a bit of salt to coat the leaves (below), no water drops.
    ingredients for kale chips in a mixing bowl
  • Avoid over-baking. Kale chips go from crisp to brown and sad in a flash.They’re like pine nuts in that regard. The pro-tip here is: set a timer.

How Do You Keep Kale Chips Crispy?

Allow them to cool completely. Store in and airtight container or jar.

Variations

You can make variations on kale chips by adding dry seasonings and spice blends. I like to add most seasonings after they bake. This way your spices don’t burn. I use this approach for curry powder and za’atar – two favorites. You can also look on this page of spice blends for other homemade blends I like to make and keep on hand.

baked kale chips on a baking sheet after baking

What Can you Crumble Kale Chips Over?

I like to crush kale chips over a wide range of soups, pizzas, tacos, and the like. The joke around here is, if it’s savory, I’ll crumble kale chips on it. Here are a few links to ideas and inspiration.

More Recipes with Kale




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Sweet Potato Tacos

These sweet potato tacos are so simple, and so good! Tortillas are slathered with smashed, roasted sweet potatoes. Top with black beans, sliced avocado, quick pickled red onions, a bit of cheese, and squeeze of lime. Fantastic.

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This is a quick write-up of the smashed sweet potato tacos we’ve been making for lunch recently. They couldn’t be more simple to make and are loaded with great ingredients to keep you going for the rest of the day. Tortillas get slathered with a layer of roasted, smashed sweet potatoes which are topped with a sprinkling of black beans. From there it’s all about the extra toppings like sliced avocado or guacamole, quick-pickled red onions and serrano chiles, and a bit of cheese. I use Bulgarian feta, but cotija would be good, or skip it altogether if you’re vegan. A squeeze of lime, and some sliced scallions are the finishing touch!

Sweet Potato Tacos on a plate with lots of toppings

Sweet Potato Tacos: Added Bonus

To make these tacos extra specia,l use homemade tortillas. My favorite way to make them is to use freshly made masa. There’s nothing quite as perfect as a hot tortilla made from fresh masa. Check at a local market or grocery store specializing in Mexican ingredients to start. Ask around. My second choice here, use masa harina. There are some fantastic brands like Masienda selling masa harina made from heirloom corns.

Smashed Sweet Potato Taco Recipe

A Few More Ideas

I love sweet potato tacos like these served with something bright and fresh. Something to cut the creaminess of the sweet potato.  This coleslaw, or this corn salad are great options. They’re also A-plus with a dollop of homemade guacamole slathered on top, the onions deliver some crunch and are strong enough to punch through. Also, if you love good homemade salsa, this is a favorite.

small bowls of sweet potato taco toppings including pickled onions, sliced avocado, black beans

More Sweet Potato Recipes

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Pierce Street Vegetarian Chili

The best pot of chili I’ve made in years. A vegetarian chili recipe Inspired by a bunch of little bags of remnant grains and pulses collected in my cupboards – bulgur, farro, and lentils, join chile peppers, crushed tomatoes, some chickpeas, and a secret ingredient.

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I think its safe to say, we are long overdue for a good vegetarian chili recipe. I kept waiting until I had a pot in front of me that I was giddy about, the kind of chili that has you leaning over the pot, spoon in hand, shaking your head once or twice, saying mmm-hmm. And believe me, I never thought the best pot of chili I’d made (in years) would be inspired by a bunch of little bags of remnant grains and pulses collected in my cupboards. But that’s what happened. This chili is made with bulgur, farro, lentils, chile peppers, crushed tomatoes and the chickpeas I had hanging around. Beyond that, you’ve got chili powder, and the wildcard – a bit of grated ginger.

Vegetarian chili in a bowl with chopped onion on top

What To Do With Leftover Chili

Like most chili, or stews, this vegetarian chili is even better the day after! This makes an XXL pot of the stuff, so you’ll have plenty left over. If you are feeling adventurous, you can ladle some of it into a shallow baking dish, make a few indentations with the back of a large spoon, crack eggs into the hollows, drizzle generously with olive oil, and toss it into a 375F degree oven until the eggs set up – a twist on baked eggs.

To Freeze Chili

This chili freezes brilliantly. Allow it to cool completely before ladling into freezer safe containers. I like to divide the chili into meal-sized allocations which will be different depending on your family size.

Close up photo of lentils

Variations:

I should also note, you can swap in other grains if you like. That said, I think part of the success here was choosing grains that held their structure. And shoot for grains that cook in roughly the same amount of time as the lentils. Pearled grains cook much more quickly than whole farro or barley, although certain brown rices, perhaps a basmati, could work well. There are countless great ideas in the comments as well. For example someone swapped in hominy in place of the chickpeas and said it was the best part. Brilliant! French lentils pictured above, and pearled farro pictured below.

Close up photo of pearled grains

More Chili Recipes

More Great Bean Recipes

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Mung Bean Yoga Bowl

The kind of power bowl that keeps you strong – herb-packed yogurt dolloped over a hearty bowl of mung beans and quinoa, finished with toasted nuts and a simple paprika oil.

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I thought I’d show you how I take a favorite component of a recent recipe, make a minor tweak, and turn it into something completely different. Do you remember the herb-packed coconut milk from this green curry porridge? Well, it’s good. Good in its own right. And if you have some on hand, it’s a nice jumping off point for a meal. It has a luxe, cilantro-ginger creaminess that makes for a brilliant component in dressings, drizzles, and sandwich spreads. Add some eggs and you have an easy tart filling.
Big bowl filled with mung beans, quinoa, yogurt dressing and paprika oil
For today’s recipe I made a version with yogurt in place of the coconut milk, and it did not disappoint. Lobbing dollops over a simple bowl of mung beans and quinoa made for the sort of easy, nutritious lunch I aim for. Some toasted nuts and a drizzle of paprika oil bring a bit of flair and textural contrast. It’ll keep you strong for whatever you afternoon has in store – yoga class, a bike ride, work meetings, or whatever.
mung beans draining above a large cast iron pot and a jar of quinoa to the side

This is the sort of thing that you can pack in layers in a wide-mouthed mason jar as a portable lunch or picnic go-to. It’s good at room temperature and doesn’t require much fuss at all once you have the components prepared. And really, don’t get too hung up on the base ingredients – like I mentioned, I used mung beans and black quinoa, but if you have lentils and/or brown rice on hand, you’re set. Try to work in a substantial protein component though like some sort of bean or lentil. It’ll keep you strong and less hungry compared to, say, a rice-only version. xo Enjoy! -htofu scramble with skillet potatoes in a bowl

More lunch ideas:

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Broccoli Apple Salad

A dreamy broccoli apple salad made from all-star ingredients. Bright broccoli florets, crisp apples, crunchy fried shallots, candied nuts and slivered red onions are tossed in a honey-kissed, creamy, almond dressing.

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All things crunchy and colorful are combined in this broccoli apple salad. And it’s a beauty! Bright broccoli florets, crisp apples, crunchy shallots, candied nuts and slivered red onions are tossed in a barely sweet, creamy almond dressing.

broccoli apple salad drizzled with dressing on a blue plate

This is a hearty and substantial salad with lots of play between the sweet of the apple, the savory shallots, and the crunch of the candied walnuts and crisp, flash-boiled broccoli. It’s the sort of thing that is welcome on just about any table – holiday, picnic, Tuesday night, or desk at work. I if you’re on the look out for feel-good lunch ideas, I also love this broccoli salad as a bento component.

ingredients for broccoli salad including walnuts, chives, apples and red onions arranged on a counter

Make Ahead Plan

With a bit of planning, this recipe comes together quickly. You can make most of components ahead of time, but, pro-tip, don’t dress the salad until you are ready to serve it. This preserves the various crunches. Make the almond butter dressing up to a few days in advance. Same goes for the crispy shallots. If you are going to do the version with candied walnuts, those will hold in an air-tight container for weeks. Beyond that you’re simply boiling broccoli and slicing apples.

all the ingredients for broccoli apple salad in a metal bowl readdy to be tossed

Broccoli Salad Variations

  • Make it a Main Dish: Add caramelized tofu, pan-glazed tempeh, or spicy tempeh crumble (on top) to turn this into a main course.

  • Ginger Carrot Broccoli Salad: Swap out the creamy almond butter dressing in the recipe below, and use this ginger carrot dressing instead.

  • Broccoli Apple Salad with Spicy Ranch Dressing: Swap out the creamy almond butter in the recipe below and use this spicy ranch dressing in this wedge salad recipe instead.

  • Broccoli Apple Salad with Peanut Butter Dressing: In this version, swap out the almond butter and swap in peanut butter.

broccoli apple salad drizzled with dressing on a blue plate with a large serving spoon

More Broccoli Recipes

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10 Fantastic Pumpkin Recipes Worth Making this Fall

The best pumpkin recipes currently on my radar for this fall. A curated list of recipes to have in rotation for peak pumpkin (and winter squash) season. Emphasis on dinner, emphasis on savory.

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Because pumpkin recipes can often be so wrong, you need a list of when they are so right. This is a curated list of recipes to have in rotation for peak pumpkin (and winter squash) season. Emphasis on dinner, emphasis on savory.

1. Pumpkin and Rice Soup – (101 Cookbooks)
Six ingredients stand between you and this favorite ginger-chile kissed pumpkin soup. Served over rice it makes the perfect simple, soul-warming meal. Get the recipe here.

Fantastic Pumpkin Recipes worth Making this Fall

2. Pumpkin & Feta Muffins – (101 Cookbooks)
These are a super interesting, hearty beast of a savory muffin. Packed with seeds, spinach, herbs, and seasoned with mustard, you can use any winter squash. Get the recipe here.

Fantastic Pumpkin Recipes worth Making this Fall

3. Pumpkin Miso Broth with Soba – (My New Roots)
Soba noodles in a pureed pumpkin soup flavored with miso and ginger. Top with lots of scallions, sesame seeds, seaweed (I like toasted nori, crumbled), and sautéed (or roasted) shiitake mushrooms. Or you can simply make the base soup and top with whatever you have on hand. Get the recipe here.

Fantastic Pumpkin Recipes worth Making this Fall
4. Toasted Pumpkin Seeds – (101 Cookbooks)
While you’re at it, if you’re cooking with pumpkin, you might as well toast the seeds. It’s simple and you can season them a bunch of different ways – I’ve included three faves here. Get the recipe.
Fantastic Pumpkin Recipes worth Making this Fall

5. David Kramer and Hayley Magnus’ Squash and Kale Salad – (Salad for President)
Use whatever pumpkin or hard winter squash you’ve got, cut into thick slabs. Kale represents big here accented with hazelnuts, pickled onions, and cilantro. Get the recipe here.

Fantastic Pumpkin Recipes worth Making this Fall
6. Sourdough Galette with Delicata Squash – (101 Cookbooks)
Six ingredients stand between you and this favorite ginger-chile kissed pumpkin soup. Served over rice it makes the perfect simple, soul-warming meal. Get the recipe here.
Fantastic Pumpkin Recipes worth Making this Fall

7. Incredible Squash Pizza – (Wholehearted Eats)
If you’re open to alternative interpretations of pizza, this is a beauty. The “crust” is a riff on the popular cauliflower crust, this one made with pumpkin (or winter squash) slathered with a basil-spinach nut sauce, and topped with vibrant cherry tomatoes or other seasonal veg. Get the recipe here.

Fantastic Pumpkin Recipes worth Making this Fall

8. Miso Sesame Winter Squash – (101 Cookbooks)
Inspired by a recipe in Bryant Terry’s cookbook, The Inspired Vegan. Roasted winter squash (and tofu) is combined here with a wonderful miso, maple, sesame and citrus sauce. Get the recipe here.

Fantastic Pumpkin Recipes worth Making this Fall

9. Roasted Delicata Squash – (101 Cookbooks)
If breaking down a big pumpkin or squash fills you with dread, this is your recipe. A longtime favorite, it calls for thin-skinned delicata squash, and you leave the skins on. Tossed with a miso harissa paste, roasted and combined with potatoes, kales, and almonds. Give this one a go for sure. Get the recipe here.

Fantastic Pumpkin Recipes worth Making this Fall
10. Pumpkin, Spinach and Walnut Spaghetti – (Lazy Cat Kitchen)
If I can’t be bothered to carve and cube an actual pumpkin or squash for a recipe like this one, I grab for a bag of frozen sweet potatoes. They’re pre-cubed, and I always keep a couple bags in the freezer for lazy weeknights. Alternately, you might carve a number of pumpkins or squash on your own, and freeze any you wont be using. Being nice to your future self! 😉Get the recipe here.
Fantastic Pumpkin Recipes worth Making this Fall

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