Mixed Vegetable Soup, Spanish Style MAKES: 4 to 6 servings TIME: 1 hour In Spain, a soup similar to minestrone is likely to begin with roasting the vegetables, which yields a more robust flavor (and takes a little more time). 1 large onion, roughly chopped 1 head...
Miso Soup MAKES: 4 servings TIME: About 15 minutes At its simplest, miso soup is really just tea—miso mixed with water (which you can do in a cup, with a little whisk). This recipe is slightly more complicated, flavorful, and substantial. Almost needless to say, you...
Spicy No-Mayo Coleslaw MAKES: 8 servings TIME: 30 minutes If you want restaurant-style coleslaw, you combine shredded cabbage with mayo and maybe a little lemon juice. This version is far more flavorful with far less fat. I like cabbage salad (which is what coleslaw...
Simple Seaweed Salad MAKES: 4 servings TIME: 20 minutes The easiest way to produce this salad is to buy a small package of mixed seaweeds (your local natural foods store may sell this, and your local Japanese store certainly does) and proceed from there. But once you...
Minestrone MAKES: 4 to 6 servings TIME: 45 to 60 minutes The Italian take on what-have-you vegetable soup and, like most others, infinitely and easily varied. A mix of vegetables, always with tomato, is all you’re looking for, though combining “hard” and...
Lentil Soup with Coconut MAKES: 4 servings TIME: 11/2 hours, largely unattended I use regular brown lentils here, but you can use red lentils, which actually cook faster, or the more traditional split pigeon peas, also known as tavoor dal (available at most Asian and...
Shaved Artichoke Salad MAKES: 4 servings TIME: 30 minutes Ultra-thin slicing is handy for making salads from intensely flavored vegetables because the pieces are tender yet crisp and easier to eat. Cooked or marinated artichoke hearts are a great prepared addition to...
Seaweed Romaine Salad MAKES: 4 servings TIME: 30 minutes We tend to think of seaweed only as an Asian food, but the people of the United Kingdom (and Canada’s Maritimes) are also longtime seaweed eaters. And why not? It grows all over the world. This...
Korean Mushroom Soup MAKES: 4 servings TIME: 30 minutes or a little longer Korean mushroom soup can be as simple as precooked mushrooms, water, sesame oil, and soy sauce. This is a little more complex, substantial, and flavorful, but not much more work. 1/2 ounce...
Kombu Dashi MAKES: about 2 quarts TIME: 15 minutes Dashi is the building block of Japanese cuisine and usually flavored with dried bonito (a tunalike fish). But this variation is just as traditional. It may have roots in Japan’s Buddhist vegetarian tradition, but I...
Sea Slaw MAKES: 4 to 6 servings TIME: 20 minutes, plus time to rest if you like This is the most colorful slaw you’ve ever seen. The seaweed will quickly absorb some of the dressing and plump up a bit but still remain chewy. You can use any type of seaweed you like,...
Roasted Onion Salad MAKES: 4 to 8 servings TIME: At least 1 hour, largely unattended As in Green Salad with Caramelized Onion-Thyme Dressing, the cooked onions here are so sweet you have to add something strong tasting. Vinegar is an obvious choice, of course, but...