Your vegetarian cooking resolution starter packWhether you woke up with a Champagne-induced headache or the chipper contentment of someone who went to bed long before midnight, chances are you’ll spend some time today reflecting on the you that was — and anticipating the you that awaits. I love resolution-making, not because the act itself guarantees self-improvement, but because goals, big and small, are great reminders of what we once longed for, and how much those desires can change over the course of a year. For the last three years, I’ve documented my cooking resolutions in this newsletter — though the ritual itself is one of the few habits I’ve actually managed to maintain in that time. Many look to the new year as an opportunity to re-evaluate their relationship with vegetables. If that sounds like you, there’s no better place to be than here. Below, you’ll find a vegetarian cooking resolution starter pack: recipes that are as accessible to beginners as they are satisfying to those who know their way around a cabbage. You need a bean, a pasta, a tofu. You need a wicked good salad and a soul-affirming soup. For your bean, Lidey Heuck’s braised white beans and greens with Parmesan recipe is at your service, with its five-star rating and more than 16,000 reviews. With 30 minutes, an assortment of pantry staples and some fennel, herbs and escarole (or kale or chard), you can create a dish worthy of a restaurant menu. No, seriously. I happened to order gigante beans and greens at a precious Italian restaurant over the weekend, and I marveled at the similarities. Given my own goal of cutting down on dining out in January, I’ll be making good use of Lidey’s recipe. Soy Sauce and Brown Butter Brussels Sprouts PastaA pasta next. Hetty Lui McKinnon’s new soy sauce and brown butter brussels sprouts pasta is just as quick, and delivers on another of my resolutions: to make more weeknight use of vegetables I often reserve for holidays or special occasions, like brussels sprouts. I love ’em, and I frankly don’t cook with them enough, though I can see this dish working just as well with cabbage, which I often have on hand. As Hetty writes, “it is possible to add other or more vegetables to balance the richness of the buttery soy sauce; mushrooms, spinach, kale and broccoli are all good options.” (If you’re new to vegetarian cooking, note that traditional Parmigiano-Reggiano uses animal rennet in the cheese-making process. Cheeses labeled “Parmesan” may contain nonanimal rennet derived from vegetables or fungi — just check the label. Vegetarian Parm is your friend.) A vegetarian cooking starter pack would hardly deliver on its promise without a strong tofu recipe, specifically one from Yewande Komolafe, a true master of the form. Her za’atar roasted tofu with chickpeas, tomatoes and lemony tahini is easy to make vegan if you replace the tablespoon of honey with maple syrup, and, coming together entirely on a sheet pan, this dish is streamlined for all cooking comfort levels. We love a recipe that multitasks! “I feel, with every indulgent bite, my taste buds just being completely spoiled,” one reader writes. “This dish is deserving of all five stars and more!” And not only does it check the tofu box, but it also satisfies my bean and salad requirements. Bonus salad, then. Melissa Clark’s vegan roasted cauliflower and arugula salad has all the elements I look for: bold greens (here, peppery arugula and palate-cleansing parsley); savory, charred vegetables; tangy bits (pickled onion, capers); sweet bits (golden raisins); and a bright dressing. That’s enough to make you forget it’s Jan. 37th. And finally, you’ll need something brothy, because the days may be getting longer, but they’re sure as soup not getting any warmer. There’s Lidey’s creamy cauliflower soup with rosemary oil for that — silky, rich, vegan and fresh with a sprinkle of lemon zest. Time to put the immersion blender you got for Christmas to use! “I’m stunned by how good this is,” a reader wrote. From another: “This soup is heavenly.” No matter where you are in your plant-forward journey, let these recipes serve as lighthouses, guiding you back to shore when you need to reset, be that on Jan. 1 or any other day this year. Thanks for reading, and happy New Year!
Braised White Beans and Greens With Parmesan
Za’atar Roasted Tofu With Chickpeas, Tomatoes and Lemony Tahini
Roasted Cauliflower and Arugula SaladFor a limited time, you can enjoy free access to the recipes in this newsletter in our app. Download it on your iOS or Android device and create a free account to get started. Email us at theveggie@nytimes.com. Newsletters are archived here. Reach out to my colleagues at cookingcare@nytimes.com if you have questions about your account.
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