Weeknight Meals

Cooked, puréed zucchini adds rich, creamy body to this easy, summery soup.

Cucumbers are practically all water, so you gotta dress them like you mean it. This hot, sweet, and tart dressing will have them covered.

You can slice the cauliflower any direction you like, just be watchful of your fingertips on the mandoline and work over a bowl to catch all the bits of flying florets.

A day-old loaf of good bread can reach new heights when it's thick-cut and pan-fried in olive oil. We top these giant croutons with steamed clams or mussels, sink them into brothy soups, and crumble them over big salads. But this dish, a saucy little mix of beans, greens, and garlic, gives us a reason to look forward to Meatless Monday.

If you don’t have za'atar on hand, dried mint is equally delicious infused into hot oil.

Make a batch of grains on Sunday and you're within striking distance of a winning dinner on any weeknight (and lunch al desko for days). Case in point: This easy stir-fry, which, when combined with the trusty #putaneggonit, is irresistible. We use kimchi juice to finish; it keeps the grains moist and gives the dish a kick.

If you have ever peeled, seeded, and sliced cucumbers for salads, this recipe will hopefully change your mind. Smashing the cucumbers augments the vegetable's ability to absorb seasonings.

Humble white vinegar does double duty here, tenderizing chicken thighs while giving them a tart flavor accentuated by a super-easy charred lemon–garlic sauce.

The key to developing crispy browned surfaces on roasted cauliflower is baking in a superhot oven on the lowest rack so the baking sheet is close to the heat radiating off the bottom of the oven.

Thick-cut planks of roasted cauliflower make for a stunning vegetarian entrée, especially when dressed with a sweet-and-spicy, chutney-like relish.

Combine a few pantry staples to make this simple but luxurious anytime pasta.

Philosophical question: Is it still a wedge if it isn't smothered in blue cheese and bacon? It's debatable, but we do know that this is a healthyish wedge salad we'd happily eat every day. It's got the rich part—a creamy tahini dressing that's so thick it anchors the greens. It's got the crunchy stuff—seeds and coarse salt. And it's got freshness—actual lettuce and herbs. Iceberg who?

Slow-roasting salmon is a sure-fire, never-fail technique for tender, flaky fish. Coating it with harissa paste ensures it’s flavorful too.

Browning sausage in the same skillet used to bake this pizza not only preheats the pan (the key to a crisp crust), it also infuses that crust with rich, porky flavor.

Loving meatballs has never been this rewarding. They're gilded with lots of strong spices and set in a cooling swoosh of yogurt and anointed with the sweet brightness of a mint pesto. Sound fancy? Not really. We use ground lamb, which is naturally fatty and can be baked without sacrificing juiciness or a charred crust.

You don't need a culinary school degree to cook fish with skin as crunchy as a potato chip. Grab your nonstick skillet, start the fish skin side down, and slowly raise the heat. The skin will lie flat, gradually rendering fat like a strip of bacon, while the flesh gently cooks through. You can do this. Anyone can do this.

Sick days (real ones, at least) are unpredictable, so having a back-pocket broth that doesn’t require recipe planning should be part of your medicine cabinet.

Larb will not only fill your belly, it will teach you how to balance sweet, sour, salty, spicy, funky, and umami flavors. Larb hails from Laos and gets its addictiveness from the way it stitches together ground meat and crunchy, juicy textures. When you get the balance right, this dish sings, each bite creating a craving for more.

Shaping meatballs into perfect spheres is too fussy for a weeknight meal. Instead, drop dollops of spiced ground chicken onto a sheet pan and roast with carrots until both are golden brown.

Cut into small pieces, roasted cauliflower mingles with pasta, bacon, and Parmesan in this hearty, comforting twist on classic carbonara.