Food52 Mighty Salads

Crispy grains + sautéed vegetable “pebbles” + nuts + crumbly cheese + herbs + citrus

Sometimes you want to use your fork to poke around a salad, excavating the wily arugula leaves and camouflaged croutons. Other times—tonight, maybe—you don’t want dinner to be an archaeological dig; you want a salad with more consistency, though just as much excitement. To make crispy bits of asparagus you won’t have to hunt down, take a tip from Thomas Keller: Cut the stalks crosswise into thin coins, then crisp them up with the longer, stubbly tops and the farro. A fork—or better, a spoon—will cradle them with farro and tiny cubes of feta, each bite as focused with lemon, red pepper, and tarragon as the next.

1. Snap off the tough bottoms of each asparagus spear; discard or save them for asparagus soup or another use. Gather the spears into a bundle, cut off the tips and cut the spears into ¼-inch (6mm) coins.

2. In a wide saucepan or Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the farro and stir to coat the grains evenly. Cook, stirring occasionally, until toasted, 3 to 5 minutes. Add a generous pinch of salt and enough water to cover the farro by at least 2 inches (5cm). Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer until the farro is al dente, about 25 minutes. Drain.

3. While the farro is cooking, in a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, the butter, and red pepper flakes over medium-high heat, stirring a few times so the pepper flakes evenly toast, just a couple minutes. Working in batches if needed, add the asparagus tips and sauté for about a minute, then add the asparagus coins and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the tips and coins are bright green and crisp-tender, a minute or two more.

4. Add the drained farro to the asparagus. Add the lemon zest and juice and 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, tossing well to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Add up to another tablespoon of olive oil, if you like. Let cool for about 10 minutes, then add the pistachios, feta, and tarragon and toss again. Serve warm or at room temperature. (The salad will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a day; bring to room temperature before serving.)

In this salad, the elements of CSA-gobbling ratatouille don’t slouch into a stew, but rather get charred and diced up, bounced around with bulgur and a flurry of herbs and toasty almonds and cheese, then misted with lemony tahini dressing. Emily Connor calls this salad “ratatouille that’s taken a detour to the Middle East.” That’s true, though it’s also dinner tonight and lunch, cold, tomorrow.

1. In a 2-quart (1.9L) saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the bulgur and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bulgur is golden and fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Cover, turn down the heat, and simmer until the bulgur is tender and the stock is absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain well and spread evenly on a rimmed baking sheet to cool and prevent clumping.

2. To make the dressing, whisk all of the dressing ingredients together until emulsified. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Drizzle half of the dressing over the bulgur, tossing to evenly coat. Season with salt.

3. Heat the grill to medium and brush your grates clean, or heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Evenly coat the eggplants, zucchini, tomato, onion, and bell pepper with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. When the grill is hot, grill the vegetables, turning occasionally, until moderately charred and tender. This could take a few minutes for the tomato and up to 10 minutes for the bell pepper and onion. Transfer the grilled vegetables to a cutting board, let cool, then coarsely chop into bite-size pieces.

4. Spread the bulgur out on a large serving platter. Top with the cooled grilled vegetables and toss with a little more dressing until the salad is well coated. Scatter over the feta, almonds, basil, and mint. Serve warm or at room temperature.

While slightly smoky Aleppo pepper is different from the not-crazy-hot piment d’Espelette or robust chile de árbol, most dried chiles are fairly interchangeable, so pick the chile you like best and use it whenever red pepper flakes are called for. Which chiles make up generic red pepper flakes, anyway?

Smoked Lentil Salad with Sriracha Miso Mayo

Smoked lentils + spicy mayo + raw, crisp veg

Serves 4 | From Nancy Brush

The first thing that struck us about this salad was how it smelled. The next was that the smoky scent was wafting not from bacon or a fire pit but from lentils.And then we were smitten. While lentils can be smoked outside on your grill, this is the opportunity to make your house smell like a campfire without setting off a temperamental fire alarm—hacking a smoker with a Dutch oven, colander, and mesquite or hickory chips. The smoking process is totally fun and mesmerizing—the cooked lentils turn red and take on a heartiness they’ve never known.

While you might assume the rich smokiness is overwhelming or one-note, the sriracha miso mayo adds acid, salt, and earthiness. The fresh vegetables are important—they provide texture—but feel free to play with whatever you’ve got. Serve this salad as shown on this page on a slightly burnt piece of toast (char begets char), or over a pile of greens, or alongside a burger to get ample use from your grill.

8 ounces (225g) green lentils, rinsed and picked over (preferably Le Puy)

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

¼ cup (60ml) olive oil

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 cup (160g) roughly diced yellow onion

3 celery stalks, cut into large dice

Kosher salt

3 carrots, sliced into coins

1½ cups (355ml) low-sodium vegetable stock

½ cup (45g) mesquite or hickory chips

1 cup (105g) diced cucumber

1 cup (180g) diced fresh tomatoes

½ cup (80g) diced sweet onions (such as Vidalia or Walla Walla)

Freshly ground black pepper

Sriracha Miso Mayo

½ cup (120ml) mayonnaise

¼ cup (70g) white miso paste

1 teaspoon sriracha

1. In a large, heatproof bowl, combine the lentils, cumin, garlic powder, and onion powder and cover with boiling water. Soak, covered, for 20 minutes, then drain well and set aside.

2. In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. When the oil begins to shimmer, turn the heat to medium, add the garlic, and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the onion and celery and season with salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the carrots, drained lentils, and stock, turn the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Immediately turn down the heat and simmer, covered, until the lentils are just tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Spread the lentils evenly on two rimmed baking sheets to let cool and prevent clumping.

3. Meanwhile, cover the wood chips with water in a small bowl and let soak for 20 minutes. Drain.

4. If you’re smoking the lentils on the stove, line the bottom of a large Dutch oven with heavy-duty aluminum foil, add the soaked wood chips, cover the pot, and turn the heat to high. Pour one baking sheet of lentils into a colander. Once the wood chips start smoking, set the colander in the pot, and re-cover the pot (you could add a layer of foil if the lid isn’t fitting well). Smoke for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, keeping the pot closed, and let the smoke subside for 5 minutes. The lentils will turn a little red. If you’re smoking the lentils on the grill, wrap the soaked wood chips in heavy-duty aluminum foil and pierce the foil several times. Heat the grill to medium-high. Place the wood chips near the grill’s heating element (or according to your grill’s directions), and close the grill. After 10 minutes, place one baking sheet of lentils on the grill grates, close the grill, and smoke for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, keeping the grill closed, and let the smoke subside for 5 minutes. Leave the second baking sheet of lentils unsmoked.

5. To make the mayo, stir together the mayonnaise, miso, and sriracha until combined. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

6. Let the lentils cool to room temperature. Transfer the smoked and unsmoked lentils to a large bowl and gently fold half of the mayonnaise in. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, 2 to 4 hours.

7. Stir in the cucumber, tomato, and onion. Fold in the remaining mayo, sprinkle with pepper, and serve.

Genius Tip: Pickled Grains

These wunderkinder of make-ahead lunches can be toasted (this page) but also pickled—a trick we found in the pages of Everyday Whole Grains by Ann Taylor Pittman. Imagine a grain in caper form, and you have a pickled grain. To make a cup (175g), in a pot, combine 1½ cups (355ml) apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar, 3 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, a bay leaf, a dried red chile, and whatever whole spices you like to pickle with. Bring to a boil and cook until the sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes. Stir in a cup (160g) of cooked hard grains (farro, millet, wheat berries, spelt, or kamut—soft grains like barley will mush). Remove from the heat, let cool to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for 1 hour before sprinkling on salads. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Coconut Rice Salad with Mango, Bell Pepper & Lime

Grain + lentils + fruit + warming spices + herbs

Serves 4 | From Emily Connor

This salad proves that with a little primp and polish, your favorite side can easily become your main squeeze. Studded with fried lentils, fresh chiles, and salty nuts, coconut rice is a popular Indian dish that often costars alongside curries or dals, but adding mango, crunchy bell pepper, and the zing of lime juice brings it center stage. Because the ingredients hold up, this salad is equally delicious warm or at room temperature—several hours or even a day after making it. Serve it with a dollop of yogurt and more cilantro than you think you need.

Kosher salt

1 cup (185g) basmati rice, rinsed

½ cup (95g) brown lentils, rinsed and picked over

¼ cup (60ml) vegetable oil or ghee

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

½ teaspoon black mustard seeds

2 teaspoons peeled, grated fresh ginger

⅔ cup (50g) unsweetened dried coconut flakes

⅓ cup (50g) salted roasted peanuts

Grated zest of 1 lime

2 to 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

1 large or 2 small mangoes, cut into matchsticks

1 large bell pepper, seeded and cut into matchsticks

1 cup (20g) loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves

1 Fresno or jalapeño chile, cut into thin rings

1. Bring two large pots of salted water to a boil. Stir the rice into one pot and the lentils into the other. Return the pots to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer until tender but not mushy, 10 to 12 minutes for the rice and 15 to 20 minutes for the lentils. Drain the cooked rice and spread it evenly on a rimmed baking sheet to cool and prevent clumping. Drain the lentils in a colander and let cool.

2. In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add ¼ cup (50g) of the cooked lentils, the cumin seeds, and the mustard seeds and fry until the lentils start to crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the ginger and cook for a minute or so until fragrant. Then add the coconut flakes and peanuts, stirring well, and continue to fry until the coconut turns light golden, another minute or two. Remove from the heat and stir in the lime zest. Measure out ¼ cup (35g) for garnish.

3. In a large serving bowl, combine the rice, lentils, and remaining fried lentil-coconut mixture. Add the lime juice and a pinch of salt. Fold in the mango, bell pepper, cilantro, and chile. Sprinkle the reserved fried lentil-coconut mixture over the top and serve warm.

Farro & Golden Beet Salad with Chive-Sage Dressing

Hardy grains + roasted roots + candied nuts + crumbly cheese + herby dressing

Serves 4 | From Emily Nichols Grossi

There is something so beautiful—and reassuring—about a dish you can make at the beginning of the week in under an hour and pack for lunch every day, knowing it’s only going to get better as the week goes on. This is one of those salads: It’s hearty enough to keep you full until dinner, with enough going on flavor- and texture-wise (earthy-sweet beets, creamy feta, sautéed-herb dressing, just-spicy candied pecans!) that it keeps you interested—very interested. For even more intrigue, add a spice-fried egg (this page).

3 golden beets, trimmed

Extra-virgin olive oil, for sprinkling

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1¾ cups (415ml) vegetable stock

1 cup (180g) pearled farro

⅓ cup (40g) pecans

2 tablespoons maple syrup

Small pinch of cayenne pepper

⅓ cup (50g) good-quality crumbled feta

Chive-Sage Dressing

⅓ cup (80ml) extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon chopped fresh chives

1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage

Juice of ½ lemon

1 teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Place the beets in the center of a big piece of foil on a baking sheet. Coat with some olive oil and salt and pepper. Fold the foil to make a packet and crimp the edges. Bake the beets until tender (you can check by piercing a fork through the foil), 45 to 60 minutes, depending on their size. Remove from the oven. When cool enough to handle, remove them from the foil and peel off the skin. Coarsely chop.

2. Meanwhile, pour the stock into a 2-quart (1.9L) saucepan, cover, and bring to a boil. Pour in the farro, then turn down the heat and simmer until the farro is just on the tender side of al dente, 15 to 25 minutes. Drain well.

3. To make the dressing, in a small saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until very warm. Off the heat, whisk in the chives, sage, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Let rest in the pan so the flavors meld.

4. Coat a piece of aluminum foil with nonstick cooking spray. Put the pecans in a small skillet and set over medium heat. When the skillet is warm, add the maple syrup and cayenne. Stir continuously until the pecans are evenly coated and the syrup bubbles nicely, about 5 minutes. Pour the pecan mixture onto the prepared foil, let cool, and then coarsely chop.

5. In a bowl, toss together the farro, beets, pecans, and feta. Whisk the dressing again and pour it over the salad. Stir gently until well combined. Season with salt, then eat.

Easy Eggs

Genius Tip: Spice-Fried Eggs

Frying an egg in hot olive oil, basting it as lovingly as you do a Thanksgiving turkey, results in an egg with crispy edges and a runny center. You probably already know that. But adding spices to that warm oil is a teensy upgrade that you can execute even at your hangriest. As the spices simmer in the oil, they toast and round out, turning plain ol’ cooking oil into a luscious sauce. Canal House’s version adds ½ teaspoon of smoked paprika to 4 tablespoons of olive oil before cracking 4 eggs in the pan. The eggs get seasoned with salt, then basted with the oil with a spoon—turning down the heat if it gets too hot. The eggs are then served with the oil spooned over—electric with spice and color. But we couldn’t stop there, frying our eggs in turmeric, cumin, harissa, za’atar, chile flakes, cayenne (and not worrying too much about the measurements—it’s fried eggs, not physics).

Egg Salad Every Which Way

Once they’re cool, chop the eggs according to your mood—the shape doesn’t affect the flavor. Feeling type A? Use an egg slicer to make straight-sided pieces. Too tired to deal with sharp tools? A butter knife will break the eggs into jagged edges. We won’t tell anyone if you just tear up the eggs with your hands. Whether you’re more of a mayonnaise or Greek yogurt type, choose a neutral binding agent with at least a little fat to bring the egg salad together. Olive oil would do the trick; Merrill uses cottage cheese! Your accompaniments can be as simple as a squiggle of yellow mustard and a tablespoon or two of apple cider vinegar. But you could also add celery for crunch, dill and chives for additional oomph, and diced capers and cornichons for a briny bite. The key is to use a similar size dice for all of the ingredients (including the eggs). Anything you’d add to an omelet (bacon, fresh or sun-dried tomatoes, feta) would be welcome here. Taste as you go, adjusting the seasoning with salt and pepper as you like.

How to Poach Eggs

Bring a wide saucepan with 3 to 4 inches (7.5 to 10cm) of water to a boil. Crack an egg into a ramekin, then gently shift it into a fine-mesh sieve, letting some of the white drain from the yolk. Shimmy the egg back into the ramekin, then slip it into the boiling water. Let the egg simmer until the white is opaque, a few minutes. Use a fine-mesh sieve or slotted spoon to remove your perfectly poached, wisp-less egg, then repeat as necessary.

Don’t Boil Eggs—Steam Them!

Every person has their way of hard-boiling eggs—“Start with cold water!” “No, the water has to be boiling!”—but a steamer crushes the competition (and really, starting with cold water makes the eggs harder to peel, so start with boiling if you don’t steam). When you steam eggs, the whites become tender and the yolks are anything but chalky. The eggs are evenly cooked, in little time (because you’re boiling only a bit of water instead of a potful).

To hard- or soft-cook your eggs in a steamer: Bring 1 inch (2.5cm) of water to a boil in a big pot with a metal steamer inside. Transfer your eggs directly from the fridge to the steamer—we can fit 6 without overcrowding. Cover the pot and let the eggs cook for 12 minutes for hard-boiled and 6 minutes for soft-boiled. Transfer the eggs to an ice bath, let them chill out until you can handle them, then peel or refrigerate until you’re ready for them.

How to Peel Boiled Eggs

The keys to quickly and easily peelable eggs are water and cold eggs. In an ideal world, you’d refrigerate the cooked eggs overnight before peeling. But in the real world if you have just minutes, submerge the eggs in a bowl of cold water until they’re cool enough to handle. Then, use the bowl’s rim to crack the egg and gently peel underwater. The water acts as gentle wedge as you pry the shell from the egg white. The shells float to the top, leaving you with just your peeled eggs.

Radish & Pecan Grain Salad

Grains of all sorts + protein + herbs + crunch + dried fruit + vinegar

Serves 4 | From Amanda Hesser

As Amanda put it, “This is the kind of salad that sounds like a starchy do-gooder, but it has grace and conviction.” Adapted from Court Street Grocers in Brooklyn (and shown on this page), it’ll teach you that you can cook all different grains together in the same pot, so long as you time it right. It’ll show you that different oils (here, walnut) will pay off in their ability to backbone in a way olive oil just can’t, and it won’t slap you on the wrist if your fridge isn’t bursting with the season’s best. Here’s where to put your dried cranberries, raisins, pecans, and other pantry lurkers.

2 cups (360g) mixed grains (such as pearled farro, freekeh, wheat berries, wild rice, quinoa, pearl barley, or any combination)

1 cup (125g) cubed roast turkey

1 cup (115g) radishes (ideally watermelon or French breakfast), thinly sliced with a mandoline

1 cup (20g) loosely packed baby arugula leaves

1 cup (20g) loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, minced

½ cup (10g) loosely packed fresh tarragon leaves, minced

½ cup (10g) loosely packed fresh mint leaves, cut in a chiffonade

½ cup (50g) pecans

½ cup (75g) raisins

½ cup (60g) dried cranberries

¼ cup (60ml) walnut oil

¼ cup (60ml) sherry vinegar

¼ cup (40g) minced shallots

¼ cup (60ml) olive oil

¼ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed

1. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the grains, turn down the heat, and simmer until just tender, about 25 minutes. (With grains like wild rice and wheat berries, add them to the pot first and cook 10 minutes before adding the remaining grains).

2. Drain the grains in a colander, then set aside until warm to the touch.

3. In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients and toss well. Adjust seasonings to taste and serve warm or at room temperature.

Genius Tip: Bulk-Toasting Nuts, Just Do It

For a small amount of nuts, we’re the first to stick them in a skillet over low heat till they smell like themselves. But for toasting in bulk, the oven is the way to go—especially if you heat it to a lower temperature than you might think. Our creative director, Kristen Miglore, picked up this tip when she was a whippersnapper-intern at Saveur magazine’s test kitchen. The director at the time, Hunter Lewis, who’s now the editor at Cooking Light, likes to toast nuts on a rimmed baking sheet at 325°F (165°C). Because the oils are gently coaxed out, the nuts are more evenly toasted and less prone to burning in the blink of an eye. Nuts will take anywhere from 5 minutes (pistachios) to 15 (whole almonds and hazelnuts)—though use these times just as a guideline. Your nose should decide when the nuts are toasty.

Instead of toasting precisely the amount of nuts a recipe calls for, toast a whole bag at once so they’re always at the ready. They will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a month or in the freezer up to a year.

Sprouted Mung Bean, Carrot & Date Salad

Sprouts, grains, or beans + crunchy veg and nuts + dried fruit + tart vinaigrette + yogurt

Serves 4 | From Emily Connor

The mung bean, fixture of the 1970s, gets new life in sprout form: They’re like nature’s Pop Rocks, surprising at every bite. We really urge you (in a no-pressure, nonviolent sort of way) to sprout the beans yourself (this page). They’re the brightest thing to come out of your pantry, so much cheaper than store-bought versions, and really simple to make—plus, it’s thrilling to finally grow something on the windowsill. (If you’re feeling antsy, cooked beans or grains, such as spelt or wheat berries, can sub in.) The salad gets chic with its lemon-macerated dates, sultry pomegranate molasses vinaigrette, and an herby yogurt sauce—but still a little crunchy with the sprouts and carrots, celery and walnuts too.

8 Medjool dates, pitted and quartered lengthwise

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 cup (105g) sprouted mung beans (this page)

4 carrots, thinly sliced into rounds

2 celery stalks, thinly sliced crosswise

½ cup (50g) walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped

¼ cup (5g) loosely packed cilantro leaves

1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and chopped

Kosher salt

Pomegranate Vinaigrette

2 tablespoons minced shallots

1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses

Grated zest of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more as needed

¼ cup (60ml) olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Dill-Yogurt Sauce

¾ cup (175ml) Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1. In a small bowl, toss together the dates and lemon juice. Let macerate.

2. To make the vinaigrette, in a bowl or jar, whisk together the shallots, pomegranate molasses, lemon zest and juice, and olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, and add more lemon juice to taste. In a separate bowl, stir the yogurt sauce ingredients.

3. Put the dates and any remaining lemon juice into a large bowl. Add the mung beans, carrots, celery, walnuts, cilantro, and avocado. Add the vinaigrette, a tablespoon at a time, and gently toss with your hands until the ingredients are evenly dressed. Season with salt and more lemon juice.

4. Spoon a puddle of the sauce on each plate and top with the salad. This salad can be made several hours in advance and served at room temp (though add the avocado right at the end).

Pomegranate Molasses DIY

Once you realize that making pomegranate molasses is essentially boiling pomegranate juice for an hour and change, why continue your endless hunt for the store-bought stuff? To make this tart, ruby-red syrup yourself, cook 4 cups (950ml) pomegranate juice, ½ cup (100g) sugar, and 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves. Turn down the heat to medium-low and cook until the mixture gets thick and syrupy and reduces to 1 cup (240ml), 70 to 80 minutes. Let cool for 30 minutes before transferring to a glass jar, where it can live in your fridge for up to 6 months.

How to Sprout Your Own Grains, Beans & Seeds (No Sunshine Required)

In a matter of days, give the grains, beans, and seeds languishing in your pantry a fresh start—and give yourself a seriously nutritious, delicious ingredient to play with. All you need is a jar with a lid, a bowl, some cheesecloth, a rubber band or twine, and a few days.

What can sprout?

You can sprout just about any whole grain, bean, or seed that’s raw and hasn’t been treated in any way, such as spelt, rye, kamut, buckwheat, barley, oats, einkorn, rice, wheat berries, millet, chickpeas, soybeans, mung beans, quinoa—or the seeds of alfalfa, broccoli, chia, radish, kale, sesame, sunflower, or mustard. Most can be found at your grocery store or a natural foods store. Some nuts that are truly raw and not pasteurized—like peanuts and almonds—can also sprout, though shelled nuts like walnuts or pistachios cannot.

How long does sprouting take?

It depends on what you’re sprouting and the temperature in your house, but smaller ingredients, like quinoa, sprout just a day after soaking and heartier seeds, like alfalfa, can take up to 5 days. You only need to pay attention to this affair for about 5 minutes in the morning and at night, and if you forget to rinse once or twice, they’ll still sprout just fine.

How do I do it?

1. In a jar with a lid, combine 1 part whole grain, seed, or bean to 3 parts filtered water. To make enough sprouts for a few salads and sandwiches, start with about ½ cup (about 90g) of grain or beans or a few tablespoons of seeds (they expand a lot). Cover the top of the jar with two layers of cheesecloth secured with twine or a rubber band, and let soak out of direct sunlight at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours.

2. Turn the jar upside down into the sink and drain the water through the cheesecloth. Shake the jar a few times to make sure all of the liquid is drained.

3. Remove the cheesecloth, refill the jar with water, screw on the lid, and shake to rinse. Then, remove the lid, re-cover the jar with cheesecloth secured with twine, and drain into the sink, shaking to get out all the water so mold doesn’t grow.

4. Place the jar in a bowl at an angle, with the cheesecloth pointing down so the beans continue to drain. Let sit at room temperature, out of direct sunlight, for 8 to 12 hours.

5. When you check at this point, you may have sprouts. If you don’t, repeat steps 3 and 4 until you do. The sprouts are ready when they have tails roughly the same length as their bodies. The sprouts will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.

Salads That Like Sprouts

Featherweight Slaw

Antipasto Chopped Salad

Shaved Asparagus with Burrata, Radish & Cucumber

Corn-Barley Salad with Tomato Vinaigrette

Sprouted Mung Bean, Carrot & Date Salad

Freekeh, Fennel & Smoked Fish Salad

Roasted Chickpea Salad with Za’atar

Sort of Tabbouleh with Jammy Onion Vinaigrette

Seared Scallop Salad with Black Lentils & Garlic-Sesame Crumbs

Halibut Escabeche Taco Salad

Wild Rice Bowl with Tofu, Sweet Potatoes & Roasted Shallot Vinaigrette

Grain + tofu + roasted roots and alliums + hearty greens

Serves 4 | From Emily Connor

Roasting marinated tofu is one of the most hands-off ways to prepare it, and you end up with firm, glazed cubes with a concentrated flavor. Plus, your oven is a multitasker in a way your sauté pan can’t be. While the tofu bakes, you’ll also roast cubes of sweet potatoes and thin slices of shallots—same temperature, same time. The sweet potatoes get tossed into the kale along with wild rice, apple, and crumbled cheddar, but the softer, tamer shallots are whisked into a vinaigrette (you can use the same technique with scallions, onions, or leeks). If you’re crunched for time, skip the marinade altogether and simply brush the tofu with olive oil and season with salt and pepper before roasting. The vinaigrette, made with many of the same ingredients that are in the marinade, can carry the salad.

1 (14-ounce/396g) package extra-firm tofu

1 cup (240ml) balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

½ teaspoon honey

Olive oil, for roasting

Kosher salt

1 pound (450g) sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ¾-inch (2cm) cubes

¾ cup (120g) wild rice or wild rice blend

1 small bunch lacinato kale, stemmed, deribbed, and cut into thin ribbons

1 small tart apple, chopped into cubes

3 ounces (85g) aged cheddar, crumbled or cut into cubes

Roasted Shallot Vinaigrette

1 large shallot, trimmed and thinly sliced lengthwise

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, or to taste

¼ teaspoon honey, or to taste

¼ cup (60ml) extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Wrap the tofu snugly in 4 or 5 layers of paper towels and place on a plate. Cover with a second plate and place a heavy can on top to press the tofu; set aside to let drain for at least 30 minutes (this is great to do the morning you plan to cook the tofu). Discard the paper towels. Cut the tofu into ¾-inch (2cm) cubes.

2. Stir together the vinegar, mustard, and honey. Add the tofu and marinate for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Drain and discard the marinade.

3. Meanwhile, place the shallot for the vinaigrette in the center of a piece of aluminum foil, toss with a few teaspoons of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Fold the foil to make a packet.

4. Position oven racks in the top third and lower third of the oven. Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

5. Arrange the marinated tofu in a single layer on one of the baking sheets and brush with olive oil. On the second sheet, toss the sweet potatoes with enough olive oil and salt to evenly coat. Arrange the sweet potatoes in a single layer and place the shallot packet alongside. Roast the tofu and sweet potatoes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until the tofu is golden brown and just crisp and the sweet potatoes are golden brown and tender, 35 to 40 minutes.

6. Meanwhile, cook the wild rice according to package directions. Every blend has a slightly different cooking time, but a general rule of thumb is to combine 1 part rice to 4 parts water, simmer covered, and start checking at the 45-minute mark. The rice should be chewy, and some of the grains may have burst open. Drain and let cool.

7. To make the vinaigrette, using a stand or immersion blender, blend the roasted shallot, vinegar, lemon juice, honey, extra-virgin olive oil, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper until emulsified. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more lemon juice if needed.

8. In a large bowl, combine the tofu, sweet potatoes, wild rice, kale, apple, and cheddar. Toss in the vinaigrette, a little at a time, until the salad is evenly dressed. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve warm or at room temperature.

The Last Drops of Dijon

There hasn’t been a utensil created—yet—to get at that mustard that clings to the side of its jar. So work with the stubborn stuff (jam, too!): Add a bunch of dressing ingredients to the jar (oil, vinegar or lemon, salt, and pepper). Close the jar, give it a shake, and not only will it bend to your wishes, but you have a dressing that’s already in its portable container.

Dressing’s Second Act

A dressing is really just a sauce, isn’t it? So, for vinegar- or citrus-based vinaigrettes, use them in place of oil, salt, and pepper when cooking vegetables, beans, and proteins. Drizzle over grilled fish, chicken, or sausage; use it as the start of a pasta sauce; or marinate meat and seafood in it. Creamy dressings can be used as a dip for crudités or wherever else mayo makes an appearance—as a sandwich spread or in chicken, egg, or tuna salads.

Mushroom & Mixed Grains Salad with Carrot-Harissa Vinaigrette

Grains + roasted mushrooms and greens + earthy vinaigrette + cheese

Serves 4 | From Emily Connor

Tossed, still-warm, and with an electric-orange vinaigrette, this is not your granny’s grain salad. There are welcome nubs of roasted mushrooms, handfuls of wilted Swiss chard, and pebbles of ricotta salata to bring it back from the brink of virtuousness. Make it with whatever grains you love—now’s also your chance to try the spelt and sorghum you’ve been curious about at the natural foods store. Just do not skip the dressing! Built on sweet, snappy carrot juice and spice (go ahead, add more harissa if you like), it takes a bowl of classically “earthy” ingredients and casts them in sunlight.

1 pound (450g) cremini, button, or shiitake mushrooms (or a mixture), stemmed and cut into bite-size pieces

¼ cup (60ml) olive oil

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme

Kosher salt

1 large bunch Swiss chard, stemmed, deribbed, and torn into bite-size pieces

2 cups (about 380g) mixed grains (such as farro, spelt, sorghum, and pearled barley)

4 ounces (115g) ricotta salata, crumbled

½ cup (45g) sliced almonds, toasted

Carrot-Harissa Vinaigrette

½ cup (120ml) carrot juice

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more as needed

2 teaspoons harissa, or to taste

1 garlic clove, minced

¼ teaspoon honey, or to taste

½ cup (120ml) extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt

1. Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Toss together the mushrooms, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, and the thyme on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Season with salt and spread into a single layer. Roast the mushrooms for 20 minutes, then spoon off any liquid that’s accumulated so the mushrooms can brown. Roast until brown and tender, 5 to 10 minutes more, then transfer the mushrooms to a large plate to cool.

2. Toss together the chard and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil on the same parchment-lined baking sheet. Season with salt, then really get in there with your hands and massage the oil into the chard until evenly coated. Roast until the leaves start to wilt, 3 to 5 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet.

3. To make the vinaigrette, whisk or blend all of the ingredients until emulsified. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more harissa or lemon juice if needed. (The vinaigrette will keep in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.)

4. Cook each grain separately, or cook them together in a large pot with enough water to cover by at least 6 inches (15cm), adding grains at intervals depending on their cooking times. When the grains are cooked, drain well and transfer to a large bowl or serving dish. Let cool a few minutes, then toss with about half of the vinaigrette. Toss with the mushrooms, chard, ricotta salata, and almonds. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then drizzle in more vinaigrette and toss again until evenly dressed. Serve warm or at room temperature. (The salad will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.)

Freekeh, Fennel & Smoked Fish Salad

Grain + pungent veg + smoked protein + herbs + crumbly cheese + citrus

Serves 4 | From Barbara Reiss

It’s the itty-bitty bits that make this salad powerful: wisps of orange zest, a scattering of Kalamata olives, feta crumbles, and herb confetti throughout. There’s also the deep smokiness of the hot-smoked trout that wakes up every bite. You can find the firm, flaky, very smoked fish next to lox at the market. Fennel haters, be forewarned: By mincing up a whole bulb, you get all the fiery complexity without any aggressive bitterness, so don’t skip it. This is the salad that will make you a believer. A sturdy base of freekeh means it will keep on the go and for a few days in the fridge, but you could swap in any hardy cooked grain.

1 cup (230g) cracked or whole freekeh, cooked according to package directions and drained

½ cup (75g) crumbled feta

½ cup (70g) finely chopped Kalamata olives

1 cup (125g) flaked hot-smoked trout, or to taste

½ cup (20g) finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

½ cup (25g) finely chopped fresh mint

1 small fennel bulb with fronds, minced

2 scallions, white and light green parts, minced

Grated zest of 1 orange

Orange Dressing

⅓ cup (80ml) fruity olive oil

¼ cup (60ml) freshly squeezed orange juice

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. In a serving bowl, toss together the freekeh, feta, olives, trout, parsley, mint, fennel, scallions, and orange zest.

2. To make the dressing, whisk together the dressing ingredients until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Add dressing to the salad, a little at a time, and toss just until coated. Taste and season with salt and pepper before serving.

Genius Tip: Crunchy Crumbled Tempeh

Tempeh—tofu’s heartier, crumblier cousin—can be hard to love, but we think this is its best effort. In How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, Mark Bittman explains that his tempeh cracklings can be used “how you might use grated cheese, only it doesn’t melt.” The fried tempeh reminds us of a crunchy grain, like farro, with a little protein thrown in. To make it, heat 2 tablespoons neutral oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. With two forks or your fingers, crumble as much tempeh as you want into the hot oil. Cook, stirring frequently, until the tempeh is deep brown and crispy, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in your favorite spices, chopped herbs, or chile paste, if you like. With a slotted spoon, transfer the tempeh to a paper towel–lined plate to drain. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper and eat immediately—on top of a salad, tacos, eggs, roasted vegetables, or toasts—or let cool, cover tightly, and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Brown Butter Brussels Sprouts & Crispy Quinoa

Toasty quinoa + roasted vegetables + macerated fruit + nuts/herbs/cheese

Serves 4 | From Emily Connor

Quinoa can so often be more fluff than substance, a bit of nothingness stuck in your teeth. But here’s a cooking method that yields crispy-chewy quinoa: Broil until they snap, crackle, pop. This toasted quinoa isn’t just better in texture, it’s also better at clinging to vegetables—here, they’re a crispy crust on brussels sprouts that are roasted in a brown butter–anchovy sauce. Which, yes, is also good on carrots, summer or winter squash, potatoes, tomatoes, you name it. Oh, did we mention the sherry vinegar–macerated apricots? We—for once—got too excited about the quinoa.

½ cup (65g) dried apricots, julienned

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed orange juice

¼ cup (60g) unsalted butter

4 anchovy fillets, minced

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste

1½ pounds (680g) brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthwise or quartered if they’re large

Kosher salt

1½ cups (280g) cooked quinoa

2 tablespoons olive oil

¾ cup (15g) loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

¼ cup (30g) roasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped

1 (2-ounce/55g) chunk aged Manchego, cubed

1. Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Toss together the apricots, vinegar, and 1 tablespoon orange juice and let macerate.

2. In a small pan, melt the butter over medium heat and cook until it turns brown and smells nutty, about 5 minutes. Stir frequently, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom so they don’t burn. Off the heat, immediately stir in the anchovies until they dissolve. Stir in the orange zest, red pepper flakes, and remaining teaspoon of orange juice.

3. Place the brussels sprouts on a parchment-lined baking sheet, pour the brown butter–anchovy mixture over the top, and toss until evenly coated. Season with salt and spread into a single layer. Roast, stirring occasionally, until tender and golden brown with a few singed leaves, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven.

4. Pour a couple tablespoons of the apricots’ liquid over the brussels sprouts and season with salt. Toss and let cool a bit.

5. Heat the broiler with an oven rack 4 to 5 inches (10 to 13cm) from the flame. With the cooked quinoa spread on a baking sheet, toss with the olive oil, then spread into a thin, even layer. Broil until you hear a faint popping sound, a few minutes. Stir, spread out, and repeat until the quinoa is lightly brown and crispy, 5 to 7 minutes total.

6. In a large serving bowl, toss together the brussels sprouts, apricots and their liquid, parsley, hazelnuts, Manchego, and half of the quinoa. Scatter the remaining quinoa over the top. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Roasted Chickpea Salad with Za’atar

Warmed beans and veg + fried alliums + herbs + citrus + sweetness

Serves 4 | From Shruti Jain

Eaten straight from the pan or over a bowl of something comforting (like polenta or savory oats), this salad makes a sunny meal in a season of browns and beiges, stews and meat. Za’atar, mint, lemon, raisins, and maple syrup make the flavors just as exciting as the color scheme, and the textures are surprising too: thinly sliced vegetables sautéed until they’re relaxed and chickpeas that are roasted at a low temperature so they crisp on the outside but stay soft when you bite in. For crunchy-all-the-way-through chickpeas, bake at a higher heat (425°F/220°C) for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring frequently, until browned. This salad becomes more of a slaw if you leave the cabbage, fennel, and carrot raw. For a creamy variation, add dill and yogurt to the dressing.

1 (15-ounce/425g) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

3½ teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

2 teaspoons za’atar

Kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 small carrot, thinly sliced

½ fennel bulb, thinly sliced

¼ head red cabbage, thinly sliced

¼ cup (5g) loosely packed fresh mint leaves, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon raisins

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 shallot, thinly sliced and fried (see following)

Crumbled feta, for garnish (optional)

1. Heat the oven to 250°F (120°C). On a parchment-lined baking sheet, stir together the chickpeas and 1½ teaspoons of the olive oil. Stir in the lemon zest and some of the lemon juice, the za’atar, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper, then spread into a single layer. Bake until toasted, 10 to 15 minutes.

2. In a large sauté pan, heat the remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil over high heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add the carrot, fennel, and cabbage and cook until just wilted, about 5 minutes.

3. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the roasted chickpeas, mint, raisins, and maple syrup. Taste and add more lemon or salt if needed. Transfer to a serving plate and top with the fried shallot and feta. Serve warm, at room temperature, or cold.

How to Make Perfectly Crispy Fried Shallots—Without Flour

Skip the flour-dredging and pay attention to your pan’s heat and you—and your salads, soups, stews, and snacking—can get not burnt, not oil-soaked, perfectly crisp shallots. Here’s how our test kitchen chef, Josh Cohen, does it. Slice the shallots so that they’re super thin (preferably with a mandoline), then place them in a pan of room-temperature—yes, room-temperature—canola or another neutral oil. Turn up the heat to high and watch the shallots bubble. Then turn the heat to medium. When the bubbles subside, it means that the moisture has cooked off the shallots (they should look golden brown). Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate to let cool. Sneak a spoonful, then scatter liberally.

White Bean Salad with Fennel Three Ways

Creamy beans + broiled veg and citrus + crunch + olives

Serves 4 | From Emily Connor

To make salads better, a normal impulse is to add more ingredients, but instead of crowding your grocery cart, coax everything you want from one vegetable. It’ll be a superhero, and you: scrappy. Here, fennel is shaved and broiled with whole lemon slices and diced raw for crunch, while its fronds stand in for herbs. Once mixed with beans (canned if you want to eat in 15 minutes) and lemon dressing, you’ll have a salad that’ll keep for days. Fennel, you look good with a red cape on.

2 fennel bulbs with fronds

2 lemons

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 cups (540g) cooked white beans (such as cannellini, Great Northern, or an heirloom variety)

½ cup (70g) pitted Castelvetrano olives, halved

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste

1. Remove the fennel fronds, coarsely chop, and set aside. Remove the tough, outer layer of the fennel bulbs, then halve each bulb lengthwise and core. Using a mandoline or sharp knife, thinly slice one and a half fennel bulbs lengthwise. Finely dice the remaining half bulb.

2. Cut one of the lemons into half-moons. Discard the seeds. Juice the remaining lemon and set aside.

3. Heat the broiler with an oven rack 4 to 5 inches (10 to 13cm) from the flame. Toss together the sliced fennel, sliced lemon, and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Season with salt and spread the fennel and lemon slices in a single layer. Broil, shaking the baking sheet once or twice, until the fennel is tender and lightly charred in spots, 3 to 5 minutes.

4. Toss the cooked beans with the broiled fennel and lemon, the raw fennel, the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the olives, 2 tablespoons lemon juice (or to taste), red pepper flakes, and fennel fronds. Season with salt and pepper. (The salad will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.) Serve warm, cold, or at room temperature.

How to Soak Your Beans, Stat

If you wanted to soak your dried beans, like, yesterday, all hope isn’t lost. Put the beans in a pot and cover them with 1 inch (2.5cm) of water. Cover and bring to a boil, then turn off the heat and let the beans soak for an hour. Drain and continue as if you’d planned to quick-soak your beans all along.