Bean and Legume

A bit of planning ahead makes preparing weeknight dinners a breeze. Use the extra chicken from Roast Chicken and Parsnips with Swiss Chard (page 149) in one of the recipes below.

Brimming with peas and carrots and topped with fresh-dill dumplings, this nourishing one-pot meal is just right for cold evenings. Keeping the heat at medium-low helps the chicken cook slowly, so it turns out ultra-tender.

Thick, flat udon noodles have a sumptuous, chewy texture. Look for them in the Asian-food section of the supermarket. If you can’t find udon, use linguine—just break the noodles in half before boiling them.

Quickly wilted arugula, canned beans, and toasted walnuts add heft to this vegetarian main course. Try spinach in place of arugula and pine nuts instead of walnuts.

Two types of peas are cooked along with the pasta in this one-pot dish, so everything finishes at once. The vegetables should be cooked just long enough that their colors stay vibrant and they are warmed through.

For its flavor, this Italian favorite relies on a combination of vegetables that are first sautéed and then simmered in water—no broth required. You can make the soup through step 2 up to two days beforehand, and then add the beans and pasta just before serving.

This flavorful potato, bean, and mushroom stew is ready in less than an hour. You can use other beans, such as black-eyed peas, in place of the navy beans; kale or Swiss chard would be nice substitutions for the spinach leaves.

There’s no need to boil the noodles separately; here, they are cooked in the savory broth that serves as the base of this soup. Look for soba noodles in the Asian-food or pasta section of the grocery store. If you can’t find them, use whole-wheat spaghetti instead.

For true Southwestern flavor, squeeze lime juice over each portion of soup just before serving and place tortilla chips alongside. Buy the cooked ham from the deli counter, or leave it out altogether for a vegetarian version.

The salmon and green beans are equally good served warm or cold. If chilling, prepare recipe through step 3; refrigerate fish, green beans, and dressing separately, then proceed with step 4 just before serving.

Sugar snap peas add distinctive crunch to this refreshing salad. Look for plump green ones with smooth pods. If using frozen shrimp, thaw them overnight (see below). The zesty dressing is inspired by popular versions served at Japanese restaurants.

This Southwestern-style salad makes excellent use of shortcut staples such as canned beans, frozen corn, and prepared salsa. Fresh varieties of each can be used instead. Serve additional chips, cheese, and salsa on the side.

This dip is a favorite among Everyday Food editors. Double the recipe to make extra, as it will keep, covered and refrigerated, up to three days. Navy beans can be used in place of cannellini.

THIS RECIPE WAS CREATED TO GO WITH the Red, White, and Green Vegetable “Lasagne” (page 163), but it can be used just as you would any pesto—in omelets, tossed with pasta, or as a savory dip.

WASHINGTON STATE CORN appears in markets in July and doesn’t stop until September. Fresh, sweet corn is truly the taste of summer and takes only a few minutes to prepare. Vegetables are so plentiful in the summertime we always end up with bins of beans and corn, and after weeks of eating corn on the cob I came up with this simple way to celebrate the summer bounty.

THIS RECIPE WAS INSPIRED BY TWO DISHES: the French-Canadian poutine and the Swiss raclette. Poutine is a popular dish comprising French fries, gravy, and cheese curds that is sold on the streets of Quebec and in the finest restaurants of Montreal. Raclette is both a hard French cow’s-milk cheese and a Swiss dish prepared by melting thin slices of cheese over broiled potatoes, pickles, and sausage. Our version combines the best of both, with meat, potatoes, green beans, and cheese in one hearty winter dish. Chicken rosemary sausage gives the most flavor to this dish, but pork sausage will work just as well.

THIS IS A GREEN-FREE SALAD where vegetables take center stage. The olive dressing makes this dish stand out, with fennel adding an extra crunch. Use as little or as much tuna as you wish; we prefer it as a background note.

THIS IS A PASTA & CO RECIPE that’s been a customer favorite for years. Inspired by the classic Southern ingredient black-eyed peas, this healthy salad has the sharp flavor of mustard greens, while fresh tarragon adds an extra zing. For a heartier salad, add a few slices of leftover grilled, roasted, or poached chicken.

WHEN COLD WEATHER SETTLES IN, it’s time for this rich soup. Bacon adds even deeper flavor to the classic Italian white beans and sage combination. Using nitrate-free bacon is the best option, for both flavor and health reasons, and it’s becoming more widely available.