Most Popular Recipes

The vegetarian’s answer to chicken soup. Lots of leeks and garlic in this winter soup help fight off bacteria and boost flagging immunity. Antioxidant-rich tomatoes are an added bonus. Serve with whole-wheat baguettes for a satisfying lunch or dinner.

This dressing is also excellent drizzled over green salads. To reconstitute dried cranberries, cover with boiling water and let stand 15 minutes. Drain and blot with paper towels before using.

Basmati rice is a beautiful, aromatic rice, says Chef Allen Susser of Chef Allen’s restaurant in Aventura, Florida. He adds spices to enhance the sweetness of the Haden mango, a variety he uses often. If unavailable, use the ripest mango possible.

Lots of garlic and several zesty spices liven up this light and luscious casserole. A typical moussaka calls for a full cup of olive oil to fry the eggplantgrilling requires no oil and creates a much healthier dish.

A hearty bean soup, which is substantial enough to fill in as main course, also can double as an appetizer.

Mashed potatoes are the ultimate comfort food, but traditional versions rely on too much fat for flavor. This delicious dairy-free mash replaces the fat with a tasty ||cream|| of poached garlic, vegetable broth and silken tofu. Do not overwork mashed potatoes or they turn gluey. A food mill produces the silkiest consistency, a potato masher also works fine, but never use a food processor.

This very popular salad can often become a caloric trap to the unwary—and usually isn’t vegetarian because of anchovies in the dressing. This version strips away unwanted calories and fat, yet retains a full flavor.

Pasta with pesto sauce is a terrific standby for weeknight dinners. But how do you moisten and bind pesto without adding loads of olive oil? Tofu to the rescue. Silken tofu magnifies the flavor of a small amount of olive oil to create an exceptionally creamy, healthful pesto. To make this dish even more substantial and nutritious, I've added steamed potatoes and green beans. The leftover steaming water produces a tasty vitamin-packed broth, which is perfect for thinning and warming the pesto. For a variation, substitute flat-leaf parsley and walnuts for the basil and pine nuts.

French bread slices go great with this flavorful spread. Alternatively, stuff it into a whole-wheat pita along with paper-thin slices of red onion and crisp romaine lettuce.