31 Must-Make Hetty McKinnon Recipes to Celebrate Vegetables Every Day
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It’s easy to know a Hetty McKinnon recipe when you see one. They’re distinctly playful, or as my colleague Anna Hezel puts it, “they break all the rules of cooking in a really fun way.” There’s almost always an illuminating aha! moment—like boiling tofu for a bouncy, firm texture or using hot water for a malleable dumpling dough—that makes you smarter in the kitchen. But the ultimate stamp of a true Hetty recipe is her celebration of vegetables.
Before the bylines and cookbooks, McKinnon spread her love of vegetables through Arthur Street Kitchen, a salad delivery service she started in Sydney in 2011. In McKinnon’s culinary canon, salad isn’t just a bowl of leaves relegated to the sidelines—it’s an idea that’s only limited by one’s imagination. She looked to the seasons and the goings-on around her to dictate each of the dishes that she hand-delivered to people in her community.
This endeavor soon blossomed into a best-selling cookbook, titled Community, the first of four internationally beloved books featuring the limitless bounty of produce. With each project, McKinnon cemented her status as the veritable vegetable whisperer, turning broccoli into a whimsical forest cake, the humble winter squash into a vegetarian ramen, and cabbage into the unlikely hero of today’s weeknight cooking. You’ll find all of those recipes plus more of our favorite veg-forward McKinnon creations in this collection.
Photo by Hetty McKinnon1/31Sesame Broccoli With Crumbled Tofu
Blanched broccoli and bouncy tofu become a hearty one-bowl meal, dressed with Japanese chili oil and tons of sesame seeds.
Photo by Hetty McKinnon3/31Chili Crisp With Oats
Old-fashioned rolled oats and coconut flakes are to thank for all the crunchy goodness in this texturally-rich version of chili oil.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton5/31Egg Salad With Grilled Broccoli and Chili Crisp
Charred broccoli, creamy egg salad, and a drizzle of chili crisp create a satisfying, comforting main dish, best served with toasted sourdough or flatbread.
Photo by Hetty McKinnon6/31Mango Pudding
A dim sum cart staple, this mango pudding recipe requires just four ingredients, one of which is agar agar, a vegan gelatin substitute that gives the dessert its jelly-like consistency.
Photo by Hetty McKinnon7/31Spicy Celery, Tofu, and Glass Noodle Salad
Crunchy celery, springy noodles, and chewy tofu bring textural contrasts to this salad bathed in a bright sesame-vinegar dressing.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Liza Jernow8/31Shawarma “Singapore” Noodles With Corn and Cauliflower
Photo & Food Styling by Hetty McKinnon9/31Broccoli Forest Loaf
This savory cake with a whimsical broccoli forest running through the crumb delivers both style and substance. Top it with a poached egg for brunch or grab a slice for lunch on the go.
Photo & Food Styling by Hetty McKinnon11/31Grilled Cauliflower Wedges With Herb Tarator
In this filling, meat-free weeknight dinner, sturdy cauliflower gets burnished and tender on the grill, then nestled atop a nutty, lemony tahini sauce you’ll want to lick right off the plate.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell12/31Roasted Cabbage Steaks With Crispy Chickpeas and Herby Croutons
When roasted at a high temperature, cabbage becomes a sweet and satisfying base for crispy chickpeas, herby croutons, and a lemony garlic mayo.
Photo by Laura Murray, food styling by Susie Theodorou16/31Peanut Butter Noodles With Cucumbers
You can think of this peanut butter noodles recipe as a formula: A nutty, full-bodied base (you can use tahini instead of peanut butter) thinned out with a mix of something acidic to cut through the richness, something sweet for balance, and something salty for a jolt of umami. Toss in some cucumbers, green onions, thinly sliced snap peas, or shredded carrots, drizzle with some chili oil, and call it dinner.
Photo by Laura Murray, Food Styling by Micah Morton17/31Turmeric and Coconut-Braised Cabbage With Chickpeas
Photo by Isa Zapata, Food styling by Pearl Jones, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman19/31Roasted Carrots and Chickpeas With Herby Cashew Cream
This salad lets carrots shine, roasted alongside chickpeas and taken to the next level by an herbaceous cashew cream.
Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Pearl Jones21/31Pea and Ricotta Potstickers With Homemade Dumpling Wrappers
McKinnon makes homemade dumpling wrappers highly achievable with a simple hot-water dough. Combining just-boiled water cooks the protein in the flour which prevents gluten formation and reduces elasticity, resulting in a super malleable, easy-to-roll-out dough.
Photograph by Chris Simpson, Food Styling by Taneka Morris, Prop Styling by Gözde Eker22/31Pumpkin and Cheddar Strata
Photograph by Chris Simpson, Food Styling by Taneka Morris, Prop Styling by Gözde Eker23/31Charred Green Beans With Brown Butter Vinaigrette
Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman24/31Creamy Cashew Udon With Crispy Mushrooms
Photograph by Chris Simpson, Food Styling by Taneka Morris, Prop Styling by Gözde Eker25/31Radicchio and Apple Salad With Mustardy Croutons
Photograph by Chris Simpson, Food Styling by Taneka Morris, Prop Styling by Gözde Eker26/31Sweet Potato and Onion Tempura With Chive Mayo
Give your sweet potatoes the crunchy tempura treatment with a vegan batter (consisting of all-purpose flour and cornstarch) that relies on cold seltzer to produce a light and crisp coating.
Photograph by Chris Simpson, Food Styling by Taneka Morris, Prop Styling by Gözde Eker27/31Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Maple-Soy Caramel
Maple and soy sauce are a match made in sweet-and-salty heaven—a combo that pairs magically with the subtle vegetal bitterness of the Brussels sprouts.
Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Cyd McDowell, Prop Styling by Paige Hicks28/31Spicy and Sour Stir-Fried Potatoes
Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman29/31Broccoli and Cashew Cream Soup
Photograph by Cody Guilfoyle, Prop Styling by Nicole Louie, Food Styling by Thu Buser30/31Stir-Fried Curry Noodles With Eggs and Greens
Photograph by Cody Guilfoyle, Prop Styling by Nicole Louie, Food Styling by Thu Buser31/31Spiced Double Potato Noodles
