Dip

Silken tofu is the base of this dressing, creating a punchy sauce that's creamy and silky. Bryant Terry uses it to dress a hearty grain salad with celery, persimmons, and chopped nuts—but you can also drizzle it over grilled vegetables, or use it as a dip for crudités.

This lovely, simple dish is great to have in your fridge at all times. It adds a wonderful, distinctive flavor to any dish it accompanies.

Toasting the pine nuts until they’re properly golden brown to the center and not just on the surface is key in coaxing out maximum flavor. That said, pine nuts are expensive and can burn, so keep a close eye on them as they cook.

Serve this creamy dip with crunchy vegetables, a meat platter, spread on sandwiches, or thinned out and used as a dressing for salad.

Sweet and smoky roasted carrots are blended with chickpeas, almonds, lemon juice, garlic, and herbs—it’s the perfect companion to seeded crackers or good bread.

Pico de gallo, but make it roasted.

Once you’ve paired this sauce with all sorts of vegetables and proteins, reinvent it. Try adding chopped toasted nuts, minced tender herbs, spices (such as cumin, turmeric, or coriander), and/or finely chopped dried fruit (like raisins, apricots, and/or dates).

Herby cumin-spiced lamb and squash over a bed of creamy hummus makes for a delicious and simple dinner. Serve it with lots of toasted pita for scooping everything up.

If you don’t have a grill or a gas stovetop, you can broil the eggplants in the oven, turning occasionally, until charred and tender.

This vibrant dip of toasted walnuts and roasted red peppers pairs perfectly well with fresh pita bread.

This creamy, crunchy breakfast dish also pairs well with vegetables, fish, or lamb come dinnertime. The canned chickpeas pick up some flavor from a quick simmer with garlic.

This riff on the Greek classic swaps out potatoes for parsnips, which gives the dip a touch of sweetness that pairs well with the feta and chiles.