5 Kitchen Habits That Make Plant-Based Cooking Easier

Plant-based cooking doesn’t require special equipment or hard-to-find ingredients. What helps most is a handful of small habits that make everything else easier. These are the five we come back to again and again.

1. Read the whole recipe first

It sounds obvious, but a quick read-through before you start saves a lot of scrambling. You’ll spot the step that needs to marinate, the vegetable that has to be chopped ahead, or the pot you’ll need twice.

2. Get everything ready before the heat goes on

Chefs call it mise en place: chop, measure and set out your ingredients before you start cooking. Vegetable-forward dishes, stir-fries especially, move quickly once the pan is hot, and having everything within reach keeps you calm.

3. Season in layers and taste as you go

A pinch of salt with the onions, a little more when the vegetables go in, and a final taste at the end builds far more flavor than seasoning once. Finish with acid, such as a squeeze of lemon or lime or a splash of vinegar, to make the flavors brighter.

4. Roast your vegetables hot

High heat is the simplest way to bring out the natural sweetness of vegetables. Give them space on the pan so they roast instead of steam, and toss them in a little oil and salt. Roasted vegetables are the base of many of our favorite bowls, like our Roasted Vegetable Buddha Bowl.

5. Cook grains and beans in batches

Make a big pot of rice, quinoa or beans once, then use it throughout the week in salads, bowls, soups and tacos. It turns a busy weeknight dinner into a five-minute assembly job.

Which habit helps you most in the kitchen? Try one this week, then browse the recipe collection for something to cook it with.

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