The New Vegetarian: Cooking for Tomorrow

Your future self will thank you

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August 31, 2026 8:04am EDT

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America's Test Kitchen: The New Vegetarian

A fresh approach to vegetarian cooking.

August 31, 2026

Pupusas filled with beans and cheese are one of the all-time best make-ahead suppers.

Cooking for Tomorrow Is the Ultimate Culinary Flex

Jack Bishop

Author, editor, and vegetable enthusiast

Most mornings my wife and I decide what we want to eat for dinner. She shops. I harvest veggies from the garden. We cook together. But just because we are spontaneous cooks doesn’t mean that our freezer isn’t also packed with ready-to-eat meals. There are days when shopping, gardening, and cooking are just not in the cards. Thank heavens there’s always something we can just heat and serve.

Pupusas are Central American comfort food. In this version, a simple masa dough is filled with kidney beans, shredded Jack cheese, and a few pantry spices. Pupusas are typically griddled right away, but they do really well in the freezer. And there’s no need to defrost them—just add an extra minute or so to the griddling time. Make a big batch and freeze them individually so a homemade pupusa is just 5 minutes away.

In El Salvador, pupusas are typically served with a briny, spicy slaw called curtido as well as a simple tomato salsa. While the slaw can’t be frozen, it will keep nicely in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Your favorite store-bought salsa is fine, but this handy quick salsa uses canned tomatoes as well as the food processor and comes together in just 10 minutes.

Pro Tip: Hydrating masa harina with boiling rather than room-temperature water allows the starches in the corn flour to absorb the liquid more quickly and completely, resulting in a well-hydrated dough that is easy to work with.

My freezer is always stocked with small containers of soup. Purees, such as this Carrot-Ginger Soup, do especially well when frozen. Fresh carrots and carrot juice as well as grated fresh ginger and chopped crystallized ginger ensure that the two namesake ingredients come through loud and clear. Garnish with croutons, herbs, and/or sour cream and round out supper with a simple arugula or spinach salad dressed with olive oil, lemon juice, and salt.

Pro Tip: A pinch of baking soda speeds the cooking time for the sliced carrots and guarantees that the puree is silky smooth and doesn’t require straining.

My Nana loved baked manicotti but she encountered the usual problem that plagues everyone who makes this dish—it’s a royal pain to stuff cheese inside slippery pasta tubes. This ingenious baked manicotti recipe uses no-boil noodles soaked in hot water until pliable. Spread the filling onto the softened pasta and roll into neat cylinders. How easy—and no one will know your secret hack.

The manicotti can be refrigerated for up to 3 days before baking or frozen for a month. Rather than assembling everything in a single large baking dish (as the recipe instructs), I like to divide the pasta and sauce evenly among two 8-inch square baking dishes. Bake one today and freeze the other for a busy night. Nana would definitely approve of such strategic thinking.

Take some time this week to invest in your freezer. Your future self will thank you.

P.S. Have you picked up your copy of The New Vegetarian: 500+ Recipes for a Lifetime of Great Meals? I’m confident this mammoth cookbook will become a trusted kitchen companion.

Featured Recipes

Pupusas with Beans and Cheese

Carrot-Ginger Soup

Baked Manicotti

Vegetarian for Any Occasion

A good sauce in the fridge is the culinary equivalent of money in the bank. Here are two versatile favorites.

Parsley Pesto

Pesto is for more than just pasta (though it’s great on that). Use pesto di prezzemolo as a sandwich spread or stir a dollop into any brothy soup or your favorite grain. Capers and a squirt of lemon juice bring welcome oomph to this vibrant sauce. Parsley pesto keeps its color better than its basil cousin, making it a great choice for storing in the fridge or freezer.

Cilantro Sauce

Zhoug is a spicy cilantro sauce that originated in Yemen but is popular across the Middle East and North Africa. It’s wonderful with seared tofu, roasted vegetables, and eggs. Try it with shakshuka or add a big spoonful to steamed rice or quinoa for an instant flavor upgrade.

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