Low-calorie recipes

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Gaji naenggukChilled aubergine soup

Gaji naengguk is a midsummer cold soup from Korean home kitchens, made in July and August when aubergines are cheap and nobody wants anything hot. The aubergine is steamed until silky, torn into strips and seasoned with garlic and soy, then dropped into an ice-cold, tangy broth. It tastes clean and refreshing, with a soft, almost slippery texture. Each bowl has only about 2 g of protein, so pair it with tofu or bean dishes. The usual mistake is cutting the aubergine with a knife after steaming: torn strips soak up the seasoning far better. Chef's tip: let the steamed aubergine cool completely before mixing it with the broth, or it warms the soup and loses its bite.

20 min

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Caldo de piedraFish and tomato stone soup

Caldo de piedra comes from San Felipe Usila in the Chinantla of northern Oaxaca, where Chinantec men cook it by the river: fish, tomato, chilli and epazote go into a gourd bowl of water and red-hot river stones are dropped in to bring it to a fierce boil in seconds. It is eaten as a celebration and every year at a festival in the village. Heating stones at home is dangerous (wet or porous stones can crack or burst), so this version brings a heavy pot to a hard boil first and cooks the fish just as briefly. A portion gives about 38 g of protein, from the fish and prawns, for roughly 260 kcal. The common mistake is letting the fish boil on: it is done in 3–4 minutes, when it turns opaque and flakes, and after that it falls apart. Chef's tip: blend the tomato, onion and chilli raw; the broth tastes fresh and sharp, closer to the riverside original than a cooked sauce.

40 min

Mexican Fish

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Wakatake-niBamboo shoot and wakame simmer

Wakatake-ni means 'young bamboo simmer', and in Kyoto it marks the few weeks of April when fresh shoots arrive from the hills around Rakusai; it is served in small bowls at home and in kaiseki menus as a quiet taste of spring. Tender bamboo shoot is simmered in a pale, lightly seasoned broth, and soft wakame goes in at the very end, so the bowl is all clean, sweet and sea flavours. Classic recipes use bonito dashi; this one uses kombu and dried shiitake, and sugar instead of mirin, so it is vegan and alcohol-free. It is a light side dish of about 4 g of protein per portion. The common mistake is boiling the wakame with the bamboo: it turns slimy and drab, so it needs only a minute. Chef's tip: cool the bamboo in the broth for 10 minutes before reheating; it drinks up the seasoning far better than it does while boiling.

35 min

Japanese Sides

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KålsoppaCabbage and root vegetable soup

Kålsoppa is old-fashioned Swedish home cooking, the soup of cold autumn and winter evenings in Skåne and the countryside, when white cabbage and root vegetables fill the cellar. The cabbage is first browned in a little oil with a pinch of syrup, which gives the broth its gentle sweetness and golden colour, then simmered with carrot, swede and potato and seasoned with whole allspice. Many families float small meatballs in it; this is the vegetarian version without them. It has about 4 g of protein per bowl; serve with crispbread and a hard cheese, or add white beans, for more. The common mistake is rushing the browning: the cabbage needs a good 10 minutes of slow frying to caramelise. Chef's tip: crush the allspice berries lightly before adding them, so their warm, clove-like scent fills the soup.

60 minScandinavian Soups

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Kokt torskPoached cod with potatoes

From January to April, when the spawning skrei cod arrive at the Lofoten Islands, Norwegian homes eat kokt torsk at least once a week: thick cod loins poached in well-salted water, served plainly with boiled potatoes, carrots and a little melted butter. It is clean, gentle food, and the whole plate comes to around 430 kcal with about 40 g of protein, almost all from the cod. The common mistake is boiling the fish: the water should barely tremble, which Norwegians say makes it "smile", or the flakes tighten and turn woolly. Cook it until it is opaque and the flakes separate at a light press, about 60–63 °C in the thickest part. Chef's tip: salt the poaching water as heavily as the sea, about 60 g to a litre; it seasons the cod all the way through in the few minutes it cooks.

35 minScandinavian Fish

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Sansai sobaBuckwheat noodles with mountain vegetables

In the mountains of Yamagata, Akita and Nagano, spring brings sansai, the wild shoots foraged from the hillsides: bracken, royal fern, nameko and more. Station-side soba shops serve them on hot buckwheat noodles all year, using salted or boiled sansai packed for winter. This version uses a kombu and shiitake broth instead of the usual bonito dashi, and sugar in place of mirin, so it is vegan and alcohol-free. A bowl gives about 14 g of protein from the buckwheat noodles, mushrooms and soy, so it is not high-protein. Most soba contains wheat; 100% buckwheat noodles are needed for a gluten-free bowl, along with tamari. The common mistake is putting boiled noodles straight into the broth: their starch clouds and thickens it. Chef's tip: rinse the cooked soba under cold water, rubbing it gently, then dunk it in hot water to rewarm before it goes in the bowl.

50 min

Japanese Pasta & Noodles

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Sanpei-jiruSalted salmon and root vegetable soup

Sanpei-jiru is a winter soup from Hokkaido, once made by fishing families with salt-cured salmon, cod or herring that kept through the long snows, and still a warming supper there today. Salted fish simmers in kombu broth with daikon, carrot and potato, and the fish's own salt seasons the soup, so it tastes clean, gently briny and sweet from the roots. A bowl has about 22 g of protein from the salmon. The common mistake is skipping the quick scald of the fish: without it the broth tastes fishy and turns murky. Chef's tip: taste before adding any salt; salted salmon varies a lot, and you may need none at all.

50 min

Japanese Soups

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BohémienneAubergine and tomato stew

Bohémienne is the older, simpler cousin of ratatouille, cooked in Avignon and the Vaucluse villages at the end of summer when aubergines and tomatoes are cheap and ripe. Just those two vegetables, with onion, garlic and plenty of olive oil, are stewed slowly until they melt into a soft, jammy confit that is eaten warm with bread, cold on toast, or beside an omelette. It is vegan and light, with about 3 g of protein per portion. The common mistake is hurrying it over a high heat: the aubergine catches before it softens, so keep the heat low and stir gently. Chef's tip: salt the aubergine cubes for 20 minutes and pat them dry; they then take up less oil and keep a silky texture.

90 min

French Vegetarian

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Potage cultivateurFarmer's vegetable soup

Potage cultivateur is the farmhouse soup of France, made in kitchens from Normandy to the Auvergne on cold evenings and eaten as a light supper with bread. The vegetables are cut into small, thin squares (the 'paysanne' cut), sweated slowly in butter, then simmered in water, so the broth stays clear and every spoonful has carrot, turnip, leek and potato. The old versions add bacon; this one is vegetarian. It is light, with about 4 g of protein per bowl; add a handful of white beans or serve with cheese on toast for more (choose a vegetarian cheese if you avoid animal rennet). The most common mistake is browning the vegetables: they should sweat gently until soft and shiny, never coloured. Chef's tip: cut every vegetable the same size, about 1 cm square and 3 mm thick, so they all cook in the same time.

50 min

French Soups

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Mozuku-zuSeaweed in sweet vinegar

In Okinawa, where most of Japan's mozuku is farmed, a small bowl of mozuku-zu starts many a home supper and izakaya meal, especially in the hot months. The fine, slippery strands of seaweed are rinsed of their salt and served cold in a gentle dressing of rice vinegar, a little sugar and soy, topped with grated ginger, so it tastes clean, sour and of the sea. Shop versions often use bonito dashi; this one uses kombu dashi, so it is vegan. It is very light, with less than 1 g of protein a portion, so it belongs alongside a tofu dish and rice rather than as a main. The most common mistake is not rinsing salted mozuku enough: it needs two or three changes of water or the dish turns harsh. Chef's tip: chill the dressing and the bowls well; mozuku-zu should be served icy cold.

10 min

Japanese Sides

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GurkensalatCucumber and dill salad

Gurkensalat is on German tables from Bavaria to Berlin all summer, served alongside potato pancakes, egg dishes or the Sunday roast, and it is just as common at a garden barbecue. Cucumber is sliced almost paper-thin, salted briefly, then dressed with a little vinegar, sugar, onion and lots of fresh dill, so it is cool, sharp and soft-crunchy. Some households stir in soured cream; this vinaigrette version is vegan. It is very light, with about 1 g of protein a portion, so it is purely a side. The most common mistake is skipping the salting: unsalted slices weep water into the bowl and dilute the dressing within minutes. Chef's tip: squeeze the salted slices gently in your hands before dressing; they bend like ribbons and take up the dill dressing much better.

15 min

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Salade tunisienneDiced tomato and cucumber salad

Every Tunisian table, from Tunis to Sfax, has a plate of slata tounsia on it, especially at lunch in summer and at iftar in Ramadan: tomato, cucumber, green pepper and onion cut into tiny, even dice and dressed with lemon, olive oil and dried mint. It is usually crowned with tuna and hard-boiled egg; this vegetarian version leaves out the tuna and uses a little more egg, plus olives and capers for the salty kick. A portion gives about 8 g of protein, so it is a side salad rather than a high-protein dish. The usual mistake is dressing it too early: the salt draws the juice out of the tomato and the salad swims, so dress it just before serving. Chef's tip: take the time to dice everything to the size of a chickpea; that fine, even cut is what makes it taste like Tunisia rather than a chopped salad.

30 min

Tunisian Salads

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Aji no tatakiChopped horse mackerel with ginger

Aji no tataki is a dish of Japan's fishing ports, from the Izu peninsula to Kyushu, eaten as a summer lunch over rice or a starter with cold drinks when the horse mackerel come in fresh. The raw fillets are skinned and chopped with a knife, then mixed with grated ginger, spring onion and shiso, so the fish is soft, cool and clean-tasting with a sharp herbal bite. As a main over rice, a portion has about 28 g of protein from the fish. This is raw fish: buy only sashimi-grade fish from a fishmonger you trust, keep it ice-cold, and freeze it at −20 °C for at least 24 hours first to kill parasites; anyone pregnant, very young, older or with a weak immune system should not eat it. The common mistake is chopping it into a paste: keep small pieces with some texture. Chef's tip: chill the board and the bowl, and work quickly, so the fish never warms up.

20 min

Japanese Fish

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Kaeng khae with tofu and mushroomsHerb curry with tofu and mushrooms

Kaeng khae comes from the hills around Chiang Mai and Lampang, where it is cooked through the rainy season with whatever the garden and forest give: pea aubergines, long beans, pumpkin tips, acacia shoots and handfuls of leaves, in a brothy, coconut-free curry scented with lemongrass and the peppery prickly ash called makhwaen. In northern homes it is a lunch dish eaten with sticky rice. It is normally cooked with chicken, frog or fish and seasoned with fermented fish; this vegetarian version uses firm tofu, oyster mushrooms, soy sauce and a little salted soybean paste. With the tofu a portion has about 11 g of protein, so it is light rather than high protein. The common mistake is adding all the vegetables at once: the leaves are done in a minute while the beans and aubergines need five. Chef's tip: dry-fry the curry paste in a spoon of oil until it smells toasty before adding water; it gives the broth its depth without any fish.

45 min

Thai Curries

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Pepes ikanFish steamed in banana leaf

Pepes ikan is everyday Sundanese cooking from Bandung and the hills of West Java, made in the morning and eaten with rice, sambal and raw vegetables at lunch. Fish is rubbed with a yellow paste of turmeric, shallot, candlenut and chilli, scattered with lemon basil, wrapped in banana leaf and steamed, then charred briefly on a grill so the leaf smokes and perfumes it. The flesh comes out moist and fragrant. A portion has about 30 g of protein from the fish. The usual mistake is skipping the steaming and grilling straight away: the outside burns before the fish is cooked. Chef's tip: lemon basil (kemangi) is the signature; if you can't get it, use Thai basil with a little lemon zest.

60 min

Indonesian Fish

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Grüner BohnensalatGreen bean salad

In German kitchens from Swabia to Westphalia, green bean salad comes out in high summer when beans are cheap and plentiful, as a side to fried eggs, potato salad or grilled food, and it travels well to picnics. The beans are cooked until just tender, then dressed warm with vinegar, oil, onion and Bohnenkraut (summer savory), the peppery herb Germans always pair with beans. Many cooks add bacon; this version is vegan. A portion gives about 3 g of protein, so it is a side; add a handful of white beans to make it more filling. The most common mistake is undercooking the beans so they squeak: German bean salad is meant to be tender, not crisp, so cook until a bean bends without snapping. Chef's tip: dress the beans while they are still warm and let them sit for 30 minutes; they absorb the vinegar and taste far better than freshly dressed.

20 min

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Baicai dun doufuCabbage and tofu stew

In Beijing, Shenyang and Harbin, napa cabbage is stored by the hundredweight for winter, and this gentle stew of cabbage and tofu is what many families eat on a cold evening with steamed buns or rice. The cabbage softens and sweetens into the broth, while the tofu turns silky and swells with flavour; ginger and white pepper give it warmth. Salt is the only seasoning, so it stays gluten free. Each portion has about 230 kcal and roughly 21 g of protein, from 150 g of firm tofu. The common mistake is adding all the cabbage at once: the leaves overcook while the thick stems stay crunchy. Chef's tip: fry the cabbage stems in the oil until their edges brown before adding water; it gives the broth a sweet, toasty depth.

35 min

Chinese Vegetarian

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Sopa de nopalesCactus paddle soup

In Mexico City, Puebla and the towns of central Mexico, sopa de nopales is cooked at home during Lent and on any warm day when tender cactus paddles are cheap in the market. Diced nopales simmer in a light tomato and chilli broth with onion and coriander, giving a soup that is tangy, fresh and a little green-tasting, like green beans crossed with okra. It is very light, with about 3 g of protein per bowl; add a can of pinto beans or crumble fresh cheese on top for more. The most common mistake is putting raw nopales straight into the soup, which turns it slimy: boil them separately first and rinse them. Chef's tip: add a few tomatillo husks or a pinch of bicarbonate to the boiling water for the nopales; it helps set the slime so it rinses away.

35 min

Mexican Soups

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Salade de pissenlitsDandelion salad with warm vinaigrette

In Lorraine and around Lyon, the first tender dandelion leaves of March and April are gathered from meadows (or bought in bunches at the market) for a salad that marks the end of winter. The leaves are pleasantly bitter, and a hot vinaigrette poured over them wilts them slightly, with soft eggs to make it a light supper. The traditional version has crisp lardons; this vegetarian version uses toasted walnuts and a little of their oil for the same richness. A plate gives about 15 g of protein from the eggs and walnuts, so it is not a high-protein dish. The yolks stay runny, so use pasteurised eggs for anyone pregnant, very young, older or vulnerable, or boil the eggs for 10 minutes instead. The mistake to avoid is using big, old leaves from flowering plants; they are tough and harshly bitter. Chef's tip: soak the leaves in cold water for 30 minutes before drying them; it crisps them and tames some of the bitterness.

25 min

French Salads

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Malan tou with pressed tofuAster greens and pressed tofu salad

When the first malan tou shoots appear in Shanghai, Suzhou and Hangzhou markets in early spring, families make this little cold dish to start a meal: the tender aster leaves are blanched, chopped very fine and mixed with diced smoked pressed tofu, salt, a pinch of sugar and sesame oil. It tastes grassy, nutty and clean. Malan tou can be hard to find outside China; young spinach or shepherd's purse works well. As a side dish for four, each portion has about 120 kcal and roughly 9 g of protein, from the pressed tofu, so it is light rather than high in protein. The common mistake is leaving the greens wet, which dilutes the dressing; squeeze them hard. Chef's tip: press the mixture into a small bowl and turn it out onto the plate for the traditional neat mound.

18 min

Chinese Salads

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Bông bí xào tỏiGarlic stir-fried pumpkin flowers

From the Mekong Delta to the market gardens outside Hanoi, pumpkin vines are picked for their flowers and tender shoots, and bông bí xào tỏi is the everyday way to cook them: a few minutes in a hot wok with lots of garlic, served beside rice and a bowl of soup at family dinners. The flowers are soft and sweet and the shoots slightly crunchy. Some cooks add a splash of fish sauce; this version is seasoned with salt and a little soy, so it is vegan. It is a light side with about 3 g of protein per portion. The common mistake is leaving the stamens and the stringy skin on the shoots: both make the dish bitter and tough. Courgette flowers work well instead. Chef's tip: put the shoots in first and the flowers only for the last 30 seconds, so the delicate petals don't collapse into mush.

20 min

Vietnamese Sides

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Caldo de piranhaPiranha broth

In Cuiabá and Corumbá, on the edge of the Pantanal wetlands of Mato Grosso, caldo de piranha is served in small cups in bars and at riverside festivals, and is said to restore strength (some say more). The bony little fish are simmered with tomato, onion, peppers and annatto, then the flesh is blended into the broth and strained, so it is thick, smooth and savoury. If you can't get piranha, any firm white river or lake fish such as tilapia or catfish works. A bowl gives about 24 g of protein, from the fish, for about 200 kcal. The common mistake is careless straining: piranha has many fine bones, so pass the soup through a fine sieve twice. Chef's tip: finish with a good handful of cheiro-verde, the Brazilian mix of parsley and chives, and a squeeze of lime just before serving.

60 min

Brazilian Fish

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Haidai doufu tangKelp and tofu soup

Kelp and tofu soup is everyday drinking soup across China, ladled out at family dinners in Qingdao, Dalian and inland cities alike, and thought of as cooling and good for the body. Strips of kelp give a savoury sea flavour, cubes of soft tofu turn tender in the broth, and ginger, white pepper and spring onion keep it clean and warming. Each bowl has about 130 kcal and roughly 12 g of protein, from the tofu, so it is a light side soup rather than a high-protein meal. The common mistake is not rinsing dried kelp well: grit and the white salt bloom make the soup cloudy and harsh. Chef's tip: simmer the kelp first on its own for 10 minutes; it softens and seasons the water before the tofu goes in.

30 min

Chinese Soups

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Di gua yeStir-fried sweet potato leaves

Stir-fried sweet potato leaves are on the table at almost every Taiwanese home dinner and at every rechao stir-fry stall from Taipei to Kaohsiung, a cheap, dark-green side that once fed the island in lean years and is now loved for its silky texture. The tender leaves and tips are thrown into a smoking wok with plenty of garlic and a splash of water and cooked in about two minutes. It is vegan and light, with about 3 g of protein per portion. The common mistake is overloading the wok: the leaves stew and turn black-green and slimy, so cook in two batches if your pan is small. If you can't find sweet potato leaves, use water spinach or pea shoots. Chef's tip: add a tablespoon of water with the leaves; the burst of steam wilts them evenly without extra oil.

9 min

Taiwanese Sides

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Noppe-jiruTaro and vegetable soup

Noppe-jiru is the everyday and festive soup of Niigata, cooked in big pots for New Year, the Obon holidays and winter family gatherings, and served hot or even cold the next day. Taro, carrot, konnyaku, shiitake and fried tofu are simmered in a soy-seasoned dashi, and the taro's own starch, helped by a little potato starch, gives it a soft, gentle thickness. Many homes use bonito or chicken; this is the vegetarian version with kombu-shiitake dashi. It is warming and earthy, with about 5 g of protein per portion from the fried tofu and shiitake. The usual mistake is skipping the salt rub on the taro, which leaves the broth sticky and gluey rather than silky. Chef's tip: cut all the vegetables to the same small size so every spoonful has a bit of everything.

45 min

Japanese Soups

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Daegu jiriClear cod soup

In Busan and the fishing towns along Korea's south coast, daegu jiri is the clear, unspicy cod soup that people order in winter, and famously the morning after a long night out. Chunks of cod simmer in an anchovy and kelp broth with soft radish, tofu and garlic, then a big handful of minari (water dropwort) goes in at the end for a fresh, peppery lift. It tastes clean and gently savoury, with about 32 g of protein a bowl from the cod and tofu. The common mistake is stirring after the fish goes in, which breaks it into shreds; just shake the pot. Chef's tip: let the radish simmer in the broth first until it turns translucent, because it gives the soup its sweetness.

45 min

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Ping paGrilled lemongrass-stuffed fish

Ping pa is grilled fish the Lao way, cooked along the Mekong from Vientiane to Luang Prabang at riverside stalls, picnics and family weekends. A whole fish is crusted in salt, stuffed with lemongrass and grilled slowly over charcoal until the skin chars and the inside steams in its own juice, then picked apart at the table and eaten with sticky rice, herbs and a smoky tomato jeow (dip). A portion has about 30 g of protein from the fish. The common mistake is grilling over fierce flames: the skin burns long before the middle is cooked, so use glowing coals. Chef's tip: the thick salt crust isn't eaten; it protects the skin and keeps the flesh juicy, so peel it back as you eat.

50 min

Lao Fish

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Liangban bocaiCold dressed spinach

Liangban bocai is one of the cold dishes that open a family meal or a restaurant banquet all over China, from Beijing homes to Sichuan noodle shops, and it is made year round but especially in spring when spinach is sweet. The spinach is blanched briefly, squeezed, and dressed with raw garlic, black vinegar, soy and toasted sesame oil, then scattered with crunchy peanuts; it is garlicky, tangy and fresh. A portion gives about 6 g of protein from the spinach and peanuts, so it is a side, good with rice and a tofu dish. The most common mistake is not squeezing the spinach dry, which drowns the dressing; press it firmly in your hands. Chef's tip: pour a spoonful of smoking-hot oil over the garlic before mixing the dressing; it takes the raw edge off and makes the whole dish smell wonderful.

15 min

Chinese Salads

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LaswaOkra and squash vegetable soup

Laswa is the humble vegetable soup of Iloilo and the Western Visayas, cooked on ordinary weekdays with whatever the garden or the market gives: okra, squash, string beans, aubergine and leafy greens, all in a light broth with onion and tomato. Ilonggo cooks often add shrimp; this is the vegetarian version, seasoned with salt and a little ginger. It is light and naturally a little thick from the okra, with about 3 g of protein per bowl; serve it with rice and fried tofu or a boiled egg. The most common mistake is stirring the pot too much once the okra goes in, which breaks it up and makes the soup slimy. Chef's tip: add the vegetables in order of how long they take, squash first and leaves last, so each one is just done.

25 min

Filipino Soups

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Mugi gohan with tororoBarley rice with grated yam

Mugi gohan, white rice cooked with flattened barley, was everyday food in rural Japan and is back on family tables for its nutty chew and fibre. In Shizuoka and along the old Tokaido road it is famously eaten as mugitoro: barley rice under a pour of grated nagaimo yam loosened with seasoned dashi, slurped quickly at lunch. A portion is about 300 kcal and gives roughly 8 g of protein, so it is light rather than high in protein. The usual mistake is using the plain rice water ratio: barley drinks more, so add extra water or the grains stay hard. Raw nagaimo can make sensitive skin itch, so peel it with gloves on. The dashi here is made from kombu and shiitake, with no bonito. Chef's tip: grate the yam on the finest side of the grater and beat it with a spoon for a minute; it turns light and fluffy and coats the rice evenly.

70 min

Japanese Rice & Grains

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Miyeok oi naenggukChilled seaweed and cucumber soup

On the hottest days of a Korean summer, from Seoul apartments to farmhouses in Jeolla, this icy cold soup comes to the table with rice and spicy side dishes to cool everyone down. Soft wakame and crunchy cucumber float in a clear, tangy broth of vinegar, a little sugar and soup soy sauce, often with ice cubes bobbing on top. It is very light, with about 2 g of protein per portion, so serve it beside tofu or egg dishes. The common mistake is leaving the dried wakame to soak too long: it swells hugely and turns mushy. Ten minutes is enough. Chef's tip: season the broth slightly stronger than tastes right, because the ice you add at the end will dilute it.

15 min

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Chamnamul muchimDressed wild parsley

Chamnamul, a mild, celery-scented wild parsley, fills Korean markets in spring, and this simple namul is one of the banchan that turns up on home tables and in bibimbap bowls from March to May. The stems are blanched for seconds, then dressed by hand with garlic, sesame oil and toasted sesame so the herb stays bright and crunchy. It is a light side with about 3 g of protein per portion; pair it with tofu, eggs or a bean stew for a full meal. The common mistake is over-blanching: chamnamul goes limp and grey in under a minute. If you can't find it, use the tender tops of flat-leaf parsley mixed with pea shoots. Chef's tip: season with salt first and the sesame oil last, so the salt reaches the leaves instead of sliding off the oil.

15 min

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Kkaennip jjimSteamed seasoned perilla leaves

Kkaennip jjim is a homely banchan made in Korean kitchens through the summer, when perilla grows like a weed in back gardens, and it is eaten by wrapping a single soft leaf around a mouthful of rice. The leaves are stacked in pairs with a spoon of soy, garlic and chilli seasoning between each layer, then steamed until they soften and drink up the sauce. Many versions add anchovy stock; this one uses water, so it is vegan. Each portion has about 2 g of protein. The common mistake is steaming too long: the leaves should be tender but still green, about 5 minutes. Chef's tip: seasoning every second leaf rather than every one keeps the stack from getting soggy and salty.

26 min

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Xiqin chao baiheCelery and lily bulb stir-fry

In Guangdong homes and dim sum restaurants this pale green and ivory stir-fry is served as a cooling dish in the dry autumn months, when lily bulb is said to soothe the lungs. Celery is cut on the slant and stir-fried hot with garlic, then the sweet, starchy petals of fresh lily bulb go in for the last minute, with a glossy thin sauce. It is vegan and light, with about 3 g of protein per portion. The common mistake is cooking the lily bulb too long: it turns floury and falls apart, so add it last. If you can't get fresh lily bulb, use soaked dried lily bulb or water chestnuts for crunch. Chef's tip: blanch the celery for 30 seconds first; it keeps its jade colour and only needs a quick toss in the wok.

16 min

Chinese Vegetarian

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Pa muchimSpring onion salad

Pa muchim is the tangle of sharp, spicy spring onion that arrives with barbecue in restaurants all over Korea, from Seoul to Busan, and it is just as good at home beside grilled tofu, mushrooms or a rice bowl. Spring onion is shredded into long, thin threads, rinsed in cold water to tame its bite, then dressed at the last moment with chilli flakes, vinegar, soy, sugar and sesame. It is a light, vegan side with about 2 g of protein per portion. The common mistake is dressing it too early: after 10 minutes the onion wilts and weeps. Chef's tip: soak the shredded onion in iced water for 10 minutes before dressing; it curls, crisps and loses its harsh raw heat.

10 min

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TtoroBasque fish soup

Ttoro was the meal Basque fishermen in Saint-Jean-de-Luz and Ciboure made from the part of the catch they couldn't sell, and the town still holds a ttoro festival every autumn. A deep red broth of peppers, tomato and Espelette pepper is poured over pieces of hake and monkfish, mussels and prawns, with garlic toast on the side for dunking (use gluten-free bread if needed). A portion gives about 32 g of protein, from the fish and shellfish, for around 360 kcal. The common mistake is boiling the fish in the broth: it breaks into flakes, so the pieces are seared first and then only poached gently on top for a few minutes. Discard any mussel that stays open when tapped before cooking or stays shut after. Chef's tip: dust the fish in rice flour before searing; the light crust protects the fish in the broth and thickens it slightly.

70 min

French Fish

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Subak hwachae (Korean watermelon punch)

Subak hwachae is the cooling bowl Koreans set out on the hottest days of summer, especially around Boknal, the dog days of July and August, when families gather and eat from a hollowed-out watermelon shell. Balls of watermelon and other fruit float in chilled watermelon juice lightly sweetened and sharpened with lemon, with sparkling water for fizz and plenty of ice. It is refreshing, juicy and only gently sweet. Serve it straight away in small bowls with a spoon, after a barbecue or a spicy meal. This version is egg-free and dairy-free, and nothing needs binding or setting, as it is simply fruit in its own juice. Some modern versions add milk or a fizzy lemon soda; this one keeps it light with sugar syrup and sparkling water. Chef's tip: chill the fruit and juice for at least an hour before adding the fizz; the common mistake is relying on ice alone, which melts and waters the punch down.

15 min

Korean Desserts

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Lau ghontoBottle gourd with moong dal

Lau ghonto is a gentle summer dish from Dhaka and Kolkata kitchens, served in the first courses of a Bengali lunch with plain rice, when the bottle gourds are young and sweet. The gourd is grated, cooked down in its own juice with a handful of roasted moong dal, ginger and a little cumin until soft and almost creamy, and seasoned with a pinch of sugar. It is light, about 190 kcal a portion, and gives about 8 g of protein from the moong dal, so it is a vegetable side rather than a protein dish and is not tagged High protein. The most common mistake is adding water: bottle gourd releases plenty of its own, and extra water turns the ghonto into a soup. Chef's tip: choose a gourd that feels heavy, with pale, fuzzy skin you can dent with a fingernail; older gourds have hard seeds and turn bitter.

45 min

Bangladeshi Vegetarian

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Ikan wokuFish in lemongrass basil paste

Woku is the signature sauce of Minahasa cooking around Manado in North Sulawesi, where fish woku is cooked for Sunday lunches after church and for family gatherings. Fish steaks simmer briefly in a bright yellow paste of turmeric, chilli, shallot and ginger, smothered in lemongrass, lime leaves, pandan, spring onion and handfuls of lemon basil, so the sauce is hot, herbal and sharp with lime. A portion has about 30 g of protein from the fish; eat it with plenty of rice. The common mistake is stirring hard once the fish goes in, which breaks it up; shake the pan instead. Chef's tip: add the basil only at the very end, off the heat, so it stays green and perfumed.

40 min

Indonesian Fish

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Chilcano de pescadoClear fish broth

In the fishermen's terminals of Chorrillos and Callao, chilcano is what you drink on a Sunday morning after a long night: a clear, gingery broth made from the heads and bones left over from cleaning fish for ceviche, with chunks of fish, red onion, chilli and a squeeze of lime in the bowl. It is light and warming, around 160 kcal a bowl, and still gives about 24 g of protein from the fish fillet and the broth. The common mistake is squeezing the lime into the pot while it boils, which turns it bitter; add it to each bowl at the table. Don't boil the bones for more than 30 minutes either, or the broth turns cloudy and harsh. Chef's tip: ask the fishmonger for heads and frames from mild white fish like sea bass or cod, and leave out oily fish such as mackerel, which makes the broth strong and fishy.

55 min

Peruvian Soups

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Bhaja muger dalRoasted moong dal with ginger

Bengali households in Kolkata make bhaja muger dal on winter weekdays, and it is a fixture of the vegetarian bhog served at Durga Puja and Saraswati Puja. The moong is dry-roasted in a heavy pan until it smells nutty, then cooked soft with ginger and green peas and finished with ghee, bay leaf and a whisper of sugar. The roasting gives it a toasty, almost sweet depth that plain moong dal never has. A portion gives about 21 g of protein from the moong and peas, for about 360 kcal. Serve it with rice and a fried vegetable such as begun bhaja. The most common mistake is roasting over too high a heat: the outside browns while the inside stays raw, and the dal tastes burnt and never softens evenly. Chef's tip: roast only until the dal is a couple of shades darker, pale gold, and you can smell it from the next room; stop the moment you see the first brown spots.

45 min

Indian Curries

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Tumis daun pepayaStir-fried papaya leaves

In Manado and across North Sulawesi and Maluku, a plate of tumis daun pepaya sits beside rice, grilled corn and sambal at everyday lunches and at big family gatherings, where its clean bitterness cuts through rich coconut dishes. The leaves are boiled first to tame them, then stir-fried hot with shallot, garlic, chilli and lemon basil until glossy. Many cooks add a little dried anchovy or fish; this version is vegetarian and gets its savouriness from a spoon of soy sauce and the fried aromatics. It is a light side with about 4 g of protein per portion, from the leaves themselves, so serve it with tofu, tempeh or beans if you want a full meal. The common mistake is skipping the pre-boil: raw papaya leaves are harshly bitter. Chef's tip: squeeze the boiled leaves hard and fry them in a hot, dry-ish pan so they take on a little colour rather than stewing.

30 min

Indonesian Sides

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Methi dalLentils with fenugreek leaves

In Punjab, Rajasthan and Delhi homes, methi dal arrives in late autumn and winter, when bunches of fresh fenugreek are cheap and fragrant at every vegetable cart. The leaves are stirred into a pot of soft toor and moong dal, where their gentle bitterness balances the earthy lentils, and a cumin and garlic tadka goes over the top. It is a light everyday dinner with phulka or rice. A portion gives about 21 g of protein from the two dals, for about 350 kcal. The most common mistake is cooking the leaves for too long or chopping in the thick stems, which makes the dal bitter and stringy: use only leaves and tender tips and add them for the last few minutes. Chef's tip: toss the chopped leaves with a pinch of salt, leave them for 10 minutes and squeeze out the green juice; it takes the harsh edge off the bitterness without losing the flavour.

45 min

Indian Curries

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Fagioli e cozzeMussels and cannellini beans

In Naples, fagioli e cozze is the trattoria lunch of late spring and summer, when the mussels from the bay are plump and cheap, and it also turns up on the Christmas Eve table across Campania. Creamy cannellini and sweet mussels share one pan with garlic, chilli and a few cherry tomatoes, so the mussel juices turn the beans into a light, briny stew you mop up with toasted bread. A portion gives about 24 g of protein, from the mussels and the beans, for roughly 330 kcal. The common mistake is salting before the mussels open: their liquor is already salty, so taste only at the end. Before cooking, throw away any mussel with a cracked shell or one that stays open when tapped, and after cooking throw away any that stay shut. Chef's tip: crush a ladle of the beans against the side of the pan before the mussels go in; the starch thickens the broth so it clings to every shell.

40 min

Italian Fish

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Asinan BetawiPickled vegetable and tofu salad

Asinan Betawi is the cooling salad of old Jakarta, sold from glass-sided carts and eaten mid-afternoon in the heat or brought out at family gatherings in big tubs. Quick-pickled cabbage, cucumber and bean sprouts are piled with cubes of tofu, then soaked in a thin, tangy sauce of chilli, vinegar, palm sugar and ground peanuts. It is crunchy, sour, sweet and spicy all at once. A portion has about 300 kcal and roughly 17 g of protein, from the tofu and peanuts, so it is a light meal rather than a high-protein one. The common mistake is dressing it too early; the vegetables go limp within an hour. Street versions often scatter shrimp crackers on top, so use plain rice or cassava crackers to keep it vegetarian. Chef's tip: chill the sauce well before serving; asinan should be served cold enough to fog the bowl.

40 min

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Gamja gukPotato and onion soup

Gamja guk is the plain, comforting potato soup that Korean mothers make on busy mornings and quiet evenings all year round, served with rice and kimchi. Thin slices of potato and onion simmer in a clear broth until soft, finished with spring onion and a little garlic. Most homes use an anchovy and kelp stock; this is the vegetarian version, with kelp and dried shiitake. It is mild and soothing, with about 4 g of protein per bowl; crack an egg into the pot at the end, or serve tofu alongside, for more. The common mistake is cutting the potatoes too thick, so the outside crumbles before the middle is cooked; slice them evenly, about 5 mm. Chef's tip: soak the sliced potato in cold water for 5 minutes to rinse away surface starch and keep the broth clear.

30 min

Bulgarian Chutneys & Dips

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Utan bisayaClear lemongrass vegetable soup

Utan bisaya is the everyday vegetable soup of Cebu and the Visayas, cooked at home for lunch and eaten with rice and something fried or grilled on the side. Lemongrass, ginger and tomato flavour a clear broth full of squash, string beans, okra and malunggay (moringa) leaves. Visayan cooks often add dried fish or a little fish sauce; this is the vegetarian version, so the lemongrass and a pinch of pepper do the work. It is fresh and fragrant, with about 3 g of protein per bowl, much of it from the moringa leaves. The common mistake is adding the malunggay too early: the small leaves need only a minute, or they darken and lose their flavour. Chef's tip: bruise the lemongrass well with the back of a knife and tie it in a knot so it is easy to fish out.

30 min

Filipino Soups

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Mâncare de mazăreStewed green peas

In Romanian homes from Bucharest to the villages of Moldavia, mâncare de mazăre is a weekday lunch all year and a mainstay of the Orthodox fasting days, when the table is meat-free; it is eaten with mămăligă (polenta) or bread and a pickle or two. Peas simmer gently with soft onion and carrot in a light tomato sauce, and a handful of dill goes in at the end. A portion gives about 14 g of protein from the peas, so it isn't a high-protein dish on its own; serve it with polenta and a chunk of bread, or a fried egg on top if you eat eggs. The most common mistake is boiling the peas for too long, which turns them khaki and mushy. Chef's tip: thicken the sauce with a teaspoon of flour fried in the oil before the tomato goes in, as Romanian cooks do, or leave it out to keep the dish gluten free.

40 min

Romanian Vegetarian

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KyopolouRoasted aubergine and pepper spread

Every Bulgarian family makes kyopolou in late summer and autumn, when aubergines and red peppers flood the markets from Plovdiv to Sofia, and it is served as a starter with bread and a shopska salad, or spread on toast for a light supper. The vegetables are roasted until blackened, peeled, and chopped by hand with garlic, parsley, vinegar and sunflower oil into a chunky, smoky, slightly sweet relish. A portion gives about 2 g of protein, so it is a dip; spread it on bread with white cheese or serve with beans for a fuller meal. The most common mistake is blending it smooth: kyopolou should be chopped, with visible pieces of pepper. Chef's tip: let the roasted vegetables steam in a covered bowl for 10 minutes; the skins then slip off in seconds and you keep all the smoky juice.

60 min

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Ensalada de berroWatercress salad

In Cuban homes from Havana to Santiago, a plate of peppery watercress with thin rings of onion and a squeeze of lime sits beside the rice, beans and fried plantain at almost every weekday lunch. The dressing is simply lime or sour orange, olive oil and salt, so the cress stays crisp and bright and cuts through richer dishes. It is very light, with about 2 g of protein a portion, so it is purely a side; pair it with black beans and rice for a full meal. The most common mistake is dressing it in advance: watercress wilts in minutes once salted. Chef's tip: keep the thick lower stems out and use only the tender tops and leaves; the salad will be crisp, not stringy.

10 min

Cuban Salads

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Pescado empapeladoFish baked in paper parcel

Along the Gulf coast of Veracruz, pescado empapelado is a weekday lunch and a Lenten Friday favourite: a fillet of snapper or other white fish is sealed in paper or foil with tomato, onion, peppers, olives, capers and herbs, then baked so it steams in its own juices. Each person opens their own fragrant parcel at the table. A portion gives about 32 g of protein, from the fish, for around 250 kcal. The common mistake is a loose parcel: if the edges aren't crimped tightly the steam escapes and the fish bakes dry, so fold and pinch the edges all the way round. The fish is done when it is opaque and flakes easily at the thickest point (63 °C). Chef's tip: slice the vegetables thinly and lay them under the fish as well as on top; they cook in the same 15 minutes and keep the fillet off the hot paper.

30 min

Mexican Fish

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Verdure grigliateGrilled vegetables

Every Italian region has its plate of verdure grigliate, laid out on summer lunch tables from Puglia to Liguria as part of the antipasti, or eaten as a side to bread and cheese. Slices of aubergine, courgette and pepper are grilled dry until striped and soft, then dressed afterwards in good olive oil, garlic, parsley and a little vinegar so they soak it up as they cool. It is vegan and light, with about 3 g of protein per portion; add a ball of mozzarella or a can of white beans to make it a meal. The common mistake is oiling the vegetables before grilling: they smoke, burn and turn greasy. Chef's tip: make it a few hours ahead; the dressing works its way in and it tastes better at room temperature than hot.

40 min

Italian Sides

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RotmosMashed swede and carrot

Rotmos, literally 'root mash', is a Swedish winter staple, cooked from Skåne to Norrland when the cellars are full of swede, and served beside sausages or boiled pork at home dinners, and on Thursdays with pea soup. Swede gives the mash its golden colour and gently peppery sweetness, potato makes it smooth, and a little butter and allspice round it out. It is a vegetarian side with about 3 g of protein per portion; try it with fried halloumi or a bean stew. The common mistake is mashing it straight from the pan: watery roots give a sloppy mash, so steam-dry them first. Chef's tip: leave the mash a little coarse; Swedes like to see flecks of swede and carrot rather than a smooth purée.

40 minScandinavian Sides

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DinengdengVegetables in fish sauce broth

Dinengdeng is the everyday soup of the Ilocos region in the northern Philippines, made from whatever the backyard gives that day: squash and its flowers, string beans, okra, aubergine and moringa leaves, simmered briefly in water seasoned with bagoong (fermented fish sauce) and crowned with a piece of grilled fish. It is thin, savoury and green-tasting, and meant to be eaten with rice. A bowl has about 15 g of protein from the fish and vegetables, so it is a light meal rather than a high-protein one. The common mistake is putting all the vegetables in at once: add them hardest first so the leaves stay bright. Chef's tip: strain the bagoong into the pot through a sieve, so you get its flavour without the bones and grit.

40 min

Filipino Soups

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Sayur sopClear vegetable soup

Sayur sop is the clear vegetable soup cooked in homes all over Indonesia, from Medan to Surabaya, on any ordinary weeknight and whenever a child is poorly; it is spooned over rice beside fried tofu or tempeh. Most families make it with chicken stock, so this is the vegetarian version, built on vegetable stock with fried shallots and celery leaf for depth. It is gentle, savoury and fragrant with nutmeg and white pepper, and children love it. It has about 4 g of protein per portion, from the vegetables and macaroni; add cubes of firm tofu for more. The common mistake is boiling it hard, which clouds the broth and breaks the potato; keep it at a lazy simmer. Chef's tip: fry the garlic and shallot in a little oil before they go in, rather than adding them raw, for a broth that tastes much richer than it is.

40 min

Indonesian Soups

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SsambapRice wrapped in leaves

Ssambap means wrapped rice, and in Korean homes it is the lazy, happy dinner of high summer, when the garden is full of lettuce and perilla: a basket of leaves, a bowl of rice and a pot of thick ssamjang go on the table and everyone builds little parcels. Steamed cabbage leaves are added in winter. It is a light meal of about 360 kcal, with roughly 10 g of protein a portion from the rice, doenjang and walnuts, so it is not a high-protein dish. The usual mistake is overfilling the leaf; a parcel should be one bite, so use a small spoon of rice. Most gochujang contains wheat, so it isn't gluten free. Chef's tip: lay a perilla leaf on top of the lettuce before adding rice; its minty, anise flavour lifts every mouthful.

40 min

Korean Rice & Grains

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Feldsalat mit warmem KartoffeldressingLamb's lettuce with warm potato dressing

In Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria, Feldsalat (lamb's lettuce, also called Ackersalat or Nüsslisalat) is the winter salad, eaten from October to March as a starter or beside Spätzle and egg dishes. The small, tender rosettes are dressed in a warm, creamy Swabian dressing made from a boiled potato mashed with stock, mustard, vinegar and oil, which coats the leaves without weighing them down. Traditional versions use meat stock and bacon; this one uses vegetable stock and crisp fried onions, so it is vegan. It gives about 3 g of protein a portion, so it is a side; add toasted pumpkin seeds for more. The most common mistake is not washing the leaves well: grit hides deep inside the rosettes, so wash in two or three changes of water. Chef's tip: dress the leaves only at the table; the warm dressing wilts them within minutes.

30 min

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NässelsoppaNettle soup

In Sweden the first young nettles of April and May go straight into nässelsoppa, a smooth, grassy green soup often served at Easter or on Walpurgis Night with halved boiled eggs. It tastes a little like spinach with a mineral edge, and is eaten with crispbread and butter. A bowl with one egg gives about 10 g of protein, so it is a light soup, not a high-protein meal; add a second egg each if you want it more filling. Wear gloves to pick and wash nettles: blanching removes the sting completely. The most common mistake is cooking the nettles too long, which turns the soup khaki and dull; add them at the end and blend straight away. Chef's tip: pick only the top four to six leaves of young plants before they flower; older leaves are tough and gritty.

35 minScandinavian Soups

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Plecing kangkungWater spinach with tomato sambal

Plecing kangkung is Lombok's signature vegetable dish, eaten in Mataram and around the island at lunch with rice and grilled food, and sold in Bali night markets too. Bright water spinach is blanched just until tender, then piled with bean sprouts and a raw sambal of tomato, chilli, lime and salt, and finished with crunchy fried peanuts. On Lombok the sambal usually contains terasi (shrimp paste); this vegetarian version leaves it out and uses a squeeze of lime leaf and a pinch more salt. A portion gives about 6 g of protein from the peanuts and sprouts, so it is a fresh side rather than a main. The most common mistake is overcooking the kangkung: it should stay vivid green with crunchy stems, so blanch for under a minute. Chef's tip: shock the greens in iced water straight after blanching, then squeeze lightly; the sambal clings better to dry leaves.

20 min

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Sayur asemSour tamarind vegetable soup

Sayur asem is the soup that sits beside fried tempeh, rice and sambal on lunch tables across Jakarta and West Java, and it is most loved in the hot months, when its sharp, sweet-sour broth cools you down. Chunks of sweetcorn, chayote, long beans, raw peanuts and young melinjo leaves simmer in a clear broth soured with tamarind and rounded with a little palm sugar. It is light, with about 5 g of protein per portion, mostly from the peanuts; serve it with tempeh or tofu if you want a full meal. The most common mistake is adding all the vegetables at once: the corn and peanuts need a head start, while the long beans and leaves turn grey and soft if they boil too long. Chef's tip: dissolve the tamarind in a little hot water and add it in stages, tasting as you go, because tamarind blocks vary hugely in strength.

45 min

Indonesian Soups

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Paksiw na isdaFish simmered in vinegar

Paksiw na isda is cooked in homes all over the Philippines, from Manila to the Visayas, as an everyday lunch with rice; the vinegar keeps it for a day or two, and many people think it tastes better the next morning. Fish simmers in vinegar and a little water with ginger, garlic, peppercorns and long chillies, with aubergine and bitter melon, until the sauce is sharp, savoury and slightly reduced. A portion has about 26 g of protein from the fish. The classic mistake is stirring the pot before the vinegar has boiled: it leaves a raw, harsh taste, so let it come to the boil uncovered and untouched first. Chef's tip: use cane or coconut vinegar if you can find it; it is gentler than distilled white vinegar.

35 min

Filipino Fish

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Lalapan with sambal tomatRaw vegetables with tomato sambal

In Sundanese homes and warung across West Java, from Bandung to Bogor, lalapan sits on the table at nearly every rice meal: a plate of raw cucumber, cabbage, long beans, Thai basil, lettuce and sometimes small green aubergines, dipped one by one into fiery sambal. It is about freshness and crunch more than cooking. The usual sambal terasi uses shrimp paste, so here it is a vegetarian sambal tomat of fried chilli, shallot, garlic and tomato, ground with palm sugar and lime. A portion gives only about 3 g of protein, so pair it with fried tofu or tempeh and rice for a full meal. The most common mistake is serving limp vegetables: wash them, then crisp them in iced water and dry them well. Chef's tip: fry the sambal ingredients until the tomato skins split and the shallots catch at the edges; that charring gives the depth shrimp paste usually brings.

25 min

Indonesian Sides

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Quelites guisadosSautéed wild greens

Quelites is the Nahuatl-rooted word for the edible wild greens of central Mexico, such as quintoniles (amaranth), verdolagas (purslane) and huauzontle, and in the markets of Mexico City, Puebla and Tlaxcala they are sold by the bunch in the rainy season and cooked this way for everyday lunches. The greens are blanched, then sautéed with onion, garlic, tomato and serrano chilli until soft and savoury, and piled into hot corn tortillas with salsa and, if you like, crumbled fresh cheese. Without cheese it is vegan, with about 6 g of protein per portion including two tortillas. The common mistake is leaving the greens wet: they steam and turn watery instead of frying. Spinach, chard or amaranth leaves work if you can't find quelites. Chef's tip: cut the serrano in half lengthways and fry it with the onion; it flavours the oil gently and you can lift it out if it's too hot.

25 min

Mexican Vegetarian

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Pesce spada alla ghiottaSwordfish with tomato and capers

In Messina, where swordfish boats still work the Strait in early summer, a ghiotta is how a family cooks thick swordfish steaks for Sunday lunch: they simmer briefly in a sauce of tomato, celery, capers and green olives, sweet, salty and sharp at once. Some cooks add pine nuts and raisins, a reminder of Sicily's Arab past. A portion gives about 30 g of protein, almost all from the fish, for around 330 kcal. The usual mistake is overcooking: swordfish dries out fast, so it needs only 6–8 minutes in the sauce, until it is opaque right through and flakes at the centre (63 °C). Swordfish is high in mercury, so pregnant people and young children should choose another firm white fish such as monkfish or hake. Chef's tip: simmer the sauce for its full time before the fish goes in; the celery must be soft and the sauce thick, because the fish will not stay in long enough to cook it.

45 min

Italian Fish

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Sült tök (Hungarian roasted sweet pumpkin)

When the first cold sets in, Hungarian street vendors and market stalls set up their ovens and sell sült tök: thick wedges of sweet pumpkin roasted until the flesh is soft as jam and the edges are caramelised and almost sticky. It is bought hot and eaten on the spot through autumn and winter, often from the same stands that sell roasted chestnuts, and at home it is a simple afternoon treat for children. The flavour is deep and honeyed with a slightly smoky edge from the browned skin; a dusting of cinnamon sugar is optional. Eat it with a spoon straight from the skin, alongside a cup of hot tea or warm apple juice. It is naturally egg-free and needs no binding at all: the pumpkin's own sugars concentrate and caramelise in the oven's dry heat. Chef's tip: pick a dense, dry, deep-orange pumpkin such as a Hungarian sweet pumpkin, kabocha or butternut; the common mistake is using a watery carving pumpkin, which steams instead of caramelising.

60 min

Hungarian Desserts

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Canh rau ngot with tofuKatuk leaf and tofu soup

Canh rau ngot is one of the plainest and most loved soups on a Vietnamese family table, served at dinner in Hanoi and the Mekong Delta alike, in a shared bowl beside rice, a braised dish and a dipping sauce. The leaves of the katuk shrub are bruised and simmered briefly until soft and sweet. It is usually made with minced pork or dried shrimp; this vegetarian version uses cubes of tofu and a little fried shallot for savouriness. Each bowl has about 110 kcal and roughly 10 g of protein, from the tofu, so it is a light side soup. Katuk can be found frozen in Asian shops; young spinach is the nearest stand-in. The common mistake is overcooking the leaves, which turn khaki and slimy. Chef's tip: rub the leaves between your palms before cooking; bruising them lets them release their sweetness in just a few minutes.

20 min

Vietnamese Soups

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Garang asemChicken and starfruit in banana leaf

Garang asem is a dish from Kudus and Demak on the north coast of Central Java, where it is cooked for family lunches and sold at warungs by midday. Bone-in chicken is packed into banana-leaf parcels with sour starfruit, tomato, whole chillies and a little thin coconut milk, then steamed until the juices turn into a light, tangy, peppery broth. It is clean-tasting rather than rich, and a portion has about 32 g of protein from the chicken; serve it with steamed rice. The common mistake is wrapping the parcels loosely so the broth runs out; fold the leaves in two layers and pin them tight. Chef's tip: if you can't find belimbing wuluh (sour starfruit), use green tomatoes and a spoon of tamarind water for the same sharpness.

70 min

Indonesian Chicken

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ParihuelaSpicy seafood soup

Parihuela is the big weekend seafood soup of Callao and the Peruvian coast, eaten at long Sunday lunches in cevicherías and praised as a cure for tiredness and late nights. A deep red broth of ají panca, ají amarillo, tomato and fish stock is loaded with chunks of fish, prawns, squid and mussels. A portion gives about 30 g of protein, from the fish and shellfish, for roughly 300 kcal. Some cooks add chicha de jora or beer; this version has none. The common mistake is adding all the seafood at once: squid and prawns turn rubbery while the fish cooks, so they go in last. Before cooking, discard any mussels that stay open when tapped, and after cooking discard any that stay shut. Chef's tip: fry the chilli pastes in the oil until they darken and smell sweet; that toasted ají is what gives parihuela its depth.

70 min

Peruvian Fish

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KaredokRaw vegetable salad with peanut sauce

Karedok is the raw cousin of gado-gado, sold from roadside stalls in Bandung and across West Java as a cooling lunch with rice, prawn-free crackers or rice cakes. Nothing is cooked: long beans, cucumber, cabbage, bean sprouts and Thai basil are cut small and coated in a thick peanut sauce pounded with kencur (aromatic ginger), garlic, chilli and palm sugar, so every bite is crisp, nutty and gently sweet-hot. Stall versions often add terasi (shrimp paste); this vegetarian version leaves it out and makes up the depth with a little extra kencur and lime. A portion gives about 10 g of protein, mostly from the peanuts, so it is a light side rather than a high-protein main; serve it with tempeh or tofu if you want more. The most common mistake is dressing it too early: the salt pulls water out of the cucumber and the sauce turns thin and watery. Chef's tip: grind the peanuts coarse rather than to a paste, so the sauce keeps a little crunch to match the vegetables.

25 min

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Salade d'endives aux noixChicory, walnut and apple salad

Across Picardy and the Nord, and over the border in Belgium, Belgian endive (chicory) is the winter salad, and this one appears after the main course at Sunday lunch or as a light supper from November to March. The pale, crisp leaves are cut into rings and tossed with sweet apple, toasted walnuts and a sharp mustard vinaigrette, so you get bitter, sweet and nutty in every mouthful. Many bistros add Roquefort; this version is vegan, and if you add cheese, note that Roquefort is made with animal rennet. A portion gives about 4 g of protein from the walnuts, so it is a side or starter. The most common mistake is slicing the endive too early: it browns at the cut edges, so dress it within 10 minutes of cutting. Chef's tip: cut out the small cone of core at the base of each endive; it holds most of the bitterness.

18 min

French Salads

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DerereOkra relish

Derere is the slippery okra relish that Zimbabwean families, especially in Mashonaland, eat with sadza (maize porridge) at weekday dinners; the stretchy texture is the point, because it helps each pinch of sadza slide up a little relish. Grated or finely sliced okra is boiled briefly with a pinch of bicarbonate of soda, which makes it extra smooth and keeps it bright green, then finished with tomato and onion. It is vegan and very light, with about 3 g of protein per portion; serve it with beans or peanut-butter greens for a full meal. The common mistake is too much bicarbonate: more than a pinch gives a soapy taste. Chef's tip: stir with a whisk or a fork for the last minute; it builds the classic stretchy, glossy texture.

20 minSouthern African Sides

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Insalata pantescaPotato, tomato and caper salad

Insalata pantesca comes from Pantelleria, the volcanic island between Sicily and Tunisia famous for its capers, and is eaten all over Sicily on hot summer days, at lunch or as a side to a frittata. Waxy potatoes are boiled and dressed while warm with ripe tomatoes, sliced red onion, the island's capers, black olives, oregano and plenty of olive oil, so the potatoes soak up all the juices. Island cooks sometimes add tuna; this version stays vegan. It gives about 5 g of protein a portion, so for a fuller meal serve it with hard-boiled eggs or a bean dish. The most common mistake is using floury potatoes, which crumble into mash; choose a waxy variety and cut it after cooking. Chef's tip: rinse salted capers well and soak the sliced onion in cold water for 10 minutes; both lose their harshness and the salad tastes sweeter.

35 min

Italian Salads

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Tam mak thuaPounded long bean salad

In Vientiane and Luang Prabang, tam mak thua is the everyday alternative to green papaya salad, pounded to order at market stalls and at home for lunch with sticky rice and grilled food. Raw long beans are bruised in a clay mortar with garlic, chilli, tomato and lime until they soak up the juices, giving a crunchy, sour-hot salad with a grassy sweetness. Lao cooks season it with fish sauce and padaek (fermented fish); this vegetarian version uses tamari (gluten-free soy sauce) and a few crushed peanuts for savouriness. It gives about 5 g of protein a portion, so serve it as a side to tofu or eggs and sticky rice. The most common mistake is cutting the beans too long or pounding too hard: bruise short pieces until they split, but don't mash them to pulp. Chef's tip: pound the garlic and chilli first, then the beans, and only add the tomato and lime at the end so the salad stays crisp.

15 min

Lao Salads

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Ikan kuah asamFish in clear sour broth

Across Ambon in Maluku and the coasts of North Sulawesi, ikan kuah asam is the soup families eat almost daily with papeda or rice, made from whatever fish came in that morning. The broth is thin and clear, bright with lime and tomato, warm with chilli and lemongrass, with chunks of fish poached just until they flake. It is light but filling, with about 28 g of protein a portion from the fish. The common mistake is adding the lime juice too early and boiling it: it turns bitter, so squeeze it in at the end. Chef's tip: use a firm, meaty fish such as tuna, mackerel or snapper, cut into large chunks, so it holds together in the broth.

30 min

Indonesian Fish

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Moo manao (pork in lime and chilli dressing)

Moo manao is a drinking snack and dinner side from central Thailand, served in Bangkok bars and at home with sticky rice: thin slices of pork, blanched until just cooked, laid on ice-cold cabbage or lettuce and drowned in a fierce dressing of lime, raw garlic, bird's eye chilli and fish sauce. This is a pork dish. The mistake is boiling the pork for too long, which makes the thin slices tough and dry; poach them only until they turn white all through. Chef's tip: plunge the cooked slices into iced water for a few seconds, so they stay tender and take the dressing well.

17 min

Thai Meat

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Salat iz ogurtsov i pomidorov (Russian cucumber and tomato salad)

From Moscow dachas to Siberian kitchens, this is the salad that sits on almost every summer table: cucumber, ripe tomato and onion chopped together with dill, dressed either with smetana for a creamy version or with unrefined sunflower oil, whose nutty taste is the flavour of the Russian countryside. It is eaten beside boiled potatoes, kasha or grilled food, and it is made minutes before the meal. The usual mistake is salting it early: the tomatoes and cucumbers release their juice and the salad turns into a watery soup. Chef's tip: if you can find it, use unrefined, cold-pressed sunflower oil; it tastes of toasted seeds and makes the plainest salad sing.

10 min

Russian Salads

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Rote-Bete-SalatBeetroot salad

Rote-Bete-Salat is on the table in German homes through autumn and winter, beside potato pancakes, fried eggs or simply bread and butter. Cooked beetroot is cut into slices or batons and dressed with onion, vinegar, oil and a little caraway or grated horseradish, so it is sweet, earthy and sharp at once. It is vegan, gluten free and keeps for days in the fridge. The most common mistake is serving it straight after dressing: give it at least 10 minutes, or better an hour, so the beetroot soaks up the flavour. Chef's tip: wear gloves or rub your hands with lemon juice afterwards, as beetroot stains everything it touches.

15 min

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Quiabo refogadoSautéed okra with garlic

In Minas Gerais, quiabo refogado is the green side that sits next to rice, beans and angu on weekday lunch and supper plates, and the cook's pride is okra that is tender but never slimy. The pods are sliced into rounds and sautéed in a wide pan with onion and plenty of garlic until the sticky threads cook away and the edges turn lightly golden. The most common mistake is washing the okra after slicing it: wet cut okra turns gluey, so wash and dry the whole pods first. Serve it with rice and beans, a fried egg or crisp fried tofu. Chef's tip: stir only every couple of minutes and add a few drops of lime at the end; both keep the slices separate.

23 min

Brazilian Sides

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Zöldbableves (Hungarian green bean soup)

Zöldbableves is a summer soup from Hungarian home kitchens, made when green beans are cheap at every market: tender beans in a light broth, soured with a little vinegar and thickened with a paprika roux and sour cream, so it is creamy, gently tart and bright red-orange. It is served as the first course of a weekday lunch or as a light supper with bread. The classic mistake is pouring cold sour cream straight into the hot soup, where it splits into flecks; temper it first. Chef's tip: let the roux turn just golden before adding the paprika off the heat, because paprika burns in seconds and turns bitter.

30 min

Hungarian Soups

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Israeli salad

Israeli salad, a very finely chopped mix of cucumber, tomato, onion and parsley dressed with lemon and olive oil, shares its roots with the Arab chopped salads of the region and appears at almost every meal in Israel: with eggs and labneh at a kibbutz breakfast, stuffed into a pitta at a Tel Aviv falafel stand, or beside schnitzel on a weeknight. The skill is in the knife work, small, even dice of about 5 mm, so each spoonful holds a bit of everything. The common mistake is salting and dressing it too early, which draws the juices out and leaves it swimming; dress it just before serving. Chef's tip: use small, firm cucumbers and scoop out very watery tomato seeds if the tomatoes are soft.

15 min

Israeli Salads

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Lau chingriBottle gourd with prawns

Lau chingri is everyday lunch and dinner food in Dhaka homes and over the border in Kolkata: pale bottle gourd cooked slowly in its own juice with small prawns, cumin and green chilli until it turns soft and sweet. It is mild and light, eaten with plain rice and a spoon of dal. The common mistake is adding water; lau is mostly water already, and extra liquid turns it into a thin soup. Chef's tip: fry the prawns first and lift them out, then return them at the end so they stay plump instead of rubbery.

30 min

Bangladeshi Curries

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Hiyashi somenChilled thin noodles

All over Japan, hiyashi somen is what families eat on the hottest evenings of July and August: hair-thin wheat noodles chilled in iced water and dipped, a mouthful at a time, into cold mentsuyu with grated ginger and spring onion. The dipping sauce is made with bonito dashi and mirin, which contains alcohol; it is boiled briefly, and an alcohol-free swap is given. The classic mistake is not rinsing the cooked noodles hard under cold water, which leaves them starchy and stuck together. Chef's tip: tie the bundles with a little thread before cooking, or keep their paper band on, so they stay in neat skeins.

15 min

Japanese Pasta & Noodles

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Velouté de courgettesSmooth courgette soup

French families make velouté de courgettes on summer and early-autumn evenings, when courgettes are cheap and plentiful, often blending in a few wedges of soft triangle cheese or a spoon of cream so children drink it happily. It is pale green, silky and mild, and ready in under half an hour; serve it with crusty bread and a piece of cheese. Some soft cheeses are made with animal rennet, so check the label or use a vegetarian cream cheese. The most common mistake is boiling the courgettes too long, which turns the soup a dull khaki; simmer only until just tender. Chef's tip: leave some of the green skin on but peel in stripes, so the colour stays bright without any bitterness.

25 min

French Soups

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Lehsuni palakGarlic spinach

In Punjabi homes from Amritsar to Ludhiana, lehsuni palak is the green dish that lands on the table in winter when spinach is cheap and sweet, eaten with hot phulkas and a bowl of dal. It is not a purée like palak paneer: the leaves are chopped and wilted so they keep some body, then a second round of garlic fried golden in oil is poured over at the end, nutty and fragrant. The usual mistake is burning the garlic; dark brown garlic turns bitter and spoils the whole pan, so pull it off the heat when it is the colour of light toast. Chef's tip: squeeze the washed spinach lightly before it goes in, or the pan floods and the leaves stew instead of sautéing.

20 min

Indian Vegetarian

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OkayuPlain rice porridge with pickled plum

Okayu is the porridge Japanese mothers make when someone is ill, tired or simply needs something gentle, and it is also eaten on 7 January as part of the new year with seven spring herbs. This weeknight version starts from cooked rice, simmered in water with a little salt until soft, white and spoonable, then served with a sour-salty umeboshi plum to stir in. The mistake is stirring it constantly, which breaks the grains and turns it gluey; stir only now and then. Chef's tip: for the full, silkier version, start with 100 g raw rice and 1 litre of water and simmer, lid ajar, for 40 minutes.

17 min

Japanese Rice & Grains

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Turai ki sabziRidge gourd with tomato

In Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and across the North Indian plains, turai (ridge gourd) is the light monsoon vegetable that mothers cook for upset stomachs, hot evenings and anyone who wants a gentle dinner with roti and dal. Peeled and chopped, it releases its own water as it cooks, and with a little tomato and cumin it forms a soft, sweet, barely spicy gravy. The common mistake is adding water: the gourd is full of it, and extra water gives a bland, thin soup, so cover the pan and let it make its own. Chef's tip: taste a slice of raw gourd before cooking; very occasionally one is bitter, and a bitter gourd will spoil the whole pot.

25 min

Indian Vegetarian

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Zucchine trifolateGarlic parsley courgettes

Zucchine trifolate is a contorno cooked all over Italy through the summer glut, when every market stall is piled with courgettes: thin slices sautéed in olive oil with garlic and finished with chopped parsley, the same way Italians cook mushrooms 'trifolati'. They come out golden at the edges and tender in the middle, and go beside eggs, cheese or a plate of beans and bread. It is vegan, gluten free and light. The most common mistake is crowding the pan, which steams the courgettes into a watery mush; cook them in a wide pan or in two batches. Chef's tip: salt only at the end, because salt draws out water and stops the slices browning.

15 min

Italian Sides

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Carrot sambolRaw carrot and coconut salad

Carrot sambol is a fresh, crunchy side found on rice-and-curry plates all over Sri Lanka, from Colombo lunch packets to home tables in Kandy. Grated carrot is tossed with red onion, green chilli, lime juice and a little coconut, so it cuts through rich curries and dhal. Some cooks add Maldive fish; this version leaves it out so it stays vegan. The common mistake is dressing it too early: the salt and lime draw water out of the carrot and you end up with a soggy puddle. Chef's tip: mix everything except the salt and lime ahead, then season just before serving.

10 min

Sri Lankan Salads

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Urap (Javanese vegetables with spiced coconut)

Urap is a Javanese and Balinese side dish served at everyday meals and at slametan gatherings, and it is just as common heaped next to rice and tempeh on a weeknight. Freshly blanched long beans, spinach, cabbage and bean sprouts are tossed with grated coconut that has been steamed with shallot, garlic, chilli and lime leaf, so the vegetables taste bright and the coconut sweet, warm and fragrant. Many cooks add terasi (shrimp paste) to the coconut; this version leaves it out so it stays vegan. The common mistake is mixing the coconut into the vegetables hours ahead, when it turns sour and soggy; toss just before eating. Chef's tip: plunge the vegetables into cold water straight after blanching and squeeze the greens dry, or the dressing will be watery.

25 min