Week 01: One Pot of Chickpeas, Four Dinners

Weeks

Nov 3

Written by Anastasia Worrell

The Restaurant Method / Week 01

WEEK 01 · POSTED NOVEMBER 6, 2026

One pot of chickpeas, four dinners

This week is built on one pot of chickpeas, one batch of mirepoix and one homemade stock. Those three components carry a kale power bowl, smoky cauliflower over lentil purée, a curried squash soup and a hearty chickpea salad, all prepped in a single session.

PRINT OPTIONS GO TO SHOPPING LIST

THIS WEEK AT A GLANCE

Four dinners from one session.

MONDAYKale Power Bowl

TUESDAYSmoky Cauliflower over Lentil Purée

WEDNESDAYCurried Butternut Squash Soup

THURSDAYHearty Chickpea Salad

FRIDAY REMIXWhatever is left

TWO WAYS TO COOK THIS WEEK

Choose how you cook.

THE WHOLE WEEK

One list, one session, four dinners.

Shop once, prep for about two hours, then finish each dinner in 5 to 10 minutes.

START WITH THE SHOPPING LIST ↓

ONE RECIPE AT A TIME

Pick a dish, cook it tonight.

Every recipe has its own ingredients, a from-scratch method and its own print button.

GO TO THE RECIPES ↓

STEP 01 · SHOP ONCE

The shopping list

The days next to each item show where it is used, so you can see how one ingredient carries across the week. Items marked optional are toppings: use them if you have them on hand.

Produce

Yellow onions, 2 smallTUE · WED · THU
Red onion, 1 smallMON
Carrots, 3 mediumMON · TUE · WED · THU
Celery, 2 ribsTUE · WED · THU
Butternut squash, 1 small (about 4 cups peeled and cubed)MON · WED
Cauliflower, 1 small headTUE
Kale, 1 small bunchMON
Watermelon radish, 1 smallMON
Flat-leaf parsley, 1 bunchTUE · THU
Lemon, 1MON · THU
Garlic, 3 clovesMON · TUE · THU
Avocado, 1MON
Pomegranate seeds, ¼ cupTUE
Microgreens, 1 small handfulWED
Fresh red chilies, 1 to 2 smallTUE
Fresh mint, 1 small bunchTUE
Fresh dill, a few sprigsOPTIONAL

Pantry

Dried chickpeas, 1 cupMON · THU
Split red lentils, ½ cupTUE
Extra-virgin olive oilMON · TUE · WED · THU
Avocado oilMON · TUE
Coconut cream, 1 small can (5.4 oz)WED
Curry powderWED
Smoked paprikaMON · TUE
Ground cuminTUE
Bay leaves, 2TUE
Dijon mustardMON · THU
Red wine vinegarMON
AgaveMON
Capers, 1 small jarTHU
Pine nuts, 3 TbspTUE
Sesame seedsOPTIONAL
Pepitas, ¼ cupMON · WED
Sea salt and black pepperMON · TUE · WED · THU

STEP 02 · PREP ONCE · 2 HOURS

One session, four meals

Read the timeline across to see what is working at the same moment. Read the steps below in order while you cook.

Before you startSoak the chickpeas the night before.

At a glance · what is cooking when

0:00

0:15

0:30

0:45

1:00

1:15

1:30

1:45

OVEN

Heat

Cauliflower, chickpeas, squash

STOVE 1

Chickpeas, simmer

Red lentils

Curried squash soup

STOVE 2

Stock, simmering until needed

BOARD

Bulk chopping

Coat & tray up

SAUCES

Creamy dressing

Pickle

Chili oil topping

Pepitas

Portion, label & store

Session minute by minute

0:00

Heat the oven to 425°F and start the chickpeas.

Drain 1 cup of chickpeas soaked overnight, put them in a pot, cover with fresh water by 2 inches and simmer until tender, about 45 minutes.

Make the carrot ribbons (Monday).

Peel all 3 carrots. Keep peeling one of them into ribbons until you have a handful, and set them aside raw.

Do all the chopping at once.

MirepoixDice 2 small yellow onions, the other 2 carrots and 2 celery ribs into one pile, about 3 cups. Split it: 1 cup for the lentils, ½ cup for the soup, the rest stays raw for the chickpea salad. The amounts don’t need to be exact.

SquashPeel it and cut it into ½-inch pieces or a little bigger, about 4 cups. Set 1 cup aside for roasting; the rest goes into the soup.

Everything elseCut ½ head of cauliflower into florets. Thinly slice ½ red onion and the radish. Chop the kale and about ½ cup of parsley. Pick the mint leaves and keep them whole.

ScrapsKeep every peel, end and stem for the stock.
0:30

Start the stock.

Put the scraps in a pot with 4 cups of water, ½ tsp sea salt and a bay leaf, if you like. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and leave it at a gentle simmer, partly covered, until you need it. Ladle it through a sieve as you go: 2 cups for the lentils at 0:55 and 1 cup for the soup at 1:20, then turn it off. If you run short, top up with water.
0:45

Drain the chickpeas.

Save ½ cup of the cooking liquid: this is the aquafaba for the creamy dressing.

Coat the vegetables in smoked paprika oil, one at a time.

In a large bowl, stir together 2 Tbsp avocado oil, 1¼ tsp smoked paprika and ½ tsp sea salt. Toss the cauliflower to coat and spread it on a foil-lined sheet. In the same bowl, toss ¾ cup of the chickpeas, patted dry, and spread them on a second sheet. Finish with the 1 cup of squash on a third. Slide all three trays into the oven and roast 25 to 35 minutes, until tender and browned at the edges.
0:55

Start the red lentil purée (Tuesday).

On the free burner, warm 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil in the lentil pot over medium heat and soften 1 cup of the mirepoix, about 5 minutes. Stir in 1 minced garlic clove, ¼ tsp ground cumin and 1 bay leaf for a minute. Add ½ cup split red lentils, rinsed, and 2 cups of stock. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on low 15 to 20 minutes, until the lentils fall apart.

Blend the creamy dressing (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday).

In a blender, blend ½ cup aquafaba, 3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, 3 Tbsp lemon juice (about 1 lemon), 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard, 2 cloves garlic, ½ tsp fine salt and black pepper until smooth. Makes about 1 cup.
1:10

Quick-pickle the red onion (Monday).

Put the sliced red onion in a bowl with ¼ cup red wine vinegar, ½ tsp sea salt and 1 tsp agave. Squeeze the onion with your hands until it softens and starts turning pink. Use it right away, or keep it in a jar in the fridge until needed.
1:20

Make the soup (Wednesday).

Move the lentil pot off the heat. On that burner, warm 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil in the soup pot over medium heat and soften ½ cup of the mirepoix, about 5 minutes. Add the rest of the squash (about 3 cups), 2¼ tsp curry powder and a pinch of sea salt and pepper, and stir to coat. Add 1 cup of stock, cover and simmer on low about 15 minutes, until the squash is fork-tender. Turn off the heat, stir in the coconut cream (keep 2 Tbsp for serving) and blend until smooth with an immersion blender.

Make the chili oil topping (Tuesday).

Toast 3 Tbsp pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Put them in a heatproof jar with 1 to 2 small red chilies, finely diced, ¼ cup of the chopped parsley and 2 Tbsp chopped mint. Warm 3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil over medium-low heat until a parsley leaf sizzles gently, pour it over and stir in a pinch of sea salt.
1:25

Blend the red lentil purée (Tuesday).

Remove the bay leaf and blend the lentils right in their pot with an immersion blender until smooth and velvety. If it is too thick, add a splash of warm stock. Season with sea salt and pepper.
1:35

Take the trays out of the oven.

Everything should be tender and browned at the edges. If a tray needs longer, give it 5 more minutes.

Toast the pepitas (Monday, Wednesday).

Toast ¼ cup pepitas in the same dry skillet you used for the pine nuts, over medium heat, stirring, until they start to pop, 3 to 4 minutes.

Toss the chickpea salad (Thursday).

In a medium bowl, combine the rest of the chickpeas (about 1½ cups), the raw mirepoix (about 1½ cups), ¼ cup of the chopped parsley and 2 Tbsp drained capers. Add ¼ cup of the creamy dressing and toss to coat.
1:45

Portion, label and store.

PortionDivide each dish by the day it is for and label it with the dish and the day.

FridgeKale, radish and carrot ribbons in containers lined with a damp paper towel. Creamy dressing, chili oil topping and pickled onion in jars. Lentil purée, roasted vegetables, soup and chickpea salad each in its own container.

CounterPepitas in a jar at room temperature. Keep the avocado whole until you serve it.

STEP 03 · EAT ALL WEEK

The recipes

Every recipe stands on its own. Cook one from scratch on any night, or, if you did the weekly prep, follow the shortcut and dinner is ready in minutes. Each recipe has its own print button.

MONDAY · SERVES 2

Kale Power Bowl

This power bowl combines smoky roasted vegetables, crisp and fresh elements, and a velvety plant-based dressing.

FROM SCRATCH 45 MINWITH THE WEEKLY PREP 10 MIN

ORDER OF WORK

If you are cooking the chickpeas from dry, soak them the night before and cook them first. Then heat the oven and get the tray in. Make the pickle, dressing and pepitas while it roasts, and build the bowls when it comes out. About 45 minutes with canned chickpeas.

01 Chickpeas02 Roasted squash and chickpeas03 Pickled red onion04 Creamy dressing05 Pepitas06 Build the bowl

Chickpeas

Makes about 1 cup · 1 hr, plus overnight soak

⅓ cup dried chickpeas
Water, for soaking and cooking
½ tsp sea salt

The night before, cover the chickpeas with plenty of cold water (they will triple in size) and leave them to soak 8 to 12 hours.
Drain and rinse. Put them in a pot, cover with fresh water by 2 inches and bring to a boil. Skim off any foam, lower the heat and simmer, partly covered, until creamy all the way through, 45 to 60 minutes. Add the salt for the last 10 minutes.
Drain, saving ½ cup of the cooking liquid for the dressing. If the liquid looks thin and watery, simmer it until it has reduced by about half and looks like a light syrup.
Measure ¾ cup of chickpeas for the bowl and pat them dry. Any extra makes a good snack.

Short on time? Use one 15-oz can instead: drain it, and save the liquid for the dressing.

Roasted squash and chickpeas

25 to 35 min

1 cup peeled, cubed butternut squash (½-inch pieces or a little bigger)
¾ cup cooked chickpeas, drained and patted dry
1 Tbsp avocado oil
½ tsp smoked paprika
¼ tsp sea salt

Heat the oven to 425°F and line a sheet pan with foil.
In a bowl, stir together the oil, smoked paprika and salt. Add the squash and chickpeas and toss until coated.
Spread them out in a single layer and roast until the squash is tender and the chickpeas are crisp, 25 to 35 minutes, shaking the pan halfway.

Quick-pickled red onion

Makes about ½ cup · 5 min

½ small red onion, thinly sliced
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp agave
½ tsp sea salt

Put the onion in a bowl with the vinegar, agave and salt.
Squeeze it with your hands until it softens and starts turning pink. Use it right away, or keep it in a jar in the fridge until needed.

Creamy dressing

Makes about ½ cup · 5 min

¼ cup aquafaba: the liquid from a can of chickpeas, or saved from cooking them
1½ Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1½ Tbsp lemon juice (about ½ lemon), more to taste
1½ tsp Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
¼ tsp fine salt
Black pepper, to taste

Put everything in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy, about 30 seconds.
Taste and add more lemon or salt if it needs it. The dressing keeps up to 5 days in the fridge.

Toasted pepitas

3 to 4 min

2 Tbsp pepitas

Toast the pepitas in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring, until they start to pop, 3 to 4 minutes.
Tip them onto a plate right away so they don’t scorch.

Build the bowl

Serves 2

½ small bunch kale (about 4 cups)
½ small watermelon radish
1 small carrot
1 avocado
Sesame seeds, optional

Strip the kale leaves from the stems and chop them finely. Slice the radish as thin as you can, and peel the carrot into ribbons with a vegetable peeler.
Massage the kale with a spoonful of the dressing until it darkens and softens, about 1 minute, and divide it between two bowls.
Top with the roasted squash and chickpeas, radish, carrot ribbons and ¼ cup of the pickled onion.
Cut the avocado right before serving and add it with 3 Tbsp of the dressing. Finish with the pepitas, and sesame seeds if you like.

IF YOU DID THE WEEKLY PREPThe roasted squash and chickpeas, pickled onion, dressing, pepitas, chopped kale, radish and carrot ribbons are waiting in the fridge. Massage the kale with a spoonful of dressing, add the toppings, cut the avocado and finish with the dressing and pepitas.

MAKE IT YOUR OWNChange the greens or the roasted vegetable each week and keep the same pattern: green base, roasted protein, something pickled, something creamy, something crunchy.

TUESDAY · SERVES 2

Smoky Cauliflower over Lentil Purée

A rich and velvety red lentil purée with mirepoix makes a comforting side dish, a spread or a thick soup base. Red lentils break down naturally as they simmer, creating a smooth texture without heavy cream. Tonight it carries paprika-roasted cauliflower, chili oil topping and fresh pomegranate.

FROM SCRATCH 45 MINWITH THE WEEKLY PREP 10 MIN

ORDER OF WORK

Dice the mirepoix first and drop its scraps straight into the stock pot. While the stock simmers, roast the cauliflower. Cook the lentils in the stock, make the chili oil while they simmer, then blend and plate. About 45 minutes with store-bought stock; allow an extra 30 for homemade.

01 Mirepoix02 Vegetable stock03 Smoky cauliflower04 Red lentil purée05 Chili oil topping06 Plate it

Mirepoix

Makes about 1 cup · 5 min

½ small yellow onion
1 small carrot
1 celery rib

Peel the onion and carrot and trim the celery. Save the peels and ends for the stock.
Finely dice all three into pieces about ¼ inch, in roughly equal amounts, about 1 cup in all. The amounts don’t need to be exact.

Vegetable stock

Makes about 2 cups · 35 min

The peels and ends from the mirepoix
½ yellow onion, roughly chopped (the skin can stay on)
1 carrot, roughly chopped
1 celery rib, roughly chopped
A few parsley stems
1 bay leaf
½ tsp sea salt
3 cups water

Put everything in a pot and bring it to a boil.
Lower the heat and simmer gently, partly covered, about 30 minutes.
Strain through a sieve, pressing on the vegetables. You need 1½ to 2 cups for the purée. If you are short, top up with water.

Using store-bought? Skip this step and use low-sodium vegetable stock.

Smoky cauliflower

25 to 30 min

½ small head cauliflower, in florets (about 3 cups)
1 Tbsp avocado oil
¾ tsp smoked paprika
¼ tsp sea salt

Heat the oven to 425°F and line a sheet pan with foil.
Toss the cauliflower with the oil, smoked paprika and salt and spread it out in a single layer.
Roast until tender and browned at the edges, 25 to 30 minutes.

Red lentil purée

30 min

1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup mirepoix (above)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
¼ tsp ground cumin
½ cup split red lentils, rinsed and drained
1½ to 2 cups vegetable stock (above, or store-bought)
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Warm the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook the mirepoix until soft and translucent, 6 to 8 minutes.
Stir in the garlic, cumin and bay leaf and cook about 1 minute, until fragrant.
Add the lentils and 1½ cups of stock, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on low 20 to 25 minutes, until the lentils are completely soft and falling apart.
Remove the bay leaf and blend with an immersion blender, right in the pot, until smooth and velvety, adding a splash of warm stock if it is too thick. Season with salt and pepper.

Chili oil topping

5 min

3 Tbsp pine nuts
1 to 2 small fresh red chilies, finely diced
¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
3 Tbsp olive oil
Pinch of sea salt

Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat, shaking the pan, until golden, 2 to 3 minutes.
Put them in a small heatproof bowl or jar with the chilies, parsley and mint.
Warm the olive oil over medium-low heat until a parsley leaf sizzles gently, about 2 minutes. Don’t let it smoke. Pour it over and stir in the salt.

Plate it

Serves 2

¼ cup pomegranate seeds
A squeeze of lemon, or 1 Tbsp creamy dressing if you have it

Spread the warm purée on two plates and pile the cauliflower on top.
Spoon over the chili oil, scatter the pomegranate and finish with the lemon or dressing.

IF YOU DID THE WEEKLY PREPThe purée, roasted cauliflower and chili oil are made. Warm the purée, re-crisp the cauliflower in a hot oven for about 8 minutes, then plate and finish with the chili oil, pomegranate and dressing.

MAKE IT YOUR OWNThe purée works under any roasted vegetable, as a spread on toast, or thinned with stock into a soup.

WEDNESDAY · SERVES 2

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

Butternut squash cooked in the week’s mirepoix and homemade stock with curry, then blended with coconut cream until silky. Keeps 4 days in the fridge or a month in the freezer.

Adapted from Minimalist Baker’s curried butternut squash soup.

FROM SCRATCH 35 MINWITH THE WEEKLY PREP 5 MIN

ORDER OF WORK

Dice the mirepoix first and drop its scraps into the stock pot. While the stock simmers, peel and cube the squash. Then make the soup and toast the pepitas while it simmers. About 35 minutes with store-bought stock; allow an extra 30 for homemade.

01 Mirepoix02 Vegetable stock03 The soup04 Pepitas05 Serve

Mirepoix

Makes about ½ cup · 5 min

¼ small yellow onion
½ small carrot
½ celery rib

Peel the onion and carrot and trim the celery. Save the peels and ends for the stock.
Finely dice all three into pieces about ¼ inch, in roughly equal amounts, about ½ cup in all. The amounts don’t need to be exact.

Vegetable stock

Makes about 1¼ cups · 35 min

The peels and ends from the mirepoix
¼ yellow onion, roughly chopped (the skin can stay on)
½ carrot, roughly chopped
½ celery rib, roughly chopped
A few parsley stems, optional
1 bay leaf
¼ tsp sea salt
2 cups water

Put everything in a pot and bring it to a boil.
Lower the heat and simmer gently, partly covered, about 30 minutes.
Strain through a sieve, pressing on the vegetables. You need 1 cup for the soup. If you are short, top up with water.

Using store-bought? Skip this step and use low-sodium vegetable stock.

The soup

25 min

1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup mirepoix (above)
3 cups peeled, cubed butternut squash (½-inch pieces or a little bigger), from about 1 small squash
1 pinch each sea salt and black pepper, plus more to taste
2¼ tsp curry powder
1 small can (5.4 oz) coconut cream, minus 2 Tbsp kept for serving
1 cup vegetable stock (above, or store-bought)

Peel the squash with a sturdy peeler, halve it, scoop out the seeds and cut it into ½-inch cubes.
Warm the olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat and cook the mirepoix until soft and translucent, 6 to 8 minutes.
Add the squash, salt, pepper and curry powder, stir to coat, cover and cook 4 minutes.
Add the stock, bring to a low boil, then cover and simmer on low about 15 minutes, until the squash is fork-tender. Turn off the heat and stir in the coconut cream.
Blend until smooth, then taste and adjust the salt and curry. An immersion blender, right in the pot, is easiest. A Vitamix or other countertop blender works too: fill it no more than halfway and vent the lid.

Toasted pepitas

3 to 4 min

2 Tbsp pepitas

Toast the pepitas in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring, until they start to pop, 3 to 4 minutes.
Tip them onto a plate right away so they don’t scorch.

Serve

Serves 2

2 Tbsp coconut cream, from the same can
A small handful of microgreens

Ladle the soup into bowls.
Swirl in the coconut cream and top with the pepitas and microgreens.

IF YOU DID THE WEEKLY PREPThe soup was made on prep day. Reheat it gently, swirl in the coconut cream and top with the pepitas and microgreens.

MAKE IT YOUR OWNSwap the squash for sweet potato or carrots, or the curry for smoked paprika. The structure stays the same: mirepoix, stock, one vegetable, something creamy.

THURSDAY · SERVES 2

Hearty Chickpea Salad

Chickpeas with crunchy raw carrot, celery and onion, parsley and capers, tossed in our creamy dressing, made from the chickpeas’ own cooking liquid. It works as dinner, a side or an afternoon snack, and it packs well for lunch. Keeps 4 days in the fridge.

FROM SCRATCH 15 MINWITH THE WEEKLY PREP 5 MIN

ORDER OF WORK

If you are cooking the chickpeas from dry, soak them the night before and cook them ahead; they need to cool before the salad. Blend the dressing first so it is ready, then chop and toss. About 20 minutes with canned chickpeas.

01 Chickpeas02 Creamy dressing03 The salad04 Serve