WEEK 02 · POSTED NOVEMBER 13, 2026
Eggplant, ginger and lemongrass
This week is built on one lemongrass stock, one pot of carrot-ginger soup and one batch of blanched snap peas. A quarter of the soup pot stays thick as the crema under Tuesday’s glazed eggplant; the other three-quarters becomes Thursday’s soup. A snap pea salad and a green curry fill in the rest, all prepped in a single session.
STEP 01 · SHOP ONCE
The shopping list
Produce
- Carrots, 1½ lbTUE · THU
- Fresh ginger, one 3-inch pieceTUE · WED · THU
- Yellow onion, 1 smallTUE · THU
- Garlic, 3 clovesTUE · THU
- Red onion, 1 smallMON
- Sugar snap peas or snow peas, 10 ozMON · WED
- Persian cucumbers, 2 smallMON
- Arugula, 1 oz (about 2 cups)MON
- Japanese or Chinese eggplants, 3TUE · WED
- Red bell pepper, 1TUE · WED · THU
- Fresno chile, 1 (or 2 Thai chiles)WED
- Lemongrass, 1 stalkTUE · THU
- Cilantro, 1 bunchTUE · WED · THU
- Lemon, 1MON
- Lime, 1WED
- Cashew or coconut yogurt, plain, 1½ cupsMON · THU
- Thai basil, 1 small bunchOPTIONAL
Pantry
- Raw cashews, ¾ cupMON · TUE · THU
- Pepitas, 2 TbspMON
- Jasmine rice, 1 cupWED · FRI
- Coconut milk, 1 can (13.5 oz), full-fatWED
- Thai green curry paste, 2 Tbsp (vegan)WED
- White or yellow miso, 2 Tbsp (vegan)TUE
- Tamari or soy sauceTUE · WED
- Maple syrupMON · TUE · WED · THU
- Apple cider and rice vinegarTUE · THU
- Toasted sesame oilTUE
- Dijon mustardMON
- Ground cumin and Aleppo pepperMON
- Avocado oilTUE · WED
- Extra-virgin olive oilMON · TUE · THU
- Extra-firm tofu, 4 ozWED
- 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 startCheck the curry paste label: some brands contain shrimp paste. Mekhala is vegan.
At a glance · what is cooking when
Session minute by minute
- 0:00
Heat the oven to 425°F and start the rice.
Rinse 1 cup of jasmine rice and put it in a small pot with 1½ cups of water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and cook on the lowest heat 15 minutes. Turn it off and leave it covered.
- 0:05
Start the lemongrass stock.
Smash 1 lemongrass stalk with the back of a knife and cut it into 3 pieces. Put it in a pot with 3 cups of water and ½ tsp sea salt, bring to a boil, then keep it at a gentle simmer, partly covered. As you cut, drop in every carrot peel and end, the onion skin and ends, and the bell pepper core and top.
Do all the knife work at once.
GingerPeel a 3-inch piece. Grate about 5 tsp and divide it: 4 tsp for the soup pot, ½ tsp for the crema, ½ tsp for the glaze. Cut 1½ tsp more into thin matchsticks for the curry.
Soup potPeel and chop 1 small yellow onion and 1½ lb carrots, and smash 3 garlic cloves.
EggplantHalve 2 of the eggplants lengthwise and score the cut sides in a crosshatch for Tuesday. Cut the third into ½-inch half-moons for the curry.
CurrySlice ½ red bell pepper and the Fresno chile. Cube 4 oz of tofu.
SaladSlice the cucumbers into thin half-moons, salt them and leave them to drain in a strainer. Thinly slice ¼ red onion and soak it in hot water. String all 10 oz of snap peas.
HerbsWash the cilantro and keep the stems and leaves apart.
- 0:20
Blanch all the snap peas (Monday, Wednesday).
Move the rice off the burner, still covered. On that burner, bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil and fill a bowl with ice water. Blanch the peas for 60 seconds, then lift them straight into the ice water. Drain and dry them well, and set 2 oz (about ½ cup) aside for the curry. Using snow peas? Skip the blanching: they are small and flat and only need stringing.
- 0:30
Eggplant in the oven (Tuesday).
Brush the cut sides with 1 Tbsp avocado oil, season with ¼ tsp sea salt and roast cut side down about 25 minutes, until completely soft.
- 0:35
Strain the stock and start the soup pot (Tuesday, Thursday).
Strain the stock through a sieve, pressing on the scraps. You need 2 cups; if you are short, top up with water. On the same burner, warm 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Cook the onion with ¾ tsp sea salt and some pepper until soft, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and carrots and cook 8 minutes more. Add the 4 tsp of ginger, 2¼ tsp apple cider vinegar and 1½ cups of the stock. Bring to a boil, then simmer about 25 minutes, until the carrots are very soft.
- 0:40
Make the curry (Wednesday).
On the free burner, warm 1 Tbsp avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the Japanese eggplant with a pinch of salt until soft, 5 to 7 minutes, then set it aside. Add 2 Tbsp coconut milk, 2 Tbsp curry paste and the ginger matchsticks and sizzle 2 to 3 minutes, until the paste mostly dries out. Stir in another ¾ cup coconut milk and ½ cup water, then add the tofu, bell pepper, eggplant and half the chile. Simmer 3 to 5 minutes. Off the heat, stir in 1½ tsp lime juice, then ½ tsp maple and tamari to taste.
- 0:55
Toast the nuts (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday).
Toast ¾ cup raw cashews and 2 Tbsp pepitas in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring, until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. For the salad, toss ¼ cup of the cashews and all the pepitas with ½ tsp extra-virgin olive oil, ½ tsp ground cumin, ⅛ tsp Aleppo pepper and a pinch of salt. Keep the rest plain for the soup, the eggplant and Friday.
- 1:00
Take the eggplant out of the oven.
It should be completely soft. Let it cool and store it unglazed.
- 1:05
Whisk both sauces.
Miso glazeIn a jar, whisk 2 Tbsp miso, 1 Tbsp tamari, 1½ tsp maple, 1½ tsp rice vinegar, ½ tsp toasted sesame oil and the ½ tsp of ginger until smooth (Tuesday).
DressingIn a second jar, whisk 1 tsp Dijon with 1 Tbsp lemon juice, then whisk in 3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, ½ tsp maple, salt and pepper (Monday).
- 1:20
Blend the pot, then split it (Tuesday, Thursday).
Blend the whole pot until smooth and thick. Scoop out a quarter of it (about 1 cup) and stir in the ½ tsp of raw ginger: that is Tuesday’s crema, and it should hold its shape on a spoon. Thin the other three-quarters with the last ½ cup of stock, let it cool a minute, then blend in ¼ cup yogurt off the heat so it doesn’t split. Add maple and salt to taste: that is Thursday’s soup.
- 1:30
Portion, label and store.
PortionDivide each dish by the day it is for and label it with the dish and the day.
FridgeSnap peas, cucumbers, onion and arugula in containers lined with a damp paper towel, and the cilantro leaves wrapped in a damp towel. Dressing and glaze in jars. Soup and crema in separate jars. The curry in one container, with the rice and the 2 oz of snap peas kept separate. The eggplant, unglazed, in its own container.
CounterThe plain cashews and the spiced nuts in separate jars.
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
Snap Pea Salad

Snap peas blanched for one minute, so they turn bright green and stay crisp, tossed with cucumber, arugula and a lemon-Dijon dressing, then piled onto cool cashew yogurt. Spiced cashews and pepitas bring the crunch.
FROM SCRATCH 25 MINWITH THE WEEKLY PREP 5 MIN
ORDER OF WORK
Put a pot of salted water on to boil and fill a bowl with ice water. While it heats, salt the cucumbers and soak the onion. Blanch the peas, then toast the nuts and whisk the dressing while the peas dry. Toss and plate last. About 25 minutes.
01 Blanched snap peas02 Spiced cashews and pepitas03 Lemon-Dijon dressing04 Build the plate
Blanched snap peas
5 min, plus an ice bath
- 8 oz sugar snap peas, strings removed
- Sea salt, for the water
- A bowl of ice water
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil.
- Drop in the snap peas for 60 seconds, then lift them straight into the ice water.
- Drain and dry them well.
Doing the weekly prep? Blanch 10 oz and set 2 oz aside for Wednesday’s curry. Snow peas work too: they are small and flat, so skip the blanching and just string them.
Spiced cashews and pepitas
Makes about ⅓ cup · 5 min
- ¼ cup raw cashews
- 2 Tbsp pepitas
- ½ tsp extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ⅛ tsp Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes
- A pinch of sea salt and black pepper
- Toast the cashews and pepitas in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring, until golden, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Tip them into a bowl and toss with the oil, cumin, Aleppo pepper, salt and pepper.
Lemon-Dijon dressing
Makes about ¼ cup · 5 min
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice (about ½ lemon)
- 3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp maple syrup
- Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
- Whisk the Dijon and lemon juice together.
- Stream in the oil while whisking, then season with the maple, salt and pepper. The dressing keeps up to 5 days in the fridge.
Build the plate
Serves 2
- 2 small Persian cucumbers (about 4 oz), sliced into thin half-moons
- ¼ small red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 oz arugula (about 2 cups)
- 1 cup plain unsweetened cashew or coconut yogurt
- Extra-virgin olive oil, lemon and black pepper, to finish
- Salt the cucumbers and leave them to drain in a strainer for 10 minutes. Soak the onion in hot water for 10 minutes, then drain.
- Roughly chop the snap peas. Toss them with the arugula, the cucumbers (squeezed dry), the onion, the dressing and most of the nuts.
- Spread ½ cup of yogurt on each plate and drizzle with oil.
- Pile the salad on top and finish with the rest of the nuts, a squeeze of lemon and black pepper.
There are plenty of plant-based yogurts in every store now, and you probably have a favorite. I use Trader Joe’s cashew and coconut yogurt because it doesn’t taste strongly of coconut, so the other flavors come through.
TUESDAY · SERVES 2
Glazed Eggplant

Eggplant roasted until it is completely soft, brushed with a ginger-miso glaze and broiled until it bubbles, then set on a carrot-ginger crema. The crema is the same as Thursday’s carrot-ginger soup, blended but left thick, with extra raw ginger stirred in. On prep day, it is a quarter of the soup pot.
FROM SCRATCH 50 MINWITH THE WEEKLY PREP 5 MIN
ORDER OF WORK
Heat the oven and get the eggplant roasting first. While it roasts, make the crema, whisk the glaze and toast the cashews. Glaze and broil the eggplant last, right before you plate. About 50 minutes.
01 Roasted eggplant02 Carrot-ginger crema03 Miso glaze04 Toasted cashews05 Glaze, broil and plate
Roasted eggplant
25 min
- 2 Japanese or Chinese eggplants, halved lengthwise
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- Heat the oven to 425°F and line a sheet pan with foil.
- Score the cut sides of the eggplant in a crosshatch, brush them with the oil and season with the salt.
- Roast cut side down about 25 minutes, until completely soft.
Carrot-ginger crema
Makes about 1 cup · 35 min
- 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ yellow onion, chopped
- A pinch of sea salt
- 1 garlic clove, smashed
- ½ lb carrots, roughly chopped
- 1½ tsp grated fresh ginger, divided
- ½ tsp apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup lemongrass stock (see Thursday’s soup) or low-sodium vegetable stock
- Warm the oil in a small pot over medium heat and cook the onion with the salt until soft, about 6 minutes.
- Add the garlic and carrots and cook 5 minutes more.
- Add 1 tsp of the ginger, the vinegar and the stock. Cover and simmer about 25 minutes, until the carrots are very soft.
- Blend until smooth and thick, then stir in the remaining ½ tsp raw ginger. It should hold its shape on a spoon.
Doing the weekly prep? This is the quarter of the soup pot you scooped out before thinning it.
Miso glaze
2 min
- 2 Tbsp white or yellow miso (check that it’s vegan)
- 1 Tbsp tamari or soy sauce
- 1½ tsp maple syrup
- 1½ tsp rice vinegar
- ½ tsp toasted sesame oil
- ½ tsp grated fresh ginger
- Whisk everything together until smooth.
Toasted cashews
3 to 4 min
- ¼ cup raw cashews
- Toast the cashews in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring, until golden, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Tip them onto a plate right away so they don’t scorch, then roughly chop.
Glaze, broil and plate
Serves 2
- Cilantro leaves
- Cooked rice, optional
- Turn on the broiler. Turn the eggplant cut side up and brush it thickly with the glaze.
- Broil 3 to 4 minutes, until bubbling and caramelized. Watch closely: the maple burns fast.
- Warm the crema and spread it across two plates.
- Set two eggplant halves on each plate and finish with the cashews and cilantro.
WEDNESDAY · SERVES 2
Green Curry

Eggplant and tofu in a coconut green curry, sharpened with lime and fresh ginger and finished with the week’s snap peas for crunch. Curry tastes better a day or two after it is made, which is why it sits mid-week. Check the curry paste label: some brands contain shrimp paste. Mekhala is vegan. Paste from an Asian market is usually spicier than supermarket brands, so start with a little less and add to taste.
FROM SCRATCH 35 MINWITH THE WEEKLY PREP 5 MIN
ORDER OF WORK
Start the rice first. While it cooks, cut the eggplant, pepper and chile and cube the tofu. Blanch the snap peas, then cook the eggplant, fry the paste until it dries, add everything else and simmer. About 35 minutes.
01 Jasmine rice02 Blanched snap peas03 The curry04 Serve
Jasmine rice
Makes about 2 cups · 25 min
- ½ cup jasmine rice, rinsed
- ¾ cup water
- A pinch of sea salt
- Bring the rice, water and salt to a boil in a small pot.
- Cover and cook on the lowest heat for 15 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and leave it covered 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
Cooking the whole week? Make 1 cup of rice with 1½ cups of water; the rest goes to Friday.
Blanched snap peas
2 min
- 2 oz sugar snap peas (about ½ cup), strings removed
- Sea salt, for the water
- Blanch the peas in boiling salted water for 60 seconds.
- Lift them into ice water, then drain.
Made Monday’s salad? Use the 2 oz you set aside. Using snow peas? Skip the blanching and stir them in raw.
The curry
20 min
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil
- 1 Japanese or Chinese eggplant, cut into ½-inch half-moons
- Sea salt
- ¾ cup plus 2 Tbsp full-fat coconut milk (about half a 13.5-oz can), divided
- 2 Tbsp vegan Thai green curry paste
- 1½ tsp fresh ginger, cut into matchsticks
- ½ cup water
- 4 oz extra-firm tofu, cubed
- ½ red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 Fresno chile or 2 Thai chiles, thinly sliced, divided
- 1½ tsp fresh lime juice
- ½ tsp maple syrup, to taste
- Tamari, to taste
- Warm the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the eggplant with a pinch of salt until soft, 5 to 7 minutes, then set it aside.
- Add 2 Tbsp of the coconut milk, the curry paste and the ginger to the pan. Sizzle 2 to 3 minutes, until the paste mostly dries out.
- Stir in the rest of the coconut milk and the water. Add the tofu, bell pepper, eggplant and half the chile, and simmer 3 to 5 minutes.
- Off the heat, stir in the lime juice, then the maple and tamari to taste.
Serve
Serves 2
- The blanched snap peas (above)
- Thai basil or cilantro
- Lime wedges
- Stir the snap peas into the hot curry for 1 minute.
- Spoon it over the rice and top with the rest of the chile, basil or cilantro and a lime wedge.
THURSDAY · SERVES 2
Carrot-Ginger Soup

Carrots simmered with plenty of fresh ginger and a splash of vinegar, then blended smooth with a little cashew yogurt for tang. On prep day, a quarter of the same pot becomes Tuesday’s crema.
FROM SCRATCH 45 MINWITH THE WEEKLY PREP 5 MIN
ORDER OF WORK
Peel and chop the onion and carrots first and drop the peels and ends straight into the stock pot with the lemongrass. While the stock simmers, grate the ginger and soften the onion, then the garlic and carrots. Add the strained stock and let the pot simmer while you toast the cashews. Blend, thin with stock, then blend in the yogurt off the heat. About 45 minutes with store-bought stock; allow an extra 30 for homemade.
01 Lemongrass stock02 The soup03 Toasted cashews04 Serve
Lemongrass stock
Makes about 1½ cups · 35 min
- The peels and ends from the carrots and onion
- The core and top of a red bell pepper, or a few strips
- ½ lemongrass stalk, smashed and cut into pieces
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 2½ 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 scraps. You need 1½ cups 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
Makes 2 bowls · 40 min
- 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ yellow onion, chopped
- ½ tsp sea salt, plus black pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 lb carrots, roughly chopped
- 2½ tsp grated fresh ginger
- 1½ tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1½ cups lemongrass stock (above, or store-bought): 1 cup to simmer, ½ cup to thin
- 3 Tbsp plain unsweetened cashew or coconut yogurt
- Maple syrup, to taste
- Warm the oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Cook the onion with the salt and some pepper until soft, about 8 minutes.
- Add the garlic and carrots and cook 8 minutes more, stirring now and then.
- Add the ginger, vinegar and 1 cup of stock. Bring to a boil, then simmer about 25 minutes, until the carrots are very soft.
- Blend until smooth and thick, then thin with the remaining ½ cup of stock.
- Let it cool a minute, then blend in the yogurt off the heat so it doesn’t split. Taste and add maple and salt.
Making Tuesday’s eggplant too? Start with 1½ lb carrots and scale everything up by half. Blend it thick, scoop out a quarter (about 1 cup) for the crema, then thin the other three-quarters into soup.
Toasted cashews
3 to 4 min
- 2 Tbsp raw cashews
- Toast the cashews in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring, until golden, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Tip them onto a plate right away so they don’t scorch, then roughly chop.
Serve
Serves 2
- 2 Tbsp plain unsweetened cashew or coconut yogurt, for swirling
- Cilantro leaves
- Ladle the soup into bowls.
- Swirl in the yogurt and top with the cashews and cilantro.
FRIDAY REMIX · NO RECIPE
Whatever is left
No recipe on purpose. Open the fridge, pick one, and dinner is done in about 5 minutes, because everything is already cooked.
Curry-carrot rice bowl
Rice first, then the soup and curry sauce side by side. Snap peas and cashews on top, and a squeeze of lime.
Ginger noodle soup
Thin the soup with a splash of stock, simmer rice noodles in it and add any tofu left from the curry.
Snap pea fried rice
Day-old rice in a hot pan with avocado oil, the last snap peas, tamari and a few drops of sesame oil.
Miso eggplant toast
Crema spread thick on toast, warm eggplant on top, then cilantro and chopped cashews.
Coconut curry soup
Stir the leftover curry into the soup for a quick carrot-coconut curry. Five minutes on the stove.
Build your own
None of these? A base + something roasted + something fresh or crisp + a sauce + something crunchy.
KEEP IT FRESH
Storage through the week
- Snap peas, cucumbers, onion, arugula and cilantro
- Containers lined with a damp paper towel. Fridge, up to 4 days
- Lemon-Dijon dressing and miso glaze
- Jars. Fridge, all week
- Carrot-ginger soup and crema
- Separate jars. Fridge, up to 5 days. Reheat gently, without boiling
- Green curry
- One container, with the rice and snap peas kept separate. Fridge, up to 5 days
- Roasted eggplant
- Covered container, unglazed. Fridge, up to 4 days
- Cashews and spiced nuts
- Separate jars, at room temperature




