All of the Vegetarian Recipes You Need for Your Labor Day Spread

In addition to the stunning color, beets give this hummus a gentle sweetness and earthiness. It’s a favorite on the cafe menu at Healdsburg Shed in Northern California.

Fresh sorrel, a hardy, leafy green perennial, gives simple white beans a zap of color and a lemony tang. Farmers’ markets often carry it from spring into early fall, depending on where you live. If you can’t find it, swap in basil. This recipe comes from Erin Scott, creator of the blog (and cookbook) Yummy Supper.

With the right seasoning, even a virtuous chicken breast or handful of raw vegetables becomes something to savor. Enter romesco: “I’m obsessed with it,” says Erin Alderson, the Sacramento-based author of the vegetarian cooking blog Naturally Ella (naturallyella.com, @naturallyella), as well as the cookbook The Easy -Vegetarian Kitchen. She uses the bold, smoky sauce on grain bowls, crudités, and anything else that needs some oomph.

In Amá: A Modern Tex-Mex Kitchen, chef Josef Centeno honors the cooking traditions of his Tejano family and the food he was nurtured with during his childhood in San Antonio, Texas. Here, he shares a recipe for Roasted Cauliflower With Cilantro-Pecan Pesto inspired by his mother’s cooking.

Wow guests at your barbecue with vegetarian kebabs of juicy peaches and the Indian cheese called paneer, marinated in yogurt and spices. (Though not traditional, tofu subs in beautifully for the paneer.) Chaat masala spice blend adds a tangy, smoky, intriguingly sulfurous flavor, but the dish is great without it too.

Curry, ginger, and mint give this soup a kick, while puréed chickpeas make it hearty enough to eat as a main course. For the best texture, purée until silky smooth.

At the Surfrider Hotel, Wetherington uses wild bush fennel, for which we’ve substituted farmed fennel to top this creamy stone fruit covered toast.

We love the play of savory-sweet flavors and big textures in this hearty winter salad from Rocky Maselli of A16 Rockridge in Oakland—and also his foolproof technique for cooking farro is award-worthy.

For maximum flavor and chewy-soft texture, the mushrooms are roasted and then simmered in broth. Save a bit of pasta water to moisten each bowl before serving.

With its exotic notes of saffron and smoke, tenderness and crunch, this is a meal that doesn’t get old. All of its components last at least a week in the refrigerator and months in the freezer, so you can thaw them and assemble whenever you like. Look for dukkah, an Egyptian spice blend, at well-stocked grocery stores, Middle Eastern markets, and online. Or make your own: Blend 1/4 tsp. each sesame seeds, ground coriander and cumin, dried thyme, and finely chopped roasted hazelnuts.

This light yet satisfying salad features a clever technique for cooking quinoa like pilaf so it comes out fluffy.

This riff on Spain’s classic tangy-sweet “white” gazpacho is made with Persian cucumbers, which are tender enough to use peel and all. (If you can’t find them, substitute peeled English cucumbers.) The drizzle of olive oil at the end brings the flavors together, so use the best oil in your pantry.