Cook This: 3 recipes from Weeknight Vegetarian, including polenta chips with saucy chickpeas - National Post
Clockwise from top left: Joe Woodhouse, squash minestrone, chard and cheddar galettes, and polenta chips with saucy chickpeas. PHOTOS BY JOE WOODHOUSEArticle contentOur cookbook of the week is Weeknight Vegetarian by Joe Woodhouse.
Jump to the recipes: chard and cheddar galettes, squash minestrone and polenta chips with saucy chickpeas.
Joe Woodhouse dedicated his third book, Weeknight Vegetarian (Kyle Books, 2026), “to anyone who cooks from scratch.” We’ve lost some intuitiveness around food, the connections with the people who grow it, what we’re using and how we’re using it, says the London-based photographer and cookbook author. Taking the time to cook, whether for yourself or others, “is a sacred practice.”
In Weeknight Vegetarian, Woodhouse offers plenty of plant-centric inspiration. “To use an ingredient in a different way, or even if it’s cutting it in a different way, so it behaves a little bit differently, or cooking something that you wouldn’t really cook.”
He strikes a rare balance in the book. Woodhouse understands the time pressures cooks are under, so accessibility is at the forefront — but so is embracing the enjoyment.
“The main thing for me is actually people cooking from scratch,” he says. “With all of my recipes, it’s not too many ingredients, not too big of processes. It’s just, you follow the recipe, and it should get you to a pretty tasty place.”
The recipes in Weeknight Vegetarian represent a range of commitment, from “assembly jobs (mostly)” to meals “worth the washing-up.” From the “mix and make” chapter, the batter for his chard and cheddar galettes comes together quickly in a blender — or a mixing bowl. The rest requires boiling eggs and a frying pan. Other recipes may require more time, but they’re offset by a streamlined process, such as being made in one pot. “So it’s not creating a mountain of washing up, and you can have fun while you’re doing it.”
In his third cookbook, Weeknight Vegetarian, Joe Woodhouse offers inspiration for vegetable-centric lunches and dinners. Photo by Kyle BooksArticle contentWoodhouse is an advocate of batch cooking, which can go a long way in relieving the pressure of weeknight meals. He refers to the practice as “the über-hack.” Cook some beans, grains or potatoes on the weekend, and lean on them for the coming week.
