20 of Our Favorite Hetty Lui McKinnon Recipes

This Mapo Tofu Salad made a lasting impression among our staff. So much so that associate editor of cooking, Nina Moskowitz, waxed poetic about it. “Tender cabbage meets pillowy-centered tofu (with a shatteringly crisp exterior), all coated in a tingly, almost fruity dubanjiang and Sichuan peppercorn dressing,” she writes.

The recipe comes from cookbook author and recipe developer Hetty Lui McKinnon. Celebrated in the food world for her delicious plant-based meals, McKinnon is a regular contributor to New York Times Cooking and Australian Broadcasting Corporation Lifestyle, and has been published in places like Food52, Food & Wine, The Guardian, and of course, Bon Appétit and Epicurious. She writes a monthly Substack newsletter called To Vegetables, With Love where McKinnon shares an abundance of recipes and pockets of wisdom. When it comes to cookbooks, McKinnon has authored six total, including To Asia, With Love, Tenderheart, and her latest Linger (where that Mapo Tofu Salad recipe comes from).

But that flavor-packed salad is just one of many of McKinnon’s recipes we have on Epicurious. If you need a new weeknight staple, try this Sesame Tofu With Broccoli. A riff on the Chinese American classic sesame chicken, this vegetarian version gets an additional boost of sesame from tahini. If you need a stellar soup, might we suggest this one? Sweet tomato, tender egg tendrils, and bouncy noodles form the base of the nourishing meal. And for a holiday (or anytime) side, do yourself a favor and make these Charred Green Beans With Brown Butter Vinaigrette. As one reader reports, they are “ridiculously good.” Explore more of McKinnon’s recipes below.