1,251 water recipes

Stewed California figs cooked low and slow in water, with variations using orange, lemon, sherry, ginger, or cinnamon. Serve warm or chilled for breakfast or dessert.

Homemade coconut milk from fresh coconut and boiling water. A simple 2-ingredient method for thick or thin coconut milk used in curries, soups, and desserts.

Saffron pasta dough kneads durum semolina flour with saffron-bloomed water for golden, fragrant fresh pasta. Egg-free formula works for hand-rolled or extruder shapes.

Peking pancakes (Mandarin pancakes) made with boiling water dough, lard, and sesame oil. Thin, pliable wrappers for Peking duck and mu shu pork. Just 4 ingredients.

Vegetable couscous combines fluffy couscous with chickpeas and thinly sliced zucchini in a buttery, just-add-water side dish. On the table in 15 minutes flat.

Pureed dates blended with water and vanilla extract into a thick, caramel-like paste. A natural sugar substitute for baking, smoothies, and oatmeal in 5 minutes.

Homemade rice milk from cooked brown rice, water, and vanilla. A 3-ingredient dairy-free, vegan milk alternative blended smooth in minutes with no straining needed.

Roasting is one of the best cooking methods for optimizing root vegetables' flavor. Unlike boiling, where water dilutes some of the vegetable's flavor, roasting intensifies it.

Gingered vegetable soup with fresh ginger root, potatoes, zucchini, corn, and tomato sauce. Oil-free, vegan, and full of warming flavor from a water-sauteed base.

Wild duck soaked in lemon water, stuffed with celery, onion, orange, and apple, then slow-roasted under salt pork until tender. A hunter's classic done right.

Aromatic curry stock simmered with onions, ginger, garlic, ghee, cloves, and cardamom. The foundation every Indian curry, biryani, or dal deserves in place of plain water.

Orzo with spinach and toasted pine nuts, cooked risotto-style in garlic-infused water with Parmesan. A 15-minute Mediterranean side dish or light vegetarian dinner.

No-fail bagels boil shaped dough rings in water before baking on cornmeal-dusted pans, yielding the chewy interior, glossy crust and dense crumb of a true New York-style bagel.

Potage bonne femme: a classic French vegetable soup with leeks, potatoes, carrots, and onions sauteed in butter and simmered in chicken stock. Creamy without cream.

Lickety-Split Cocoa Cake: a one-bowl, eggless, dairy-free chocolate cake mixed with water, oil, and a splash of vinegar. The original Depression-era "crazy cake" that bakes up tender every time.

Basic miso soup with wakame, onion, carrot, and a swirl of miso paste stirred in off-heat for an authentic Japanese starter ready in 20 minutes.