12 norouz recipes

Lighter clam chowder made entirely in the microwave with leeks, potatoes, sweet corn, and low-fat milk. No cream, no roux, ready in about 40 minutes.

Baked mac and cheese the custard way: elbow macaroni folded into an egg-rich blend of evaporated milk, half-and-half, and sour cream with four cheeses, then baked until the top browns. No roux, all creamy.

Seafood gumbo loaded with shrimp, crab, and five pounds of okra smothered with tomatoes, garlic, and hot sauce. An authentic okra-thickened Cajun gumbo, no roux needed.

Stovetop macaroni and cheese with sharp cheddar, butter and cream. Five-ingredient creamy mac and cheese ready in 30 minutes, no roux, no oven required.

Crawfish etouffee the easy way: the Cajun holy trinity simmered with crawfish tails, cream of mushroom soup, and tomatoes with green chiles, then ladled over rice. A weeknight shortcut to Louisiana comfort, no roux required.

Slow cooker vegan gumbo loaded with okra, lima beans, corn, and tomatoes in a clove and allspice-spiked vegetable broth. No roux, no oil, no fuss.

Slow cooker shrimp and andouille sausage gumbo built on an oven-toasted dry roux, the holy trinity of onion, bell pepper, and celery, plus Creole seasoning. Six hours on low for real Louisiana depth, no roux-stirring required.

Diner-style macaroni and cheese with sharp cheddar cheese spread, shredded cheddar, sauteed onions, and green bell pepper, baked until bubbly. No roux needed for this creamy classic.

Cream of spinach soup thickened naturally with rice, lifted by a whisper of curry powder and a squeeze of lemon. No flour, no roux. Smooth, bright, and surprisingly delicate.

Easy 5-ingredient cheese soup made with canned cream of chicken, cream of celery, sharp cheddar cheese spread, and chicken broth. Stovetop in under 30 minutes, no roux needed.

Vegetable gumbo is a lighter, meatless take on the Cajun classic: the holy trinity simmered with okra, corn, tomatoes and paprika, thickened naturally by the okra. No roux, no meat, just hearty vegetable comfort.

Annie Mae Jones' ham and white bean soup, a simple old-fashioned recipe that uses a leftover ham bone, white beans, and a few aromatics. Thickened with mashed beans the traditional way, no roux or cream required.