18 Ways to Cook with Apple Cider Vinegar

Photo: Jennifer Causey

Known for its health benefits and bright tang, apple cider vinegar is a pantry ingredient that goes beyond vinaigrettes and dressings. Apple cider vinegar that may improve gut health and balance blood sugar levels while adding low-calorie flavor. We love ACV in these recipes to add the perfect acidic and tart bite to transform your toast, slow cooker meals, and plain proteins. Remember, cider vinegar and apple cider vinegar are the same thing, and the terms can be used interchangeably so just take note of that when prepping the recipes.

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Smothered Vinegar Pork Shoulder with Apples and Kale

Photo: Rob Culpepper

View Recipe: Smothered Vinegar Pork Shoulder with Apples and Kale

Settle in tonight for a cozy, comforting dinner. The pork is wonderfully tender and the kale-apple mixture provides the perfect complement to this meal.

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Apple-Sunchoke Salad With Smoked Trout and Cider Vinaigrette

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Lindsey Lower

View Recipe: Apple-Sunchoke Salad With Smoked Trout and Cider Vinaigrette

Sunchokes, the knobby, thin-skinned tubers also misleadingly referred to as Jerusalem artichokes (they're not artichokes and have nothing to do with Jerusalem), offer beguilingly nutty, sweet flavor. North Carolina chef Scott Crawford (of Standard Foods in Raleigh, NC) makes these root veggies shine in this elegant salad featuring 2 apple varieties—one sweet and one tart—and salty smoked trout.

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Braised Collard Greens and Bacon-Pepper Pinto Beans

Photo: Greg Dupree; Styling: Lindsey Lower

View Recipe: Braised Collard Greens and Bacon-Pepper Pinto Beans

We skip the meat main and make sides the focus of the meal—easy to do with garlicky braised greens and pinto beans topped with bacon. Serve with skillet cornbread: Heat a cast-iron skillet on the stovetop while the oven preheats, and swirl in a couple of teaspoons oil before adding the batter. If you can't find collards, substitute stemmed curly kale or turnip greens, checking for doneness at around 20 minutes. For a vegetarian meal, sub vegetable stock for chicken stock and 1 tablespoon canola oil for the bacon drippings.

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Baby Kale, Butternut, and Chicken Salad

Photo: Iain Bagwell

View Recipe: Baby Kale, Butternut, and Chicken Salad

Precut vegetables, rotisserie chicken, and chopped pecans save time when throwing together a quick lunch before school or work. A homemade dressing of molasses, olive oil, cider vinegar, and Dijon mustard keeps added sugar and calories in check. One of the healthiest and nutritious vegetables, butternut squash is full of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

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Cashew-Carrot Toast

Photo: Iain Bagwell

View Recipe: Cashew-Carrot Toast

Instead of a PB&J, try a CB&C: smooth cashew butter, bacon, and a bright, crisp-tender carrot salad on top. Cashew butter's smooth texture is ideal for sandwiches and toast. While it may be lower in protein than peanut butter, it generally contains half the sugar. It also boasts more iron, copper, and phosphorus. Try making your own to save money and limit oil and salt. If you have a nut allergy, substitute seed butter or hummus. Our Honey Sunflower Seed Butter is intensely flavorful and subtlety sweet. Our easy toast recipes make a great weekday lunch, too. Cook bread slices until extra crisp for a sturdy base. Build in the morning, or pack components for quick assembly at the office.

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Sheet Pan Swedish Meatballs

Photo: Victor Protasio

View Recipe: Sheet Pan Swedish Meatballs

A big batch of meatballs transforms from comfort food tonight to global twists during the week. Pork adds richness, but you can use all beef if you prefer. If you won't be using the rest of the meatballs soon, freeze them in a zip-top bag for up to 2 months; thaw them overnight in the refrigerator or in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes. Serve this dish with mashed potatoes and roasted Brussels sprouts for an easy dinner. Use leftovers on top of Banh Mi Bowls, or stuff them into pitas for a Greek-style sandwich.

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Texas Barbecue Hash

Photo: Jennifer Causey

View Recipe: Texas Barbecue Hash

Hash is the king of reinvented leftovers. Here we've added a Southern barbecue spin. Four fried eggs top this protein-packed meal.

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Mustard Green Pesto and Egg Open-Faced Sandwiches

Photo: Jennifer Causey

View Recipe: Mustard Green Pesto and Egg Open-Faced Sandwiches

This pesto works with any hearty greens; try turnip greens, kale, or chard. Any extra pesto will keep refrigerated for 4 days and frozen for up to a month.

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Cornmeal-Dusted Catfish Sandwiches with Tangy Slaw

Photo: Jennifer Causey

View Recipe: Cornmeal-Dusted Catfish Sandwiches with Tangy Slaw

Forget pulling out a deep fryer—a light coating of crunchy cornmeal and a quick pan-fry make catfish fillets delicately crisp.

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Cherry, Chicken, and Pecan Wheat Berry Salad

Photo: Squire Fox

View Recipe: Cherry, Chicken, and Pecan Wheat Berry Salad

What a fantastic combo! If you can't find fresh cherries, add ¼ cup boiling water to ¼ cup dried cherries. Let stand 10 minutes; drain and chop.

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Shaved Apple and Fennel Salad with Crunchy Spelt

Photo: Iain Bagwell

View Recipe: Shaved Apple and Fennel Salad with Crunchy Spelt

Simply put, apples and fennel are right together—the flavors are so complementary. We love the way the paper-thin slices intertwine and then get interrupted by bright hits of parsley. Canola oil may seem like an odd choice, but we wanted to keep the flavors clean and straightforward; you can always use olive oil if you'd like the vinaigrette to assert itself.

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Celery Root Schnitzel With Cabbage-Apple Slaw

Photo: Romulo Yanes

View Recipe: Celery Root Schnitzel With Cabbage-Apple Slaw

Our twist on a classic fried pork or chicken cutlet is inspired by a dish on chef Andrew Carmellini's menu at Little Park in New York.

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Brown Sugar-Cured Turkey with Apple-Bourbon Gravy

Photo: Brian Woodcock

View Recipe: Brown Sugar-Cured Turkey with Apple-Bourbon Gravy

Roasting dark-meat turkey pieces on a bed of vegetables, fruit, and herbs adds deep flavor to the produce and the gravy.

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Beet Salad with Bacon and Onion

Photo: Jennifer Causey

View Recipe: Beet Salad with Bacon and Onion

If you love the sweet, earthy flavor of beets but think you don't have time to cook them on a weeknight, you'll appreciate this fast microwave method. Wrapping peeled beet wedges in parchment paper allows them to steam to tender perfection in less than half the time it would take to roast them.

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One-Pot Chicken with Farro

Photo: Jennifer Causey

View Recipe: One-Pot Chicken with Farro

This easy dish is perfect for a casual get-together with friends. Inspired by arroz con pollo, it is hearty with satisfying complexity. Cumin, saffron, and oregano season rich chicken thighs and nutty farro as the dish simmers. If using saffron, deploy it sparingly; those tiny threads bring subtle flavor and a little color to the dish, but too much will yield a medicinal taste. Serve with a side salad to complete the meal.

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Sheet Pan Roasted Vegetables

Photo: Jennifer Causey

View Recipe: Sheet Pan Roasted Vegetables

Opt for simply roasted veggies in place of rich and creamy casseroles and loaded potato dishes brimming with fat and calories. This mix of colorful root vegetables may be your star side. Peeled, prechopped butternut squash saves time, but pieces tend to be irregular and small—we prefer peeling and cubing it yourself. A simple mixture of olive oil, whole-grain mustard, apple cider vinegar, thyme, salt, and pepper dresses these vegetables up for the occasion.

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Spiced Apple-Cranberry Sauce

Photo: Jennifer Causey

View Recipe: Spiced Apple-Cranberry Sauce

A trio of warm spices takes this holiday staple out of candy-sweet territory and into the world of robust holiday condiments. The sauce is delicious to top off your holiday protein for the rest of the season. Apples counter the tartness of the cranberries and help the sauce thicken. No fine dice on the apples here; the rustic chunky look of the two fruits is what makes the sauce beautiful and enticing. If you’re feeling extra generous, double the batch and spoon into small jars for guests to take home.

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Pickled Onion Slaw

Photo: Jennifer Causey

View Recipe: Pickled Onion Slaw

A quick slaw makes a tangy side that pairs with an assortment of main dishes. Our homemade version keeps the cabbage crisp. We use honey to sweeten ours.

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18 Ways to Cook with Apple Cider Vinegar

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Smothered Vinegar Pork Shoulder with Apples and Kale

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Apple-Sunchoke Salad With Smoked Trout and Cider Vinaigrette

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Braised Collard Greens and Bacon-Pepper Pinto Beans

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Baby Kale, Butternut, and Chicken Salad

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Cashew-Carrot Toast

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Sheet Pan Swedish Meatballs

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Texas Barbecue Hash

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Mustard Green Pesto and Egg Open-Faced Sandwiches

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Cornmeal-Dusted Catfish Sandwiches with Tangy Slaw

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Cherry, Chicken, and Pecan Wheat Berry Salad

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Shaved Apple and Fennel Salad with Crunchy Spelt

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Celery Root Schnitzel With Cabbage-Apple Slaw

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Brown Sugar-Cured Turkey with Apple-Bourbon Gravy

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Beet Salad with Bacon and Onion

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One-Pot Chicken with Farro

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Sheet Pan Roasted Vegetables

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Spiced Apple-Cranberry Sauce

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Pickled Onion Slaw

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