FLAVOR AND FUNCTION

These robust ingredients add something more than taste—an anti-inflammatory boost!

- BY ALYSSA JUNG • RECIPES BY TINA MARTINEZ

MAKING A RECIPE IS a bit like casting a movie. There are ingredients with leading roles, ones we use in abundance or that take center stage on the plate, such as a perfectly seared salmon. Then there are supporting actors—foods that serve as flavor builders or finishing touches, such as a scattering of parsley atop pasta. But if you recast foods you usually use in smaller quantities (say, herbs and aromatics like shallots) as major players, it can benefit your taste buds and your health.

“I like to lead with flavor, and we often forget that foods such as herbs, onions, and root spices are incredibly nutritious and can contribute to our overall health in powerful ways,” says Marisa Moore, R.D.N., author of