This Week's Pick: Garlicky Shrimp With Zucchini and Beans

One recipe, ranked by engagement and ease of prep.

Of every recipe published across NYT Cooking, Bon Appétit, Serious Eats, and r/MealPrepSunday between May 24 and 31, Garlicky Shrimp With Zucchini and Beans by Kay Chun for NYT Cooking leads the field by a wide margin. 1

The engagement gap is not close. The recipe had 226 ratings averaging 5 stars as of this weekend — more than four times the next-highest editorial pick (Creamy Lemon Asparagus Gnocchi at 50 ratings). 12 That's a meaningful signal: this recipe drew readers in fast, and almost all of them came back to rate it well.

It also fits the moment. Summer squash is just arriving at US grocery stores, shrimp is a weeknight protein most home cooks are comfortable with, and 30 minutes in a single Dutch oven is a realistic Tuesday night commitment. The last two picks here were plant-forward and pasta-forward (Brothy Spinach and Peas Pasta, Chickpea Salad With Cucumber and Roast Lemon Salsa) — this one pivots to seafood with a Mediterranean spine, a useful change of pace for anyone rotating through the archive.

The dish is a brothy shrimp stew, not a dry sauté. Aromatic leeks and garlic go into the Dutch oven first, then zucchini, then clam juice and white beans to build the base. Shrimp goes in last and cooks gently in the liquid. Chun's description holds: "Aromatic leeks, garlic, clam juice and sweet zucchini create a flavorful base in this brothy shrimp stew." 1

A knob of butter and a squeeze of lemon go in at the end. Crusty bread for dipping is listed as optional but functions more like a requirement — the broth is the point.

The recipe also carries a second life built in: "Leftovers also make a fantastic pasta salad the next day, tossed with any short pasta, olive oil and grated Parmesan." 1 For anyone doing light meal prep — or cooking for two and wanting a packed lunch — that's a useful detail.

The shopping list is short and all standard grocery items. 1

Clam juice — usually bottled, found near canned fish — is the one item some cooks may not already have. One reader swapped part of it for seafood stock without issue. Canned white beans keep the prep passive: no soaking, no separate cooking step.

The 226 reviewers converge on a few consistent notes. The broth is the main event — readers describe it as bright and clean, not heavy. Several mention it as a recipe they'll return to regularly: "This recipe is a keeper." 1

The most practical piece of reader feedback: sear the shrimp separately in a hot pan before adding them to the stew, then set them aside and return them at the end. The standard method (shrimp cooked directly in the broth) works, but separate searing adds color and texture without much extra effort. Worth knowing before you start.

Creamy Lemon Asparagus Gnocchi (Kayla Hoang, NYT Cooking, May 27) is the strongest alternative — 50 five-star ratings, 35 minutes, one pan. 2 The technique is worth noting: lemon juice reacts with the heavy cream and thickens the sauce without starchy pasta water, resulting in a silkier consistency than a standard lemon pasta. Asparagus season is winding down in most of the country; this recipe is well-timed for the next two or three weeks. One reader put it plainly: "I made this exactly as written and served it with salmon fillets, and it was probably the best dinner I've cooked this calendar year." 2

Green Curry–Glazed Salmon (Bon Appétit, May 27) is the fastest option in the field — 20 minutes under the broiler, five sauce ingredients. 3 Maesri green curry paste mixed with mayonnaise, sugar, soy sauce, and vinegar forms the glaze. No public rating count from Bon Appétit, but the recipe's simplicity speaks for itself on a night when time is short.