The easiest, most delicious upgrade to the easiest, most delicious fall meal

It’s quick, it’s cheap, it’s satisfying; and even though it happens to be vegan, meat wouldn’t make it any better

Editor’s note: Hey hungry friends, and welcome back to Cool Beans, where we’re unlocking the secrets of delicious, sustainable cooking. If you’ve paid even a little attention to how a lot of food sites cover new plant-based products, you’ve likely noticed an outsized focus on veg-ified versions of mainstays like burgers and bacon. We’re just as into these swaps as anyone looking to eat less meat, but they’re only part of the menu. Grocery stores are constantly stocking new ingredients that can supercharge a plant-based kitchen. Sometimes a new spice mix grabs our attention, but more often we get revved up about a condiment or sauce—or a condiment that can become a sauce. 

This week, Gabriella is digging into Trader Joe’s spicy Sri Lankan Mango Chutney—which hit shelves just a few weeks ago—and building a simple menu so satisfying you might forget it’s actually the season of pumpkin-spiced-everything.

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Fall is here, which means everything is pumpkin-spiced, from bagels to body lotion. On a recent trip to Trader Joe’s, I bypassed the autumnal madness and made a beeline to the frozen foods section to stock up on veggie samosas (also available with a pumpkin filling, sigh), and spotted a new Sri Lankan Mango Chutney. 

A jar of chutney is money in your pantry bank—and this stuff costs less than three bucks. It makes a killer dipping sauce (for said samosas), sandwich spread, and curry topper, but you can build a whole meal around chutney by turning it into a marinade for a sheet-pan supper. This, of course, applies to any chutney, whether you get it from TJ’s or your local grocery store or even as leftovers from a dinner out. 

The review: I’m never leaving Trader Joe’s without a jar of this chutney 

This $3 jar is a no-brainer dinner upgrade. Credit: Gabriella Vigoreaux

Unlike other fruity preserves that are made with pectin and loads of sugar, jarred chutneys are more about the balance of sweet (fruit and sugar), spice (chiles, garlic, herbs, dry spices), and tang (vinegar). Popping open the lid of this fresh TJ’s sitch immediately hits your nostrils with notes of chili and garlic. 

The consistency is pretty thick, but still spreadable, with big chunks of visible mango. It’s pleasantly spiced and tangy in a way I couldn’t quite describe until I saw “coconut sap vinegar” on the ingredient list. In India, chutneys are typically made fresh; here, the vinegar and a little sugar help the fresh ingredients last on the shelf. The spice comes from chili powder, cinnamon, cardamom, clove, and nutmeg—though the latter three aren’t overpowering in the pumpkin-spice way. The chili and garlic add a pleasant kick that builds slightly the more you eat it.

In totally predictable fashion, my stash of samosas quickly became a mere vehicle for chutney, and I downed a third of the jar in one sitting. My head began to spin with other ideas to up my consumption. TJ’s website suggests spooning it over pizza or spreading it on biscuits or a grilled cheese, but why stop there? 

• Stir it into mayo to make a smashed-chickpea version of chicken salad. 

• Swipe it on a veggie burger. 

• Dilute it in a bit of soy sauce and make a sweet, spicy glaze for grilled tofu. 

• Combine it with Sriracha to make a quick sweet-and-sour sauce for crispy tempeh.

• Whisk it into a vinaigrette to add extra zing to greens. 

• Mix it with maple syrup or honey for sweet and savory glazed nuts. 

• Bake with it: Mango chutney thumbprint cookies, anyone? 

Any of these options will work with any chutney you enjoy—not just my latest obsession. And it’s a great reminder that eating sustainably doesn’t have to mean taking yummy food out of your life. Cool Beans is about adding delicious flavors to your rotation. Now that the temperature is coming down across the country, I’m ready to spice up a cooler-weather favorite: easy, cozy sheet-pan dinners. Here’s one that I’m making with my new favorite $3 superstar jar. 

The recipe: A quick, spicy, mango-y supper

Typically, cooks pair chutney with rich meat dishes and curries, and you’ll often find it as a jam substitute in the charcuterie board kingdom. Chutney’s balance of sweetness acidity cuts through the richness and fattiness of these dishes and can help neutralize the heat in spicy foods. This sheet-pan supper leans on that complexity with a marinade-turned-sauce that adds bright, punchy notes to veggies and tofu with minimal added ingredients. 

One (pan) and done. Credit: Gabriella Vigoreaux.

Sheet-Pan Mango Masala Veggies + Tofu