Batch Cooking ·Jan 30, 2026

Prep Day & Shopping List: Asian-Inspired Batch Cooking Week

Batch cooking is the perfect solution when you're short on time during the week but still want to eat fresh, varied, and flavorful meals. Our Prep Day shows you how to prepare, portion, and hygienically store everything in a single day – all inspired by Asian cuisine. This week is all about spicy Miso Dressings, homemade Miso Butter, and crispy Chili Crunch. Whether for bowls, rice dishes, or noodles – with a little preparation, the flavors of Asia are always at your fingertips.

To ensure your Prep Day runs smoothly, it's worth planning the structure in advance: First, prepare vegetables, herbs, and proteins, then make sauces and dressings, then pre-cook rice or noodles, and finally portion and store everything. Clever planning not only saves time but also allows you to enjoy fresh, ready-made meals throughout the week.

Are you new to the batch cooking game and need some basic tips? Then be sure to check out our Batch Cooking Basics blog post.

More about Batch Cooking Basics

How do I structure my Prep Day?

A well-structured Prep Day is the foundation for a successful and Asian-inspired batch cooking week. The best way to start planning is with the weekly meal plan: Which dishes will be eaten when?

This results in a targeted shopping list that contains all the necessary ingredients and sorts them into the most important categories. On Prep Day itself, the most important components are prepared in four steps: cutting vegetables, pre-cooking carbohydrates and proteins (e.g. rice or tofu), mixing sauces or dressings, and baking oven recipes such as roasted vegetables or other ingredients. Everything is stored in portions – chilled or frozen – so that in everyday life, only combining and heating is necessary. This not only saves time but also ensures stress-free, healthy eating during the week.

Your Prep Day Tip

For a smooth Prep Day, a few practical helpers are indispensable. Particularly important are mixing bowls with glass lids. They are excellent for storing marinades, dressings, or prepared ingredients without them drying out or mixing. Stainless steel mixing bowls are particularly robust and durable, and also hygienic and dishwasher safe – perfect for the whole week.

Another helper that you won't want to miss in your kitchen is the fiberwood cutting board. It is antibacterial, gentle on knives, and can even be cleaned in the dishwasher. This makes preparing vegetables, herbs, or other ingredients particularly hygienic and convenient.

Tip: Prepare sauces like Miso Dressing or Chili Crunch directly in the mixing bowls with lids, then you can portion them immediately and store them in the refrigerator.

Discover all mixing bowls

Other practical Batch Cooking Must-haves

Shopping List & Weekly Plan: Asian-Inspired

Info: The plan including shopping list & recipes is designed for 2 people/portions each

Fresh Vegetables & Herbs

Napa Cabbage or Pointed Cabbage: 800 g
Carrots: 3 pieces (approx. 300 g)
Red Bell Pepper: 1 piece (150 g)
Cucumber: 1 piece (250 g)
Spring Onions: 1 bunch (60 g)
Coriander: 1 bunch (approx. 25 g)
Mint: 1 bunch (approx. 25 g)
Mango: 1 piece (approx. 300 g fruit pulp)
Small Onion: 1/2 piece (40 g)
Enoki Mushrooms: 200 g
Limes: 4 pieces

Protein

Firm Tofu: 800 g (2 blocks of 400 g each)

Dry Goods

Glass Noodles: 300 g
Rice Paper Sheets: 20 pieces
Roasted Peanuts: 100 g
Sesame Seeds: 50 g
Cornstarch: 50 g
Flour: 100 g

Base & Flavor

Light Miso Paste: 120 g
Peanut Butter: 70 g (approx. 4 tbsp)
Butter: 150 g
Soy Sauce: 120 ml
Sesame Oil: 15–20 ml
Neutral Oil: 300 ml (for Chili Crunch)
Chili Flakes: 1.5–2 tsp
Paprika Powder: 1/2 tsp
Salt: 1.5 tsp
Sugar: 1/4 tsp
Honey or Rice Syrup: 2 tsp
Garlic: 12 cloves

Download weekly plan

Detailed Prep Day

1. Prepare Batch Components

Signature Dip

In a mixing bowl combine:

4 tbsp Miso
4 tbsp Peanut Butter
2 tbsp Soy Sauce
1.5 tbsp Lime Juice
1 tsp Honey or Rice Syrup
1 small clove of garlic, finely grated
1–2 tsp Chili Crunch
2–4 tbsp warm water

Chili Garlic Crunch Oil

1.5–2 tsp chili flakes
1/2 tsp paprika powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp sugar

Finely chop on the cutting board:

8–10 cloves of garlic
30 g spring onions

In a pot:

Heat 300 ml neutral oil
Roast garlic & spring onions until golden brown. Pour hot over the spices.

Miso Butter

In mixing bowls mix:

150 g butter
2–3 tbsp light miso
1 clove of garlic

2. Prepare Vegetables

Carrots (300 g)

Grate/cut into sticks in a large mixing bowl with grater attachment:

100 g → for glass noodle salad
100 g sticks → for summer rolls
100 g very fine → for dumplings

Bell Pepper (150 g)

70 g strips → for glass noodle salad
40 g cubes → for dumplings
40 g strips → for summer rolls

Cucumber (250 g)

120 g sticks → for glass noodle salad
130 g sticks → for summer rolls

Mango (300 g)

150 g cubes → for glass noodle salad
150 g strips → for summer rolls

Herbs (approx. 50 g total)

Chop on the cutting board:

Coriander: 15 g (salad), 10 g (summer rolls)
Mint: 10 g (salad), 15 g (summer rolls)
Spring onions: approx. 40 g remaining

Napa Cabbage (800 g)

600 g roughly halved/cut lengthwise → for Fried Cabbage
200 g fine → for dumplings

Depending on how fine & structured you like it, everything can be stored in individual food storage containers, or the required amount can be taken out on the day of preparation.

3. Dumpling Filling

In a medium mixing bowl mix:

200 g finely chopped cabbage
100 g finely grated carrot
40 g bell pepper cubes
40 g onion
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp miso butter

Fry for 3–4 minutes, then store in a stainless steel container.

4. Prepare Proteins

Tofu (800 g)

Slice and toss with 1 tsp soy sauce in the medium mixing bowl, then store in a food storage container.

Enoki (200 g)

Separate into small bundles and store in a stainless steel container.

5. Organization

150 g glass noodles for Day 2
150 g glass noodles for Day 5
10 rice paper sheets for Day 4
10 rice paper sheets for Day 5

More Inspirations & Weekly Plans

For everyone who wants more!

If you are looking for more inspiration and support for the week, our Batch Cooking E-Book has everything you could wish for. We have already published two of our recipes from the Batch Cooking Weeks: one from the Green Batch Cooking Week and one from the Pickles Batch Cooking Week.

If you want it all at once – the complete Prep Day, the shopping list, and all additional recipes – then the e-book is exactly what you need. It contains well-thought-out weekly plans, detailed Prep Days, complete shopping lists, and sound knowledge about batch cooking. Additionally, you get useful downloads that support you in healthy and stress-free eating.

In the Batch Cooking E-Book you will find: