Spiced sweet potato, red lentil & tomato soup

I do love a chunky, spicy soup and this vegan recipe ticks both those boxes. It's gently spiced and thoroughly warming on a cold day, of which we seem to have many in Leeds! I love anything with lentils in and I've put in some red ones to add extra protein, flavour and to make the soup nice n hearty. It's straightforward to make and you can whip up a large batch and freeze a few portions. 

Ingredients

Makes about 6 servings, depending on how big your bowl is ;-)

• 1 medium sweet potato, roasted in it's skin

• 2 medium onions, chopped roughly

• 1 large clove garlic, minced

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• 1 tsp ground turmeric

• 1 tsp ground coriander

• 1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes, or 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

• 1 x 400g tin of tomatoes

• 1 low salt vegetable stock cube (I like Kallo's) dissolved in 1L of boiling water

• 100g dried red lentils

• 3/4 tsp fine ground sea salt, or 1 tsp sea salt flakes

• Big handful of kale, spinach cavolo nero and/or coriander

Method

• Put the oven on 180℃ and roast the sweet potatoes until nice and soft.

• While the potatoes are cooking, gently fry the onions in a large pan for 10-15 minutes until they're soft.

• Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes, then add the spices and warm through for a couple of minutes.

• Put the tin of tomatoes and the dissolved stock in the pan with the onions and heat through.

• Use a hand blender to turn the mix into a smooth sauce.

• Add the lentils and simmer for 20 minutes.

• Season and add a big handful of greens and coriander.

Roasted beetroot, brown rice & pistachio salad

This is my protein packed super food salad that is so good for you and very quick to make.  Basically you just throw all the ingredients together, except the beetroot. Dress the salad first and then add the beetroot last, or the whole salad will turn pink before everyone has tucked in. I placed mine strategically through the rice and on top at the end, so it still looked pretty. In this photo you might notice that I have added cannellini beans to the dish - these are totally optional, they’ll add a little creaminess, plus a protein and fibre boost if you do though.

Ingredients

Serves 8 as a side dish

• 3 large beetroot, approx 300g, chopped into 8 pieces

• 300g runner beans, cut into 2cm slices

• 200g brown basmati rice

• 100g wild rice

• Handful of toasted pistachios, roughly chopped

• Handful of coriander, leaves picked

• Salt & pepper

Dressing

• Olive oil

• Cider vinegar

• Honey

• Juice from ½ lemon

Method

• Put the oven on at 180℃ degrees.

• Cut the top and root off each beetroot and wrap individually in foil. Don’t peel before roasting as it is much easier to do once they’re cooked.

• Roast for about an hour, or until soft and the skin just falls off as you rub them gently. Allow to cool and chop into large chunks.

• While the beetroot is cooking, put a handful of pistachios in a roasting tray and place in the same oven for around 5-6 minutes, but don’t forget them as they’ll easily burn. I’m notorious for burning whole batches of nuts, so I always have to set a loud timer.

• Put the wild rice on to boil for around 20 minutes and then add the brown rice to the pan for a further 25 minutes so they’re both finished at the same time. Drain and cool.

• Blanch the runner beans in boiling water for 2 minutes, drain and cool by running under the cold tap so they don’t continue cooking and lose their colour and crunch.

Dressing

• Find a dressing shaker (best one linked!) and mix the olive oil, cider vinegar, honey and lemon.

• Put the rice and runner beans in a bowl, then add a few tablespoons of the dressing and mix. Then place the beetroot carefully throughout the salad, sprinkle with nuts and coriander.

Roasted butternut squash, red onion with tahini & za'atar dressing

I could literally eat this salad everyday, it is so tasty in only a way that Ottolengi's recipes can be. It is a gorgeous combination of caramelised squash and onions with nutty, creamy, lemony tahini dressing.

Ingredients, serves 6-8

• 1 butternut squash

• 3 medium red onions

• 4 tbsp tahini

• 2 tbsp lemon juice

• 3-4 tbsp water

• 1 small clove garlic, grated

• 30g pine nuts

• 1 tbsp za'atar, or to taste - try it first to see if you like it

• 1 tbsp chopped parsley

Method

• Heat the oven to 220 degrees.

• Chop the squash into large slices, coat with olive oil on a roasting tray and place skin side down.

• Roast the squash for 20 minutes before adding the chopped onions; make sure they have a coating of oil on them as well.

• Mix the tahini with the lemon, garlic and water in a small bowl or jar, whisk with a fork. Add extra tahini or water to get the right consistency; it should be like a thick salad dressing.

• Heat a frying pan and lightly toast the pine nuts.

• To serve, spread the vegetables on a flat platter and drizzle over the dressing before scattering the pine nuts over the top. Sprinkle za'atar and parsley to taste.

• Dig in.

Shown with aubergine chermoula and puy lentil, oven dried tomato & gorgonzola salad

Moroccan chickpea soup with cavolo nero

I love a hearty soup and this one is a firm favourite. I like to make a big batch as I have done here so I can freeze a few portions for easy meals on days I just don't have time to cook.

This recipe is for a big pan of about 3 litres, but if you don't want to make that much, or haven't the freezer space then just scale if down, halve the quantities and make a smaller batch to keep in the fridge for a few days. 

Ingredients

• 4 medium onions, halved and finely sliced

• 2 large carrots

• 1 large clove garlic, grated or finely chopped

• 1 tsp cumin

• 1 tsp ground coriander

• 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika or pimento

• 1 tsp dried chilli flakes

• 300g red lentils, rinsed in cold water

• 400g tin tomatoes

• 1.5 litres vegetable stock, fresh or a Kallo low salt cube

• 1 roasted (unpeeled) sweet potato, peeled and mashed

• 2 tbsp tomato puree

• 1 1/2 tsp Maldon sea salt, or similar

• Handful of cavolo nero / kale / spinach or whatever greenery you prefer!

• 1 tin 400g chickpeas, drained

• Sprinkle of chopped parsley, to taste

• Blob of sour cream in each bowl

Method

• Get a large saucepan and heat a few gulgs of olive oil before adding the onions and carrots. Cook gently for around 10-15 minutes or until softened.

• Grate in the garlic and cook for a couple of minutes.

• Next add all the dry spices and stir into the vegetables, allow to heat through for a further 2 minutes.

• Add the lentils, stir to coat in the spices then add all the stock, plus the tinned tomatoes and tomato puree. Simmer for 20 minutes with the lid on.

• Add the sweet potato - mash and stir it in, this will disappear to give a lovely sweetness and will thicken the soup.

• Season with the salt and then add the chickpeas and cavolo nero, kale or spinach, cooking for a further 5 minutes.

• Sprinkle with parsley and add a nice big blob of sour cream.

Roasted red pepper salad with coriander

Ahhh nothing beats roasted red pepper for me; the gorgeous sweet flavour and soft texture liven up any salad in my opinion. This dish goes perfectly with a Middle Eastern style meal; or can be eaten simply with some fresh bread, hoummus and grilled halloumi.

Ingredients

Serves 6 as part of a mezze

• 3 red peppers, grilled

• 1/4 garlic clove crushed

• Olive oil, couple of glugs

• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar (may be a little more depending on taste)

• Sprinkle of cumin

• Handful of chopped parsley and/or coriander to finish, leaves chopped

• Salt & pepper

Method

• Place the whole red peppers under a hot grill on some tin foil, making sure that they are not too close to the heat source. Allow the skin to blacken and then turn until all the skin is coloured, but not completely charred. The wrap in the foil and leave to cool, so it is easier to remove the skins.

• Crush the garlic and mix with the olive oil, vinegar and some finely chopped parsley. Season generously.

• Remove the peppers from the foil after about 10 minutes and peel off all the skin, deseed, core and tear in medium sized stripes, or use a knife if you prefer.

• Place the pepper on a plate and pour over the dressing, sprinkle on some cumin and the rest of the chopped herbs. Serve at room temperature. For those coriander-haters out there, use basil or parsley, this salad will still taste divine.