Beetroot Hummus

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This beetroot hummus is incredibly inexpensive, and makes a large batch. Because it is oil-free, it will separate in the fridge; just stir it all back together again.

Ingredients

1 medium cooked beetroot, chopped
2 cups chickpeas, cooked
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp tahini OR sesame seeds
1/2 cup water, or as much needed to purée ingredients
1/4-1/2 tsp salt, or to taste

Directions

1. Blend the beetroot, chickpeas, garlic, lemon juice, 1/4 cup water, and tahini or sesame seeds. Add more water if necessary, and, if using a jug blender, stop occasionally to scrape down the sides.
2. Season and serve.

Lentil Sloppy Joes

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This budget recipe is easily frozen, and any leftovers can be transformed into a taco filling by the addition of Mexican spices and some salsa, or into a bolognese with some garlic powder and Italian herbs. Now, that’s a versatile dish! Serves 8.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups dried green lentils, rinsed (if you are short of time, you can use two cans of cooked lentils instead and skip Step 1)
1 onion, finely diced
1 red pepper, finely diced
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 cup water or vegetable broth
2 tbsp tomato ketchup or barbecue sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp suitable-for-vegan prepared mustard (Dijon or yellow)
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp hot paprika
Pinch cayenne pepper
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method

1. In a large pot, cover the lentils with 3 cups water, season with salt, bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer. Cover the pan with a lid, but leave it slightly ajar so that the water doesn’t boil over. Allow lentils to simmer for 25-30 minutes or until tender but not mushy. Check occasionally to make sure that the lentils haven’t dried out. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the lentils to rest and soak up any remaining water while you make the sauce.

2. Heat a nonstick pan over a medium heat and sauté the onions for 2 minutes until starting to colour, stirring all the time. If they stick, add a few drops of water to loosen. Add the red pepper and cook for a further 2 minutes. Add 1/4 cup water to deglaze the pan, and continue cooking until evaporated.

3. Add onion and red pepper to the large pot with the lentils. Add the rest of the ingredients, and stir to combine. Simmer over a low heat until the sauce is reduced and thickened, about 5-10 minutes, being careful not to let the pan scorch.

4. Serve on toasted suitable-for-vegan bread rolls or buns (or bread of your choice) with some salad vegetables, if desired.

Note: if you like your food spicier, add a dash of Tabasco or other hot sauce, or more cayenne pepper if you’re feeling brave.

Traditional Irish Potato Cakes

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These traditional Irish potato cakes are extremely easy to make: two ingredients, very little fuss, and extremely inexpensive. This quantity makes 6 potato cakes, and these are delicious served as a side with a bowl meal, dipped in a sauce, or spread with your favourite suitable-for-vegans topping.

Ingredients

300g leftover mashed potato, cooled
20-30g flour of your choice (for a gluten-free option, try buckwheat)

Directions

1. Preheat a frying pan over a medium heat.
2. Mix the flour into the mashed potato, adding enough to make the potato mix come together into a ball.
3. Dust the countertop with flour.
4. Roll out the potato mixture until it’s about 1cm thick. Cut with a cookie cutter or with an inverted mug or glass. Alternatively, take sections, roll into balls, and flatten out.
5. Heat about 1 tsp oil in the frying pan, or use spray oil. Fry the cakes 2-3 minutes each side, until golden.

Coconut Spinach and Chickpeas with Couscous

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A dinner that takes just 10 minutes to prepare is a sheer delight, especially when it is healthy, minimally processed, and beautifully fragrant with coconut and spices.

Ingredients:
200g couscous (the photograph shows giant wholewheat couscous)
200g baby spinach
50g kale, destemmed and torn into bite-sized pieces
150g baby button mushrooms
1 x 400g can chickpeas, drained
1 bell pepper, medium dice
1 can coconut milk (well shaken to combine)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp ginger
pinch chilli flakes
salt and pepper
8 cherry tomatoes, quartered

Directions:
1. Cook the couscous according to the packet directions.
2. Meanwhile, in a large frying pan over a medium heat, wilt the spinach. You may have to add it in batches. A splash of hot water will help speed things up.
3. Add the kale, mushrooms, chickpeas, and peppers. Stir to combine.
4. Add the coconut milk and spices. Cook until the mushrooms shrink a little. Season to taste. Add the cherry tomatoes and warm through.

Speedy Turmeric Crumbled Tofu

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Crumbling tofu and cooking it with vegetables makes for a very quick meal and an economical way of using up leftover vegetable. This recipe takes under 10 minutes, and it serves 4. Any leftovers can be stored in a lidded container in the refrigerator for a couple of days. Feel free to substitute any of the vegetables according to your own leftovers and personal preference.

Ingredients

1 onion, smallish dice
1 each red and yellow pepper, medium dice
350g firm tofu, drained and crumbled
200g asparagus, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 tbsp soy sauce
Pinch chilli powder
100g baby spinach leaves

Method

1. Spray a frying pan with a little spray oil, or wipe around with a piece of kitchen towel dipped in oil. Sauté the onion and peppers over a medium low heat for about 2 minutes, until fragrant.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients, apart from the spinach, and cook until any water expelled by the tofu is evaporated (4-5 minutes).
3. Add the spinach and stir through until wilted.
4. Serve on toast, in a pitta bread, or with a large salad.

Loaded Minestrone

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A real treat for those who love their vegetables, this soup is packed with all kinds of delicious textures and flavours. If you can’t find the packaged quick-cook minestrone mix, feel free to add your own mix of whole grains, pasta, and split peas or lentils, or just small pasta shapes, adjusting the cooking time accordingly. Serves 8.

Ingredients

1 large onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 carrots, medium dice
250g green beans, chopped
250g mushrooms, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
500g passata
400g can chopped tomatoes
400g can cannellini beans, or any beans of choice
250g quick-cook minestrone mix
1.5 l vegetable stock
1tsp each dried oregano, dried basil, dried thyme, dried parsley
Fresh parsley to serve (optional)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Large handful of spinach per serving

Method

1. In a large, preheated soup pot over a medium-low heat, add the onion, celery and carrots, and sauté 3 minutes, adding a little water if the vegetables start to stick. Add the mushrooms and green beans, and sauté for 3 minutes more. Add the garlic for another 30 seconds.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients apart from the salt and pepper, fresh parsley, and spinach. Bring to the boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. To serve, place a large handful of spinach into the bottom of each bowl and top with the soup. Garnish with fresh parsley, lots of freshly ground black pepper, and a bit of salt if required.

Raspberry-Apple Overnight Oats

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Overnight oats make for a healthy and quick breakfast on busy mornings. This recipe serves 1.

Ingredients

1/2 cup rolled oats (not quick cook) + 1 tbsp (optional; keep separate)
1/2 cup plant milk (e.g. unsweetened soya)
1 apple
1/4 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
1 tbsp chopped nuts of choice (e.g. pecans or almonds)
Maple syrup, if desired

Method

1. Soak 1/2 cup oats in the plant milk overnight (or for at least 20 minutes).
2. Toast 1 tbsp oats in a sauté pan over a low heat until golden.
3. Just before you’re ready to assemble and eat the dish, dice the unpeeled, but washed, apple. Mix half of the apple into the oat mix.
4. You can create layers of oats, raspberries (reserving a few for topping), apples, repeating until all of the oat mixture is used up. Alternatively, you can place all ingredients into a bowl and mix. Top with the toasted oats, raspberries and nuts. If desired, pour some maple syrup over the top.

Pea and Mint Soup

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Fragrant and delicate, this pea and mint soup makes for a beautiful summer lunch. This recipe serves 6, and is inexpensive.

Ingredients

1 large onion
1 stalk celery
3 cloves garlic
1.2 l vegetable stock
1 large potato, washed and roughly diced
1 large parsnip, peeled and roughly chopped
500g frozen peas
15g fresh mint, divided into 10g for blending and 5g for garnish
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method

1. Heat a pan over a medium-low heat, and sauté the onion for 3 minutes. Add the celery and sauté for 1 minute more. Add the garlic for 30 seconds.
2. Deglaze the pan with about 1/4 cup of the broth, and then add the rest.
3. Add the parsnip and potatoes, bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the potato and parsnip are very soft.
4. Add the peas and simmer for a further 3 minutes.
5. Add the mint, and blend the soup, thinning with additional broth if required. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spicy Stir-Fry Vegetable Soup

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This spicy loaded soup is ready in 15 minutes and serves 8, so feel free to halve the recipe. If you don’t like spice, reduce the amount of chili or omit altogether. Feel free to use the recipe as a roadmap: no ingredient is essential, so experiment with the vegetables and see which flavours appeal to you.

Ingredients

1 red onion, sliced
3 bell peppers, sliced
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 inch piece of ginger, quartered and thinly sliced
150g button mushrooms, quartered
2 bok choy, the white ends sliced and the green tops left whole
2 red chilis (optional), sliced
1/2 block tofu (approx 150g), cubed
2 litres vegetable stock
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp yellow miso paste

Method

1. Sauté the onions in a large soup pot over a medium-low heat. When they start to colour, add the peppers, garlic, ginger, mushrooms, bok choy whites, and chilis.
2. When the vegetables have started to soften, add the tofu, stock, and soy sauce.
3. Don’t bring the soup to a boil; instead, allow it to simmer over a low heat for about 5 minutes.
4. Add the bok choy and the miso, and stir. Simmer for two minutes more.

Japanese Marinated Tofu

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This budget meal is perfect with noodles or rice and stir-fried vegetables as an accompaniment. There is an air fryer option available. Serves 4.

Ingredients

1 block extra-firm tofu (approximately 350g), drained and pressed
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
4 tsp maple syrup
1/4 tsp shichimi togarashi, or Japanese seven-spice spice mix
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp rice vinegar

Method, Oven Option

1. Preheat the oven to 170C. Line a baking tray with parchment or a silicone sheet. Cube the tofu, and arrange it on a single layer on the tray.
2. Bake for 20 minutes, turning once.
3. While tofu is baking, mix the rest of the ingredients for marinade.
4. Remove the tofu from the oven and combine with marinade in a shallow dish. Toss to coat well. Leave for 10 minutes at least, and increase the oven temperature to 190C.
5. Remove the tofu from the marinade, return to baking tray, and bake for 5-10 minutes more until sauce has caramelized.

Method, Air Fryer Option

1. Preheat the air fryer to 160C. Cube the tofu, and arrange it in the pan. Bake for 8 minutes, turning once.
3. While tofu is frying, mix the rest of the ingredients for marinade.
4. Remove the tofu from the oven and combine with marinade in a shallow dish. Toss to coat well. Leave for 10 minutes at least, and increase the air fryer temperature to 180C.
5. Remove the tofu from the marinade, return to pan, and bake for 4 minutes more.