Tomato, Spinach, and Bean Soup

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This speedy, budget soup is chunky and nutritious. It serves 8 and is ready in under 15 minutes.

Ingredients

1 onion, medium dice
5 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups vegetable stock
3 cans chopped tomatoes
3 tbsp tomato purée
1 tsp suitable-for-vegans sugar or maple syrup
1 tbsp vinegar of choice (balsamic is preferable, but apple cider, white wine, red wine, etc. will also work)
2 large handfuls spinach, chopped
1 x 400g can beans of choice
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 generous bunch basil
More freshly ground black pepper, to serve

Method

1. Sauté the onion over a medium low heat in a large soup pot until lightly coloured (2-3 minutes). Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add 1/4 cup of the stock and stir to deglaze the pot.
2. Add the rest of the stock, tomatoes, purée, sweetener, vinegar (if using), spinach, beans, and the 1/2 tsp black pepper.
3. Bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Add the chopped basil and season with black pepper to taste.

Sticky BBQ Cauliflower Bites

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A simple budget recipe that’s a great way to sneak vegetables into those who are somewhat reluctant to eat them, but also a real treat for everyone else.

Ingredients

1 cup flour
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
1-1.25 cups water
1 large head cauliflower, cut into evenly sized florets
1 cup barbecue sauce

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220C. Lay a silicone mat or parchment paper on a large baking sheet.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, salt and pepper together.
3.Whisk the water into the flour, starting with 1 cup and adding extra if needed. You should have a thick, pancake-like batter without lumps.
4. Dip each cauliflower floret into the batter to coat evenly, before shaking off excess. Place the florets on baking tray. Reserve any remaining batter.
5. Bake for 10 minutes, and then flip. Cover any gaps in the batter with the reserved batter, and bake for another 10 minutes.
6. Remove cauliflower from oven, brush with barbecue sauce, flip and brush the other sides. Bake for 10 minutes more.
7. Serving suggestion: mashed potato and a suitable-for-vegan dip.

Miso-Ginger Salad Dressing

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You may not have tried miso before, but its flavour is delicious, it’s incredibly rich, and it adds beautiful umami notes (with a hint of sweetness) to dishes. Because it’s fermented, it’s supportive of a healthy gut. You can find miso in the Japanese section of your supermarket, in your local Asian market, or in a health food store.

Ingredients

2 cloves garlic, minced
3cm piece ginger, minced
1 shallot or 2 tsp red onion, minced
2 tbsp lime juice
2 cups cooked white beans, or one can, rinsed and drained
2 tbsp white miso paste
3 tbsp maple syrup or other suitable-for-vegan liquid sweetener
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2-1 cup water, or amount needed to thin to desired consistency

Method

Purée everything in in a blender or food processor. Cool in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving.

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.

Griddled Vegetable Sandwich

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Full of everyone’s favourite vegetables, this recipe makes two full sandwiches and takes under 15 minutes.

Ingredients

For the baste

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tsp suitable-for-vegans wholegrain mustard
1 clove garlic, minced

For the griddling vegetables

3 small mushrooms, sliced
1/2 courgette/zucchini, in thin slices lengthwise
1 bell pepper, deseeded and in quarters
1/2 small aubergine/eggplant, in thin rounds

For everything else

4 slices suitable-for-vegans wholemeal bread
Mixed greens (kale, spinach, lettuce, etc.)
2 heaped tbsp hummus
2 heaped tsp red onion relish
2 thin slices red onion, in rings

Directions

1. Heat a griddle pan over a high heat, or preheat a health grill.
2. Mix the basting ingredients.
3. Place the prepared vegetables on a plate and baste their top sides. Transfer them to the grill or griddle pan, basted side down, and baste on the other side.
4. If using a health grill, close the lid until the vegetables are cooked (approximately 5 minutes). If using a griddle pan, cook until starting to colour underneath, flip, and cook on the other side.
5. Meanwhile, toast the bread on one side only.
6. When the bread is toasted and the vegetables cooked, spread the hummus on the toasted sides of the bread. On two slices of the bread, layer on the greens, griddled vegetables, and red onion. These will be the bases of your sandwiches.
7. On the remaining slices of bread, spread some of the relish; these will be the tops of your sandwiches. Place the relish-spread bread on top of the sandwiches, untoasted-side-up. Return the sandwich to the griddle pan or health grill to toast the untoasted sides.

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.

Baked Samosas with a Chip Shop Curry Sauce

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Not only is the chip shop curry sauce extremely simple to make and very tasty, but these baked samosas have an air-fryer option. Once you master the art of folding the first one (there are lots of online videos to demonstrate it, and it’s far less complicated than you’d think), these are also very easy to make.

The samosa filling

Ingredients

1/2 tsp each mustard, cumin, nigella seeds
1/4 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1/2 inch ginger, minced
1 garlic clove, minced.
60g frozen peas
1/4 cup coconut milk, water, or broth
Four large handfuls of spinach
600g cooked and lightly mashed potato
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp turmeric
1-2 tsp lime juice
Salt, to taste

Method

1. Heat the seeds in a dry pan over a medium heat until they start to pop.
2. Lower the heat, and add the onion and ginger. Cook for a few minutes, until onion starts to soften. Add garlic for 30 seconds.
3. Add frozen peas and coconut milk, water, or broth.
4. Stir in spinach until wilted.
5. Add potato, garam masala, turmeric. Stir until combined, using some water, broth, or coconut milk to loosen anything that has stuck to the pan. Stir in lime juice, and salt to taste.

Pastry

Suitable-for-vegan samosa wrappers or wonton wrappers. Depending on what shape you want, folding methods will differ. There are lots of step-by-step photos online for both rectangular and square versions. Use a glue made of flour and water to seal; don’t worry about gaps: these will be baked, so you don’t have to worry about oil soaking in.

Sauce

Ingredients

1/2 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 inch piece ginger
1/2 tsp ground cumin
pinch cinnamon
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp mild or medium curry powder
1 tbsp tomato purée

Method

Blend and heat. It’s that simple!

To cook

1. Preheat oven to 220C. Cook for 15 minutes. Turn. Lower the heat to 180, and cook 10 minutes more.

OR

2. Preheat air fryer to 200C. Cook samosas for 5 minutes, rearrange, and cook for another 4.

Vegetable Tofu Tart

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This tart is is oil-free, full of vegetables, and with a delicate umami flavour. Feel free to use shop-bought suitable-for-vegan pizza dough for the crust if you want to speed up the cooking process.

Ingredients

For the crust

2 – 2 1/2 cups wholemeal flour (amount will vary according to the flour used; extra for dusting and rolling)
1 tbsp quick-acting dry yeast
1 tsp suitable-for-vegans sugar or maple syrup
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup warm water; more if necessary

For the caramelized red onion

1 red onion, sliced into thin rings
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp suitable-for-vegans sugar or maple syrup

For the vegetable filling

1 yellow pepper, finely diced
1 red pepper, finely diced
1 cup broccoli florets, chopped small
2 cups spinach, tightly packed

For the tofu filling

1 pack silken tofu (approx. 350g)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic granules
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp yellow miso paste

Directions

To make the dough

1. Preheat oven to 170C.
2. Knead all of the ingredients together with 2 cups flour. If the mixture seems too moist, add more flour. You should have a smooth, but sticky, dough.
3. Set aside in a warm place to rise for 30 minutes.

To make the caramelised red onions

1. Heat a nonstick pan over a medium heat. Add onions and cook for 5-10 minutes until browned, stirring frequently.
2. Add the balsamic vinegar and sugar and cook, stirring, until onions are softened. Set aside.

To make the vegetable filling

1. In a large, nonstick frying pan over a medium-low heat, sauté the peppers and broccoli until the broccoli starts to tenderise (about 10 minutes).
2. Add the spinach and allow to wilt. Turn off the heat.

To make the tofu

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth.

To assemble

1. Lightly spray a 10-inch flan tin or cake tin with oil, or line with parchment.
2. On a surface dusted with flour, knock back the dough. You can knead it with a little more flour at this point to make it pliable. Roll into a circle large enough to cover the bottom and sides of the dish. Fill the dish with the dough and trim away any excess that overlaps the edges.
3. In a large bowl, mix the vegetable filling and tofu filling. Spoon into the dough-filled tin.
4. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and top with the caramelised onion. Return to the oven for 5 minutes more. Cut, serve, and enjoy.

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.