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Green Bean Casserole

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A wonderfully comforting dish, this serves two. Feel free to double or even triple the recipe: you’ll want extra helpings!

For the Mushroom Sauce:

½ yellow onion, roughly chopped
300g white mushrooms, roughly chopped
2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup soy (or other all-plant) milk
½ tsp salt, or to taste
¼ tsp white pepper
½ tsp dried sage
½ tsp dried rosemary
½ tsp dried thyme
¼ cup nutritional yeast
2 tbsp cornflour

For the Casserole: 
400g frozen green beans

For the Topping: 
4 onions, cut into strings and fried (we air fried ours, which takes much longer than deep frying; instructions below).

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 170C.
2. Make the sauce by sautéing the onions and mushrooms over a medium low heat until the mushrooms start to release their liquid. Don’t allow to take on much colour. Add the rest of the ingredients apart from the cornflour, and simmer for about 20 minutes. 
3. Meanwhile, cook the green beans according to package directions, and refresh in cold water to stop them cooking. Drain. 
4. When the sauce is ready, blend and return to the pot. Mix the cornflour with enough water to get a smooth paste. Add to the sauce and simmer to thicken. 
5. Transfer the beans to an ovenproof dish and pour over the sauce. Bake for 20 minutes. 
6. Top with the crispy onion strings and serve. 

To make the onion strings: 
1. Slice the onions on a mandoline. 
2. Transfer to an air-fryer basket and fry for 5 minutes at 120C. Toss and fry for another 5 minutes.
3. Lower the heat to 100C, and fry the onions for another 50 minutes or so, tossing often and checking that they don’t burn.

Mushroom Noodle Soup

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This Mushroom Noodle Soup from is quick, easy, full of flavour, and very filling.

Ingredients: 
30g shiitake mushrooms
250g white or brown mushrooms, sliced 
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 inch piece ginger, minced
1l vegetable broth
2-4 tbsp soy sauce (or to taste)
200g suitable-for-vegans noodles of choice (we used black bean noodles)
Bunch spring onions (green onions), sliced
Block smoked tofu, cubed (exact measurements don’t matter here)
Jar or can beansprouts, drained
Hot sauce to taste (optional)

Directions: 
1. Cover the shiitake mushrooms with plenty of boiling water. Leave to soak for 10 minutes or so. 
2. Meanwhile, heat a frying pan over medium low. Add the mushrooms and cook until they release their juices. Add the garlic and ginger for about 1 minute until fragrant. 
3. Add the broth, soy sauce, tofu, noodles, and spring onions, and cook for the time recommended on the back of the pack of noodles. 
4. Add the tofu and bean sprouts to heat through. Serve with hot sauce, if desired.

Roasted Butternut Squash

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A fairly easy but impressive holiday dinner, packed with flavour.

Ingredients: 
1 butternut squash, halved and deseeded
1 onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic
250g mushrooms, chopped
50g hazelnuts, toasted and chopped
Fresh basil
Salt and pepper

Directions: 
1. Preheat the oven to 200C. 
2. Spray the butternut squash with a little oil, or rub with oil-coated kitchen towel. Place cut-side down on a baking tray and bake 15 minutes. Turn cut-side up and bake for 30 mins more or until done. 
3. Meanwhile, sauté the onion until slightly translucent. Add the garlic, mushrooms, and toasted hazelnuts and continue to cook. When just about cooked, stir in some fresh basil and season. 
4. When the squash is cooked, removed some of the flesh from the skin to hollow the squash out slightly. Mash, and mix with the mushrooms. Place back into the squash and bake 5 minutes more.

Mushroom-Sauerkraut Pierogi

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These Pierogi have a dough that’s very easy to roll and an incredibly simple, yet flavoursome, filling. This recipe makes 20 pierogi. We served ours with Savoy cabbage, and a cauliflower and carrot purée.

Ingredients:

For the dough:

1 3/4 cup plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp vegetable oil
3/4 cup warm water

For the filling:

250g mushrooms, finely chopped
2 onions, finely chopped
1/3 cup sauerkraut
1 tsp smoked paprika
Salt and white pepper

Directions:
1. Make the dough by mixing the flour and the salt. Make a well in the centre and add the oil. Add 1/2 cup warm water, and bring the dough together. Knead, adding the rest of the water as needed until the dough is smooth and not sticky. Allow to rest while you make the filling.
2. Dry sauté the mushrooms and onions until they have released their liquid. Add the sauerkraut, paprika, salt and pepper, and continue to cook until the liquid is absorbed. Allow to cool while you roll out the dough.
3. Sprinkle work surface with a little flour, divide the dough into two, and roll out one piece until very thin. Cut out circles of dough with a large cooking cutter and repeat with the other half of the dough, re-rolling the scraps as required.
4. Spoon a heaped tsp filling into each circle of dough. Moisten the edges of the dough, fold, and pinch to seal. Crimp the edges with a fork. Repeat until all circles of dough have been filled and folded, placing the raw pierogi onto a floured silicone sheet as you go.
5. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add the pierogi a few at a time and cook until they rise to the surface. Remove and drain.
6. When all pierogi have been boiled, lightly shallow fry them in a little oil in a preheated pan. Serve warm.

Portobello Unfried Black Bean Wraps with Avocado Aïoli

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Though this looks like an involved recipe, it takes only about 15 minutes to put together, and it makes a hearty and filling lunch.

FOR THE MUSHROOMS
6 large Portobello mushrooms, sliced
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Pinch black pepper

  1. Add the mushrooms to a preheated frying pan with the rest of the ingredients.
  2. Sauté until the liquid that they release has been evaporated and they are cooked through.

FOR THE AVOCADO AÏOLI
2 large Hass avocados
2 cloves garlic (roasted or lightly sweated if you don’t want the raw garlic flavour)
1 tbsp lime juice
1/2 cup soy milk
1/2 tsp sea salt
Pinch cayenne pepper

Directions:
1. Add all the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Transfer to a squeeze bottle (I used an clean and dry empty vegan mustard bottle) to serve.

FOR THE UNFRIED BLACK BEANS
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeño pepper, minced
1 red pepper, roasted (I used one from a jar)
1 can black beans, drained and mashed
1/4 cup broth or water
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground chilli pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp tomato purée
1 tbsp lime juice

  1. Preheat a sauté pan over a medium low heat, and sauté the onion until it starts to take on some colour. Add the garlic and and stir for 30 seconds.
  2. Stir in the jalapeño and red pepper, black beans, broth, herbs and spices, salt, tomato purée, and lime. Cook the mixture until all of the liquid is absorbed.

TO ASSEMBLE
4 wholegrain suitable-for-vegan wraps
Salsa
Spinach

  1. Layer spinach, the unfried beans, and the mushrooms on a wrap. Top with salsa and avocado aïoli to serve

Bulgur Wheat Pilau with Spicy Mushrooms

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Inspired by East African flavours, this Bulgur Wheat Pilau with Spicy Mushrooms is full of warming spices, and the pilau, if cooled and stored properly, will make for a great packed lunch. Serves 4-6.

For the Mushrooms:

Ingredients:
250g Portabello mushrooms, sliced
200ml apple juice
50 ml soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp tomato purée
1 tsp rice vinegar
1/2 inch ginger, grated
Pinch ground cardamom
Pinch ground fenugreek
2 pinches chilli flakes
Pinch ground cloves

Directions:
1. Place the mushrooms in a large saucepan. Mix the rest of the ingredients together and pour over the mushrooms.
2. Simmer, uncovered, until the sauce is reduced, 30 mins or so. Remove the mushrooms from the cooking sauce with a tongs or spider ladle and serve with the pilaf.

For the Pilaf:
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/8 tsp chilli powder
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 onion, finely chopped
300ml vegetable broth
2 carrots, peeled and in very small dice
100g sweetcorn
200g frozen peas
250g bulgur wheat
Vegetable broth, according to package directions

Directions:
1. Mix the spices and set aside.
2. In a large saucepan over a medium-low heat, sauté the onions until lightly caramelised. Add the carrots, sweetcorn, and peas, and pour over the broth. Simmer the vegetables for 4 minutes, just to soften.
3. Cook the bulgur wheat according to package directions, adding the spice mix at the beginning of the process. Stir in the vegetables to warm through, and serve.

Lemony Cauliflower Soup

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Creamy and chunky, creating wonderful textural contrasts, and with subtle undertones of lemon balanced out by the herbs and pepper, this soup is a real winner and would be perfect for entertaining. This recipe serves 4-6 depending on whether it’s being eaten as a starter or a main.

Ingredients:
2 white onions, finely chopped
650g white mushrooms, quartered
1.5 litres vegetable broth
1 large potato, peeled and in bite-size dice
1 tsp dried thyme*
1 tsp dried basil*
1 head cauliflower, in small florets
1 lemon, rind and zest
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Red chilli flakes and parsley (optional)

*Crumbling dried herbs between your fingers before adding them to a dish will help to release more of their aromatic oils.

Directions:
1. Preheat a large soup pot over a medium low heat. Add the onion and mushroom, and sauté until the mushrooms release their liquid.
2. Add the vegetable broth, potato, and herbs. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Stir in the cauliflower, cover the soup once again, and simmer for 7 minutes more.
4. Stir through the lemon zest and juice.
5. Transfer half of the soup to a blender and blend until smooth (optional). Return to the pot to reheat, and season to taste.
6. Serve garnished with red chilli flakes and parsley, and a little extra lemon zest, if desired.

Creamy Polenta with Red Wine Mushrooms

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A comforting and rich dish, this Creamy Polenta with Red Wine Mushrooms is great for entertaining, but easy enough for a decadent-tasting meal for two.

Ingredients:
For the Polenta:
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups soy milk
1 tbsp herbes de provence, crumbled
1 cup polenta (or cornmeal)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast (optional)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Mushrooms:
1 red onion, finely sliced
350g mushrooms, sliced (I used 250g chestnut and 100g shiitake)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup suitable-for-vegans red wine
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp tomato purée
1 tsp dried thyme, crumbled
1 heaped tsp cornflour (cornstarch) mixed to a smooth paste with a little cold water
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
1. Add the vegetable broth and soy milk to a large saucepan over a medium heat. Stir in the herbes de provence. Sprinkle in the polenta, whisking vigorously as you go (there’s no need for the water to be boiling or even warm to start polenta).
2. As soon as the polenta starts to spit, reduce the heat to low. Stir occasionally until the polenta starts to pull away from the sides of the pan. Add the nutritional yeast, if using, and season to taste.
3. Meanwhile, sauté the mushrooms and the onion until the liquid released from the mushrooms is reabsorbed. Add the garlic and stir for a few seconds before stirring in the wine. Mix in the tomato purée and thyme and allow to cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the cornflour mixture and allow to thicken. Season with black pepper.
4. Serve the mushrooms on top of the polenta, garnished with a little parsley if desired.

Coconut Cream of Mushroom Soup

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Thick and full of umami notes, this recipe is incredibly quick and quite inexpensive to make.

Ingredients

2 small onions, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
650g brown mushrooms (I used chestnut and portobello), roughly chopped
10g dried mushrooms, ground fine in a blender or coffee grinder (optional)
2 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 cups coconut milk
Fresh parsley, to garnish

Directions

1. In a large soup pan over a medium-low heat, cook the onions, garlic, and mushrooms until the mushrooms release their juices.
2. Add the mushroom powder, vegetable broth, soy sauce, and coconut milk, reserving a little of the coconut milk for garnish.
3. Cover, bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 7 minutes, or until the mushrooms are softened.
4. Garnish with the reserved coconut milk and parsley.

Fennel and Mushroom Penne in a Lemon and Garlic Sauce

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Delicately fragrant, vivid, and lively, this comforting gluten-free dish is full of nutrients. Eat your fill!

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 leek, finely chopped
250g mushrooms, sliced
1 fennel bulb, quartered and finely sliced
150g tenderstem broccoli (substitute with broccoli florets if tenderstem is hard to find)
5 sage leaves, finely minced
Small bunch each basil and parsley, minced
200g brown rice pasta
2 large handfuls baby spinach

For the sauce

50g white beans of choice
150g silken tofu, drained
Zest 1 lemon
Juice 1/2 lemon
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
1/4 cup unsweetened, unflavoured all-plant milk of choice (soy milk used here)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions
1. Steam the fennel and broccoli until just tender (about 5 minutes).
2. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions, drain, reserving 1 cup of cooking liquid, and rinse to remove the excess starch.
3. Sauté the leeks and mushrooms over a medium heat in a non-stick pan until softened (about 5 minutes). Add the sage.
4. Blend all the sauce ingredients. Taste and adjust seasonings if desired.
5. Add the sauce to the leeks and mushrooms vegetables, thinning out to desired consistency with a little of the reserved cooking water. Toss in the pasta, fennel, and broccoli to warm through.
6. Serve the pasta on a bed of spinach, garnished with a little extra lemon zest, more black pepper, and the minced basil and parsley.