It’s a strange thing. No one seems quite sure just how many vegetarians and vegans there are in the UK, although the most recent research suggests that as many as 12% of UK adults could be eating this way. What is fact, though, is that veggie eating is getting mighty popular, with more and more of us looking for less meat and more vegetarian choices in our diet. And let’s not forget, a plant-based way of eating is not only good for our bodies but better for the environment, too.
Today is the start of National Vegetarian Week, so it's a great time to give greener eating a go. To help, we’ve got seven vegetarian recipe suggestions – one for each day of the week. They’re all very different but they all taste so good. Try one. Better still, try them all.
Monday
Chic Scandi couple, David Frenkiel and Luise Vindahl are a vibrant ad for a vegetarian lifestyle. Their sleekly stylish but friendly blog, Green Kitchen Stories, is brimming with innovative veggie and vegan recipes which all work deliciously. Start this week with their unusual muffin idea for a quick, fruit- and veggie-rich breakfast fix or snack on the go. And be sure to grab their latest book, Green Kitchen at Home (Hardie Grant, £25).
Broccoli, spinach and apple muffins
Ingredients
Vegetable filling
1/2 leek
1/2 broccoli
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme or oregano
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 cooking apple, cored and cut into 1 cm cubes
1 large handful spinach, roughly chopped
Dry ingredients
160g buckwheat flour
100g rolled oats
2 tbsp arrowroot
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
Wet ingredients
3 free-range eggs
160 ml plain unsweetened yoghurt
120 ml extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp good quality honey
1 tbsp wholegrain dijon mustard
2 tsp organic unfiltered apple cider vinegar
pumpkin seeds
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C, grease a large 12-hole muffin tin or two smaller 6-hole ones and line with parchment paper or paper cup liners. Alternatively, use a silicone muffin tin.
2. Wash and finely chop the leek, trim and finely chop the broccoli stalk and roughly chop the florets. Heat the oil for the filling in a frying pan on a medium heat. Add the leek and broccoli stalk and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the broccoli florets, along with the garlic, thyme and salt and pepper and sauté for a further 5 minutes. Lastly, add the apple along with the spinach and sauté until the other vegetables have softened, the apple is tender and the spinach has wilted. Stir occasionally, to prevent the vegetables and apple from burning. Remove from the heat and set aside while you prepare the dry ingredients.
3. Put all of the dry ingredients in a food processor and blend on a high speed until well combined and the oats resemble coarse flour. Transfer to a large bowl, make a well in the centre and set aside while you prepare the wet ingredients.
4. Crack the eggs, add them to the food processor along with the rest of the wet ingredients and blend on a high speed until well combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the well of the dry ingredients and, using a spatula, start folding the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Add the broccoli, spinach and apple filling and gently fold until just combined, making sure not to over-mix as this will make the muffins tough.
5. Divide the batter evenly between the cups of the muffin tin, sprinkle with some pumpkin seeds and bake for about 20 minutes or until golden and a skewer inserted in the centre of one of the muffins comes out clean. Turn the tin around halfway through the cooking time to ensure that the muffins bake evenly.
6. Remove the muffins from the oven and set aside to cool slightly in the tin before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely or devouring them while still warm
Tuesday
OK, onto a tasty lunch idea. This fresh, zingy soup is just the thing for a speedy meal. The bright green flavours in this dish are infused with warm Indian spices, coconut and lime. "It’s flexible too," says recipe creator Lucy Parissi, of Supergolden bakes. "You could try using Asian style spices instead or change up the vegetables – as long as they’re green."
Spinach, coconut and courgette soup
Ingredients
For the soup
1-2 tbsp coconut oil or vegetable oil
1 tsp mild curry powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 large leek, topped and tailed, finely diced
1 medium potato, such as Maris Piper, peeled and cubed
1 large courgette, cubed
1 green chilli, deseeded and finely diced
240ml hot vegetable stock (I used a Kallo cube)
400g can light coconut milk
100-200g fresh spinach
salt and pepper to season
For the croutons
4 slices stale ciabatta, cubed
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp garlic granules
1/2 tsp dried herbs (I used Herbes de Provence)
handful crisp spinach leaves to garnish
Instructions
1. Toss the bread cubes in the garlic granules and herbs. Heat the olive oil in a non-stick pan and then fry the bread cubes, stirring often, until crunchy and a little coloured. Set aside.
2. Heat the coconut oil in large pot. Add the spices and stir for a minute.
3. Add the leek, potato, courgette and chilli and stir to coat in the spices. Season well with salt and pepper, cover the pot and sweat the vegetables over low heat for five minutes.
4. Add the vegetable stock and coconut milk and cook for another 10 minutes or until the potato is fork tender.
5. Add the spinach and stir. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.
6. Carefully transfer the soup to a blender, make sure the lid is secure and blend until completely smooth. You may need to do this in batches.
7. Serve the soup topped with the croutons and a handful crisp spinach leaves.
Wednesday
This midweek meal idea nods to the tirelessly excellent Vegetarian Society. There are recipes aplenty to be found on their website, which also provides a stack of information on greener eating, should you be considering it. If nothing else, try their simple classic bean burger. It’s tasty and quick and easy to make.
Ingredients
400g tin kidney beans
2 tomatoes, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 heaped tsp mixed herbs
115g breadcrumbs
50g semolina
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp of vegetable oil
Instructions
1. Drain, rinse then mash the kidney beans.
2. Mix together the beans, tomatoes, garlic and herbs in a large bowl.
3. Add the breadcrumbs and semolina. Mix well.
4. Add soy sauce and lemon juice. If necessary add a tablespoon of water to increase moisture (but don’t be tempted to add any more!).
5. Shape into burgers.
6. Gently fry the burgers in the vegetable oil until golden brown, approximately 10-15 minutes.
7. Serve on lightly toasted buns with a salad and relish.
Thursday
Sarah Britton is another glowing example of what plant-based, whole food eating can bring to your life. Check out her inspiring "One Change" TEDx talk (you’ll also learn just how simple it is to make delicious almond milk!). The holistic nutritionist and talented veggie chef is passionate about sharing her knowledge and recipes – this lovely dish includes a how-to-make dukkah, if you're that way inclined. Store-bought is an acceptable hack if you’re time-poor, though.
Grilled halloumi and peaches with dukkah
Ingredients
4 ripe peaches (organic if possible)
1 block halloumi cheese
To garnish: fresh mint, lemon, olive oil, honey or maple syrup
Instructions
1. Wash and cut peaches into eighths, removing the pit.
2. Slice the halloumi into 1 inch cubes.
3. Skewer the peaches and cubes of halloumi.
4. On a medium-hot grill, cook the skewers on one side until the peaches have charred just slightly and the cheese has browned in places, then flip the skewer and cook until the other side is done (about 2-3 minutes per side, depending on the heat of your grill).
5. Remove the skewers from the grill and place on a serving platter. Drizzle the skewers with honey, a little olive oil, a handful of chopped fresh mint leaves and a good douse of dukkah. Serve immediately.
Friday
Tofu is a much-maligned vegetarian ingredient. No complete surprise, as it is often badly treated in the kitchen. Prepare it the right way, though, and it can be really tasty. This Thai-inspired recipe includes a technique to make your tofu wonderfully crispy.
Thai mango cabbage wraps with crispy tofu and peanut sauce
Photo: Courtesy of Cookie + Kate.
Saturday
Indian cuisine works brilliantly for veggies and no one knows that better than resourceful cook and food writer Meera Sodha, Her family originally come from Gujarat, where the majority of the population have been vegetarians since 269BC. Meera, who was born in the UK, has looked to her veggie heritage in her latest book Fresh India (Penguin Fig Tree, £20), which is bursting with bold, vibrant and innovative takes on some classic Indian dishes including this colourful, potato-rich recipe.
Ingredients
400g rainbow or Swiss chard
3 tbsp rapeseed oil
1 tsp black mustard seeds
2 medium brown onions, sliced
600g Desiree potatoes
3cm ginger, peeled and grated
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
400g ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
1. To prepare the chard, cut the stems from the leaves. Cut the stems into 4cm pieces and slice the leaves into 4cm strips.
2. Put the oil into a large lidded frying pan and, when hot, add the mustard seeds. When they pop, add the onions and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until soft and golden brown. In the meantime, peel the potatoes and cut into 2cm cubes. When the onions are ready, add the ginger and garlic to the pan and cook for a couple of minutes, then add the potatoes and 200ml of water. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
3. Add the tomatoes and the chard stalks, cover and cook for a further 5 minutes, or until the chard stalks are soft. Add the chilli, cumin, coriander, turmeric and salt and stir gently. Finally, add the chard leaves, coat with the mixture and pop the lid back on for a final 2 to 3 minutes, until the leaves have wilted.
4. Serve with hot chapattis or rice, yoghurt and a little pickle.
Sunday
Australian food editor, stylist and bestselling author, Donna Hay knows all there is to know about simple, beautiful-to-look-at, delicious eating. And she clearly puts a lot of thought into her vegetarian-friendly fare. Here, cauliflower is paired with fennel, smoked almonds and lemon to produce an exquisite, roasted salad sensation. It. Tastes. Amazing. Great for sharing, and leftovers (if there are any) are perfect for lunch the next day.
Roasted cauliflower and fennel salad with preserved lemon and almond dressing
Ingredients
2 medium bulbs fennel, trimmed and cut into wedges
1 small cauliflower, trimmed, leaves attached, cut into wedges
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and cracked black pepper
6 sprigs lemon thyme
40g chervil leaves
100g baby sorrel leaves
40g smoked almonds, chopped, to serve
For the dressing
1/4 preserved lemon (flesh discarded), rinsed and chopped
1 clove garlic
30g ground almonds
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp honey
125ml water
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F). Place the fennel, cauliflower, oil, salt, pepper and thyme on a large oven tray and toss to combine. Cook, turning halfway, for 15 minutes or until tender and golden.
2. While the vegetables are cooking, make the preserved lemon and almond dressing. Place the lemon, garlic, ground almonds, oil and honey in a food processor and process until smooth. Add the water and process to combine. Set aside.
3. Divide the fennel, cauliflower, chervil and sorrel between plates. Sprinkle with the almond, drizzle with the dressing and sprinkle with pepper to serve.
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