Broccoli, ginger and quinoa soup (pictured above)
Prep 15 min
Cook 25 min
Serves 6
600g broccoli heads, stalks trimmed
1 heaped tbsp coconut oil
1 large onion, peeled, halved and sliced
1 celery heart, trimmed and sliced
1 heaped tsp grated fresh ginger
2 heaped tsp grated fresh turmeric root
1 litre vegetable stock
90g cooked quinoa (30g uncooked weight)
1 tbsp lime juice
Salt
To serve
Coconut yoghurt
Ground turmeric
Finely slice the broccoli stalks, then cut up the florets. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat, add the onion, celery and broccoli stalks, and fry for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly coloured, adding the ginger and grated turmeric a couple of minutes before the end. Meanwhile, bring the stock to a boil in a small saucepan.
Add the broccoli florets to the other vegetables, stir for a moment until they darken, then pour over the stock, which should come back to a boil almost instantly. Cover and simmer for five minutes.
Puree the soup in a food processor. It should retain a slight texture, speckled with the green of the broccoli. Return it to the pan, stir in the cooked quinoa and lime juice, and season with salt. Serve hot in warm bowls with a generous teaspoon of coconut yoghurt in the centre of each bowl, dusted with a suspicion of ground turmeric.
Cauliflower soup with saffron, lime and edamame
Prep 15 min
Cook 30 min
Serves 6
25g coconut oil
600–700g cauliflower florets (ie, from 1 extra-large cauli)
3 banana shallots, peeled, halved lengthways and sliced
Salt
100g coconut yoghurt
To serve
150g frozen edamame or soya beans
2 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced
Finely grated zest of 2 limes, plus 3 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp sesame or rapeseed oil
1 avocado, flesh diced
1 pinch saffron threads (about 15)
Melt the coconut oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat, add the cauliflower and shallots, season generously with salt, then add 100ml water. Cook for 12–15 minutes, until the cauliflower loses its chalky appearance and the water evaporates, stirring occasionally.
Top up with just enough water (about 900ml) to cover the vegetables, then bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the coconut yoghurt, then liquidise the soup in batches.
While the soup is simmering, bring a small pan of water to a boil and cook the beans according to the packet instructions. Drain in a sieve, run under the cold tap and set aside to cool. Put in a medium bowl with the spring onions, and dress with a tablespoon of the lime juice, the oil and a little salt, then mix in the avocado.
Grind the saffron in a mortar, blend with a teaspoon of boiling water, then stir in the remaining lime juice.
Serve the soup hot or cold. To finish, drizzle with a few drops of the saffron-lime water and scatter with a pinch of lime zest and the edamame.
Chickpea soup with chard and pine nuts
Prep 10 min
Cook 25 min
Serves 4
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 onions, peeled and chopped
1 celery heart, trimmed and sliced
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
1 large pinch cayenne pepper
100g small vine tomatoes, halved
2 x 400g boxes, pouches or cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed (700g net weight)
700ml vegetable stock
Salt
1–2 tbsp lemon juice
To serve
50g pine nuts
150g young rainbow chard, stalks trimmed and thinly sliced
Heat two tablespoons of the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat, and fry the onions and celery, stirring occasionally, for about five minutes, until softened.
Stir in the garlic and spices, cook for a minute, then stir in the tomatoes and chickpeas.
Add the stock and some salt, bring to a boil, simmer for five minutes, then liquidise with a tablespoon of the lemon juice. If you’re making the soup in advance, you may need to add a little more stock or water before serving.
To serve, heat the remaining oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat, add the pine nuts and stir-fry until pale golden, then add the chard. Fry for a couple of minutes, until just tender, season with salt and the remaining lemon juice, and spoon the mixture over the hot soup.
Lentil soup with artichoke
Prep 15 min
Cook 25 min
Serves 6
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 leeks, trimmed, halved lengthways and thinly sliced
3 carrots, trimmed, peeled, halved lengthways and thinly sliced
1 celery heart, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 heaped tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger
1 heaped tsp finely chopped medium-hot red chilli
4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
2 x 250g packets cooked green lentils (eg puy)
2 tbsp cider vinegar
1 litre vegetable stock
Salt
5 heaped tbsp coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
120g artichoke hearts in oil, drained and thinly sliced, to serve
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the leeks, carrots, celery, ginger and chilli, and fry for about 10 minutes, until they have softened and are starting to colour, then add the garlic and cook for a few minutes longer.
Stir in the lentils, then add the vinegar and stock. Bring to a boil and simmer for eight minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
Puree a third of the soup in a food processor, then stir this back into the pan. Season with salt and stir in four tablespoons of the parsley. Serve hot, with the artichokes in the centre of each bowl and the remaining parsley scattered on top.
