November 2, 2017April 6, 2018 by thevegspace

Recipe: Roasted Jerusalem Artichoke & Parsnip Soup (Vegan)

What alchemy happens when you cook a Jerusalem artichoke? How can something so ugly, gnarled and knobbly transform into such a silky and luxurious soup?

It is such a shame that it seems impossible to find these tasty tubers in supermarkets these days – I wonder why? They are so easy to grow, incredibly tasty and cheap. Perhaps their unconventional looks or lack of uniformity doesn’t suit being plastic-wrapped into neat little trays. Perhaps they can’t compete for our attention with pretty rainbow carrots or purple potatoes. Or could it be that their windy side-effects are just a bit embarrassing, (they are affectionately known as Jerusalem fartichokes in our house…!)? Continue reading “Recipe: Roasted Jerusalem Artichoke & Parsnip Soup (Vegan)” →

June 17, 2017October 14, 2017 by thevegspace

Recipe: Roasted Tomato & Red Pepper Soup

We’ve had chickenpox in the house this week, and the spotty boy has been asking for all his favourite comfort foods. One request was ‘orange tomato soup’ (ie. the tinned stuff), but not being able to get out to the shops we had to improvise and this lusciously creamy soup was born.

This is a saucepan-free soup, and an incredibly easy one to throw together in a hurry. The ingredients are simply roasted on a baking tray, tipped straight into a blender or food processor with hot stock, and voilà – pour into bowls and serve immediately. (Of course if you’re making it ahead to serve later a saucepan might be a sensible option to re-heat it, but I’ll leave that one up to you!).

Continue reading “Recipe: Roasted Tomato & Red Pepper Soup” →

April 12, 2017April 6, 2018 by thevegspace

Recipe: Chipotle & Black Bean Chilli (Vegan)

A chipotle, (pronounced chi-POT-lee), is a smoke-dried jalapeño chilli, used in many Mexican recipes. Chipotle paste, (which is fairly easy to find in supermarkets these days), has a distinctive smoky flavour, and adds a lovely warm and deep spice to a simple chilli like this one.

This quick and easy chilli is incredibly versatile, I use it as a jacket potato filling, in fajitas or tacos, with rice and guacamole for a Mexican feast, or scooped up in a handful of tortilla chips for a speedy lunch.

Continue reading “Recipe: Chipotle & Black Bean Chilli (Vegan)” →

January 20, 2017October 14, 2017 by thevegspace

Recipe: Creamy Broccoli & Cannellini Soup

You may have noticed that I like my soups very bright and very green, (see Peapod & Little Gem Soup!), and if they are creamy and super-tasty too. that’s a bonus.

If you’re taking part in Veganuary and trying to make sure you get a protein boost at every mealtime, adding beans to your lunchtime soup before blending is such an easy way of doing this. Not only do they bulk out the soup, (very cheaply), but once blended they add a creamy texture which makes your soup taste like it has a generous slug of double cream in it, when in fact it is vegan!

Continue reading “Recipe: Creamy Broccoli & Cannellini Soup” →

December 29, 2016November 28, 2017 by thevegspace

Recipe: Celeriac & Hazelnut Soup

Hello again! I hope you all had a restful and jolly Christmas break, and are still in holiday-mode until after the New Year festivities. Party season is still in full swing, of course, and if you’re entertaining over the next few weeks and looking for a dinner party starter or light lunch that looks impressive, tastes incredible but is actually super-simple to put together, this Celeriac & Hazelnut Soup will be right up your street.

Celeriac is one of those brilliant root vegetables which magically transforms to a velvet-smooth soup when puréed. You can pair it with all sorts of festive flavours – leftover chestnut purée, apple or pear, fresh herbs or watercress, mustard, and many more – but here I decided to experiment with sweet hazelnut milk and crunchy chopped hazelnuts as a garnish, and it worked really well.
Continue reading “Recipe: Celeriac & Hazelnut Soup” →

October 30, 2016October 14, 2017 by thevegspace

Recipe: Quick & Easy Tomato and Herb Gigantes Beans

Brrrr… we’ve put the heating on this week and my winter coat has surfaced from the back of the wardrobe. The clocks have gone back, and it’s beginning to feel a lot like autumn. But instead of craving root vegetable soups and wintery suppers, I’ve been trying to hang on to the last glimpses of summer, (well British Summertime at least), by cooking summer holiday food – the sort of dishes you might enjoy with a cold glass of wine on a sun-drenched terrace overlooking the sea.

Here’s a quick and easy recipe based on the traditional Greek ‘Gigantes Plaki’, (literally ‘giant baked beans’), a meze dish of giant white runner beans in a rich tomato sauce. Continue reading “Recipe: Quick & Easy Tomato and Herb Gigantes Beans” →

May 31, 2016October 17, 2017 by thevegspace

Recipe: Smoky Mexican Quinoa Soup

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Here’s a quick weeknight supper which is smoky, spicy, packed with flavour and very filling. (Oh and it’s really good for you too – bonus!). Your taste buds will be transported to Mexico with every spoonful, thanks to the chipotle and smoked paprika, coriander, lime and spring onions.

The star of the show here is black quinoa, with its earthy, sweet flavour. It is classed as a ‘complete protein’ containing 8 essential amino acids, and its delicious flavour and soft texture make it a perfect alternative to rice, pasta and cous-cous. It really bulks out this soup into a meal in itself – perfect for a speedy and satisfying dinner.

Continue reading “Recipe: Smoky Mexican Quinoa Soup” →

April 16, 2016October 17, 2017 by thevegspace

Recipe: Peapod & Little Gem Soup

A while ago I ordered pea soup in a restaurant. It was such a vibrant green colour and tasted so intensely of peas, I just had to try making something similar myself. A bit of googling suggested that making soup from both the peas and their pods was the way to go, and here’s the result.

I realise this is a bit premature, as you’re unlikely to have peas ready to pick in April, but I usually get around to posting recipes from home-grown produce far too late in the season to be of use to you, so thought I would get ahead here with a recipe you can bookmark for pea season in a few months time. I actually used mange tout peas here instead of pea pods, (and frozen peas in stead of freshly-picked!), and the result was really good, so you can try this out immediately with supermarket produce if you just can’t wait. Continue reading “Recipe: Peapod & Little Gem Soup” →

January 25, 2016October 20, 2017 by thevegspace

Recipe: Curly Kale & Butter Bean Soup

My lunches during Veganuary have often featured lovely homemade soups made at the touch of a button in my trusty Optimum ThermoCook. (If you haven’t heard about the ThermoCook, read my review here). However, I’m conscious that soup isn’t always as protein-packed as it could be, so have been sneaking beans, lentils, quinoa, peas and all sorts of other vegan protein sources into my soups.

This one was particularly delicious – against all the odds. When I was shopping for my Cranks Supperclub in December I thought I had picked up 4 tins of chickpeas. Continue reading “Recipe: Curly Kale & Butter Bean Soup” →

The Veg Space

easy vegan comfort food recipes

Category: Soups & Stews