Three warming vegan soups for cold winter eves

Veganuary may be coming to an end but that doesn’t mean we should start loading up on the bacon butties.

Incorporating more plant-based meals into our everyday repertoire can only be a good thing, so let’s get started with these tasty vegan soups to warm the body and soul.

Carrot & ginger soup with cashew cream

Serves 4 / Hands on time 35 mins / Total time 50 mins + soaking

You’ll need: A food processor

Ingredients

1 tbs olive oil 600g carrots, peeled and roughly chopped 1 white onion, peeled and roughly chopped 3 garlic cloves, peeled and bashed 1 large knob of ginger (roughly 50g), grated ½ tsp ground nutmeg 1 can chickpeas, drained 1 ½ litre of vegetable stock, I use 1 ½ Knorrstock pots Cashew cream 150g cashews ¼ tsp salt 1 small garlic clove, crushed Squeeze of lemon juice 150ml water

Method

1. The night before, soak 150g of cashews in a bowl of water overnight.

2. Preheat your oven to 220°C/200°C fan/400°F/gas mark 7. Peel and roughly chop the carrots and put them in a large roasting tray, along with the grated ginger, chopped onion, bashed garlic, nutmeg and olive oil. Season well with salt and pepper and give it all a good mix, before roasting in the oven for 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, make the cashew cream. Rinse and drain the cashews and put them in a food processor along with 150ml of water, a crushed garlic clove, a squeeze of lemon juice, salt and pepper. Blitz for around 5-7 minutes or until you have a smooth creamy consistency. Put to one side.

3. Once the carrots are roasted, carefully pour them into a large cooking pot before adding a litre of vegetable stock and a drained can of chickpeas. Season with salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 minutes before blending either in a food processor or with a hand blender.

4. Pour into bowls, top with lashing of cashew cream and serve with bread.

Winter ribollita

Serves 4 / Hands on time 10 mins / Total time 50 mins / V Vn Gf Df ❄

Ingredients

1 tsp olive oil

1 white onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, sliced

2 celery sticks, chopped

1 parsnip, peeled and chopped

1 carrot, peeled and chopped

½ tsp salt

1 can plum tomatoes

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 litre vegetable stock, I use 2 Knorr stock pots

Handful fresh parsley, chopped

100g cavalo nero or kale, roughly chopped

Extra virgin olive oil to serve

Method

1. In a large saucepan or pot with a lid, add 1 tsp of olive oil over a low to medium heat. Add the chopped onion, garlic, celery, parsnip, carrot and the salt. Give it a good stir, cover with a lid and leave to soften for 20 mins, stirring occasionally.

2. Add a can of plum tomatoes and break them up with a spoon. Add the drained and rinsed chickpeas and the vegetable stock before upping the heat and bringing to the boil. Simmer uncovered for 15 mins before adding the cavalo nero and parsley. GIve it a stir and cook for a further 5 mins.

3. Take off the heat, ladle into bowls and top with a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and serve with crusty bread and good crack of black pepper.

Fragrant coconut soup

Serves 2 / Hands on time 25 mins / Total time 30 mins

Ingredients

2 cans light coconut milk

1 vegetable stock pot, I use Knorr

2 sticks of lemon grass, bashed (I use a rolling pin)

½ white onion, roughly chopped

2 garlic cloves, peeled and bashed

1 medium sized red chilli, deseeded and roughly chopped

1 knob of ginger, roughly grated

2 tsp caster sugar

28g bunch coriander, chopped

145g nest of rice noodles

2 tsp red miso paste or light soy sauce

5 chestnut mushrooms, roughly sliced

2 bulbs of pak choy, roughly chopped

3 Chinese leaves or a handful for kale, roughly chopped

Juice of a lime

Method

1. In a large saucepan, add the 2 cans of coconut milk, vegetable stock cube or pot, chopped onion, chilli, garlic, ginger, bashed lemongrass and sugar. Roughly chop the coriander stalks (saving the leaves) and add to the coconut milk. Give it a good stir and bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, cook your rice noodles in small saucepan according to the packet instructions. Once cooked, drain and cover in a stream of cold water until completely cold (this will stop the noodles from continuing to cook). Drain again and divide the noodles into two large soup bowls. Put to one side.

3. Turn your attention back to the soup and give it a quick stir. Roughly chop the remaining coriander leaves, Chinese leaves, pak choy and mushrooms.

4. After 15 minutes your soup should be well infused and fragrant. Over a large bowl, carefully pour your soup through a sieve. Discard the contents of the sieve and pour the remaining soup back into your saucepan.

5. Stir through 2 tsp of red miso paste and add the pak choy, mushrooms and Chinese leaf. Give it a good stir and cook on a medium heat for a few minutes or until the veg is tender. Take the saucepan off the heat, squeeze over the lime juice and stir. Finally, ladle over the cooked noodles and top with fresh coriander.