A plant-based diet offers a wealth of benefits for both personal health and the environment. Packed with essential nutrients, vitamins, and fibre, plant-based foods support heart health, boost digestion, and help maintain a healthy weight. Studies have also linked this way of eating to a lower risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and certain cancers.
For a long time, plant-based cooking revolved around simple salads and potatoes, but today, there are endless delicious possibilities. In her new cookbook, Big Veg Energy, Christina Soteriou showcases vibrant, veggie-packed meals that don’t compromise on flavour. Here, she shares three easy recipes that make vegetables the star of the plate…
Balsamic tomato macaroni with olive pangrattato
Serves 2-4
- 3 shallots, peeled
- 4-6 garlic cloves, peeled
- 450g cherry/plum tomatoes
- 75ml olive oil,
- plus extra for drizzling
- 200g macaroni
- 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- For the pangrattato
- 1 garlic clove
- 8-10 Kalamata olives
- 1 large slice of sourdough bread (stale works best)
- Zest of 1 lemon (optional)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Preheat the oven to 220°C/ 200°C fan.
Cut the shallots into eighths and add to a small casserole dish or a roasting tin along with the garlic cloves.
Add the tomatoes, olive oil and a sprinkle of salt, and shake to coat. Cover and bake for 40 minutes, until everything is soft.
For the pangrattato, mince the garlic and finely chop the olives. Whizz the bread into breadcrumbs in a food processor, then put in a bowl. Add the minced garlic, lemon zest and olive oil, and crumble together with your fingers.
Heat a dry frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the chopped olives and fry for three to four minutes, stirring often, until they start to crisp. Add the breadcrumbs and cook for three to four minutes until golden and fragrant. Taste before you season. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Cook the pasta in a large pan of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain and set aside, drizzling with a little olive oil to prevent from sticking.
When the tomatoes are ready, remove a third and set aside. Blend the remaining, juice and all, until smooth.
Stir the pasta into the sauce. Add the balsamic and season. Ladle the pasta into bowls and top with the reserved tomatoes and pangrattato.
Whipped pea, artichoke & za’atar with new potatoes
Serves 2-4
- 700g new potatoes
- 150g asparagus spears
- 100g jarred marinated artichokes
- 35g rocket
- 100g frozen peas, defrosted
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 1 tsp olive oil, plus extra
- for drizzling
- 2 tbsp za’atar
- 8-12 mint leaves
- 100g vegan feta or tofu
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the whipped pea purée
- 300g frozen peas, defrosted
- 100g jarred marinated artichokes, plus
- 2-3 tbsp of their oil
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add the potatoes and boil for around 15 minutes, until just cooked through.
Add the asparagus spears for two minutes, then remove with tongs and rinse under cold running water to stop them from cooking further.
When the potatoes are done, drain and set aside in a colander to steam-dry.
For the whipped pea purée, blend all the ingredients in a small food processor or a blender. Season to taste.
Cut the potatoes into bite-sized pieces and the asparagus spears into 3cm pieces. Thinly slice the artichoke. Combine with the rocket and peas in a large bowl. Add the Dijon mustard, lemon juice and olive oil. Toss to combine, and season well to taste.
Spoon the whipped pea mixture on to a plate. Top with the potatoes and vegetables, drizzle with a little olive oil, and sprinkle over the za’atar.
Tear over the mint leaves and crumble on the vegan feta or tofu, then serve.
Spiced roasted squash with pomegranate molasses and pistachios
Serves 2-4
- 2 × 400g tins of chickpeas
- Butternut squash (about 1½kg), deseeded and cut
- into 2-3cm chunks
- 4 tbsp cumin seeds
- 2 tbsp fennel seeds
- 2 tbsp yellow mustard seeds
- 2 tsp coriander seeds
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp flaky sea salt,
- plus extra to serve
- 4 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to serve
- 35g pistachios
- Handful of flat-leaf parsley
- 3-4 Medjool dates, destoned
- 4 tbsp tahini
- 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan.
Drain and rinse the chickpeas and pat dry, removing any skins that come loose. Add the chickpeas and squash to a baking tray.
Lightly grind the spices using a pestle and mortar, keeping some intact. Add the spices into a bowl and mix in the sesame seeds, salt and olive oil.
Tip the spice mix on to the tray and mix well, making sure everything is evenly coated. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes, then toss and bake for another 15-18 minutes until the chickpeas are slightly crispy and the squash is starting to crisp at the edges.
Roughly chop the pistachios and parsley. Tear the dates into large pieces. Scatter the pistachios and dates over the chickpeas and squash, then return to the oven for two to three minutes.
Drizzle over the tahini and pomegranate molasses, along with more oil, and sprinkle with salt. Add the lemon zest and juice, and scatter over the parsley to finish. Serve.
Big Veg Energy by Christina Soteriou (Ebury Press, £26)
