RECIPES
Here at Vegbox, we provide members with recipes every week. A small selection of our favourites are here!
Get in touch at info@vegbox.org.uk for any queries or feedback.
Roasted carrot and cashew nut salad
Servings: 2 people
Ingredients
- 400 g carrots peeled, cut into batons
- 2 tsp coconut oil melted
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 35 g cashew nuts chopped
- 1/2 bunch parsley chopped
- 1/2 bunch coriander leaves chopped
- lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200˚C
- In a roasting tin, toss the carrots with the coconut oil, garam masala, and a pinch of salt
- Roast the carrots till tender and lightly browned, about 30 mins. Stir halfway through cooking
- Put the roasted carrots in a bowl with the toasted cashews and chopped parsley and coriander
- Squeeze a bit of lemon juice over the salad. Toss until everything is well combined and serve
Spiced carrot and lentil soup
Ingredients
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 pinch chilli flakes
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 300 g carrots washed, coarsely grated
- 70 g red lentils
- 600 ml vegetable stock hot
- plain yoghurt and bread to serve
Instructions
- Heat a large saucepan and dry-fry the cumin seeds and chilli flakes for 1 min, or until they start to jump around the pan and release their aromas
- Scoop out about half of the seeds with a spoon and set aside
- Add the oil, carrot, lentils, stock and milk to the pan and bring to the boil
- Simmer for 15 mins until the lentils have swollen and softened
- Whizz the soup with a stick blender or in a food processor until smooth (or leave it chunky if you prefer)
- Season to taste and finish with a dollop of yogurt and a sprinkling of the reserved toasted spices
- Serve with bread of your choice
Beetroot soup with spiced yoghurt
A great recipe to use up that beetroot!
Ingredients
For the soup:
- 20 g butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 small clove garlic chopped
- 400 g beetroot peeled, cut into chunks
- 1/2 tsp cumin seed
- 400 ml stock or hot water
- 1/2 tbsp parsley chopped
For the spiced yoghurt
- 1/2 1/2 cumin seeds
- 1/2 1/2 coriander seeds
- 1 pinch caraway seeds
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- 2 tbsp plain yoghurt
- 2 tsp olive oil
Instructions
- Set a saucepan over a medium heat and add the butter and olive oil.
- When the butter is foaming, add onion, fry gently for 10 mins, then add the garlic and cumin and cook gently for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the beetroot chunks, toss well with the onions, then add the stock.
- Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 20-25 minutes, until the beetroot is tender.
- Put the cumin, coriander and caraway seeds in a dry pan and toast over medium heat till fragrant.
- Grind the spices to a powder, then combine with paprika, cayenne and a pinch of salt.
- Stir this mixture into the yogurt, add the olive oil and whisk together.
- Purée the soup, return it to the pan and season to taste, check the thickness.
- Serve the soup, hot or chilled, with a dollop of spiced yogurt swirled in at the last moment and some parsley sprinkled on top.
Beetroot and feta burgers
There are a lot of beetroot burger recipe variations out there. This one is very simple.
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
- 400 g beetroot peeled
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 4 tbsp plain flour
- 1 egg
- 200 g feta cheese crumbled
- 5 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- After you have peeled your beetroot, grate the beetroot coarsely into a bowl.
- Over the sink, squeeze handfuls of the beetroot to get some of the liquid out. It will look like a crime scene!
- Next, mix the beetroot, garlic, flour and the egg, along with a good pinch of salt and pepper.
- When well combined, stir in the feta.
- Form the mixture into four burgers with your hands.
- Heat a large frying pan over a medium-high heat with 3 tbsp olive oil and fry the burgers for 10 minutes on each side until crisp on the outside and cooked through.
- Depending on how thick your burgers are, you might find the middle of them is quite squidgy and raw, which is fine if you are OK with raw egg. Otherwise make sure the burgers are thin and cooked through.
Roasted root veg and red onion with tahini and za’atar
Adapted from an Ottolenghi/Tamimi recipe from their book Jerusalem
Ingredients
- 600 g parsnips or any root veg eg carrots, swede or potato
- 1 red onion
- olive oil
- 1 tbsp tahini paste
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 clove garlic
- 15 g pine nuts
- 1 tsp za'atar or thyme
- 1/2 tbsp parsley chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C/gas mark 4
- Peel the parsnips (or mixed root veg) and cut into bite sized chunks
- Peel the red onion and cut into wedges
- Put the root veg and onion into a mixing bowl, add 2 tbsp olive oil, ½ tsp salt and some black pepper and toss well
- Spread on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until the veg are cooked through and have taken on some colour
- The onions may cook faster and need to be removed earlier
- Remove from the oven and leave to cool
- Meanwhile, get a small bowl and whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, 1 tbsp water, garlic and a pinch of salt, until the sauce is the consistency of honey
- Toast the pine nuts in a frying pan with a little oil and a pinch of salt until they are golden brown then quickly remove from the pan to stop them burning
- To serve, spread the roasted veg on a plate, drizzle over the tahini sauce, sprinkle on the pine nuts, followed by the za’atar and parsley
Parsnip puree
This puree is so creamy, yet it doesn't contain cream!
Ingredients
- 500 g parsnips
- 30 g butter (optional, or you could use oil or similar)
Instructions
- Peel the parsnips, quarter them lengthways and remove any woody core, then cut into large chunks
- Put the parsnip chunks in a pan with enough cold salted water to cover
- Bring the boil then simmer for 10-20 minutes, until tender. Drain and reserve the cooking water in case you need it later
- Transfer the parsnips to a liquidiser with the butter (or equivalen, if using) and some freshly ground black pepper
- Process the parsnips to a thick puree, add some of the cooking water if needed
- Check the seasoning and serve
Provencal sautéed potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- 400-500 g potatoes peeled and diced
- 25 g butter
- A little saffron (optional)
- parsley / thyme (optional)
Instructions
- Heat oil in a heavy bottomed saucepan
- Add the unpeeled garlic and potatoes, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently for 20 minutes until golden brown
- Mix together the butter and saffron (if using) in a bowl until smooth
- Remove the potatoes from the pan with a fish slice and drain on kitchen paper
- Place potatoes in a serving dish, sprinkle with chopped parsley and thyme and dot with the saffron butter
Lentil shepherd's pie with champ
Omit Worcestershire sauce to make it vegetarian
Servings: 2 people
Ingredients
- 300 g potatoes peeled, chopped
- 1 small handful frozen peas
- 1 knob butter
- 1 onion roughly chopped
- 25 ml milk
- 75 g cheddar cheese broken into chunks
- 1 pinch smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 clove garlic chopped
- 200 g carrots (or swede or parsnip); peeled and chopped
- 400 g tin of tomatoes
- 1 splash Worcester sauce
- few drops Tabasco sauce
- 1 bay leaf
- 85 ml red wine
- 100 ml stock
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 1 splash balsamic vinegar
- 1 small handful parsley chopped
- 400 g canned puy lentils, drained (or pre-cook 200g dried lentils)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C / gas 6
- For the champ topping, heat a pan of salted water, add the potatoes and bring gently to the boil, then simmer until the potatoes are nearly cooked through, about 15-20 minutes
- When the potatoes for the champ topping are almost done, add the frozen peas and cook for a few more minutes until the peas are tender. Drain and set aside
- Meanwhile, for the lentil mixture, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and gently fry ½ of the chopped onion, plus the garlic and swede for 10-15 minutes, until softened
- Add the tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, bay leaf, red wine, stock, rosemary, balsamic vinegar and parsley. Season with salt and pepper
- Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the sauce has reduced
- Stir the lentils into the sauce
- Melt the butter in asmall saucepan over a low heat, then gently fry ½ the chopped onions until softened. Add the milk and heat through
- Mash the potatoes and peas roughly. Add the warm milk mixture to the potatoes and continue to mash until combined but still chunky
- Spoon the lentil mixture into a medium pie dish and top with the champ
- Scatter over the cheese and smoked paprika
- Place the dish onto a baking sheet and bake the pie for 25-30 minutes, or until the potato is golden-brown
Leek and potato soup
Quantities are flexible with leek and potato soup. Adjust up or down as needed.
Ingredients
- 2 leeks
- 25 g butter
- 2-3 potatoes peeled, diced
- 850 ml stock
- chives or parsley (optional)
- 2 tbsp cream (optional)
Instructions
- Trim the tops and roots of the leeks, discard outer layer, slice finely, wash them thoroughly and drain well
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan, add the sliced leeks and diced potatoes
- Season with salt and pepper, then cover and cook on low heat for about 15 minutes
- Add the stock and simmer gently for another 15 minutes or until the vegetables are soft
- Bend to a puree in a liquidiser or press through a sieve
- Reheat in a saucepan to serve, swirl in cream if liked and scatter chives or parsley on the top
Leek, mushroom and gruyère quiche
Ingredients
- 2 leeks
- 25 g butter
- 180 g mushrooms sliced
- 2 eggs
- 280 ml double cream
- 140 g gruyere cheese (or similar) grated
- 280 g plain flour
- 140 g butter cold
Instructions
- Put the flour and 140g butter in a bowl, rub with your fingertips until mixed and crumbly
- Add 8 tbsp cold water and combine with your hands. Roll into a ball
- Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to a 30cm round
- Drape over a 25cm tin and use a small ball of pastry scraps to push the pastry into the corners of the tin
- Chill in the fridge for 20 minutes. Heat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6
- Meanwhile, heat 25g butter and cook the leeks for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally
- Turn up the heat and add the mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes
- Lightly prick tart base with a fork, line with acircle of greaseproof paper or foil, fill with baking beans, then bake for 20 minutes. Remove the paper and beans and cook for 5-10 minutes more till a light biscuit brown
- Meanwhile beat the eggs in a bowl, gradually add the cream
- Stir in the leeks, mushrooms and half the cheese. Season and tip into the tart case
- Sprinkle with the rest of the cheese, then bake for 20-25 minutes until set and golden brown
- Leave to cool in the case, then remove and serve in slices
Buttered spring greens
Ingredients
- spring greens
- butter
Instructions
- Trim the base off the spring greens and chop roughly into pieces
- Cook in a saucepan of boiling water for about 4 minutes, till tender
- Drain and toss with salt and pepper to coat, then add a large knob of butter
Spring greens and caraway soup with potato dumplings
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
For the soup:
- 400 g potatoes peeled
- 40 g butter
- 1 egg large
- 50 g self-raising flour
- 1 tsp salt
For the dumplings:
- 25 g butter
- 1 slug olive oil
- 4 onions finely chopped
- 2 parsnips (or 3 carrots) peeled and coarsely grated
- 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1.25 litres stock
- 1 tsp caraway seeds
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 200-300 g spring greens (or any type of cabbage) chopped
- 1 tbsp parsley chopped
Instructions
- For the dumplings, cook the potatoes till tender
- Allow them to dry for a few minutes then mash well and put them into a bowl
- Thoroughly beat in the remaining ingredients and leave to cool and firm up in the fridge
- For the soup, heat the butter and olive oil in a large pan
- Add the onions, grated parsnip and garlic and fry gently until softened
- Add the stock, caraway, pepper, and salt to taste
- Bring up to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes
- Meanwhile, bring a large pan of salted water to a gentle boil for the dumplings
- Add the spring greens to the soup and continue to simmer until tender
- To cook the dumplings, scoop up little balls of potato mixture with a teaspoon and drop into the boiling water
- They will swell and float up to the surface – cook for 4-5 minutes
- To assemble, stir the parsley into the simmering soup, decant into four hot soup bowls and add the dumplings
Spinach soup
Look out for oat-based crème fraiche to make this recipe Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 dash olive oil
- 1/2 bunch spring onions