30 January 2025

Plenty of Plants!

• Recipes,
• vegan,
• plantbased,
• 30plants

One of the key food focuses this year is to eat well and healthily by maximising the number of plants in our diets and adding in as many wholefoods as possible via nuts, seeds and pulses. These all increase our fibre intake and help maintain a healthy gut biome. January was the month of Veganuary with plenty of plant-based inspiration and several shops are now using better signposting to highlight the number of plants in their dishes. 

In this post we’ve highlighted 5 ways to easily add more plants into the weekly meals.  The benefit of most of these recipes is that they can be adapted to add in anything you have at home, so feel free to experiment!

1. Soups – easy to make, wholesome and nourishing, everyone loves a warming soup, especially during the colder months.

• Swede & Carrot soup – a wholesome vegetable soup from Nikibakes
• Vegan Laksa Noodle Soup – served with tofu puffs this delicious Malaysian style coconut curry soup is by The Vegan Larder
• Baharat & Lentil soup – a warm, aromatic soup from Gourmet Glow

2. Chillis & Stews – often made in one pot, these dishes are great to cook in bulk and portion up for lunches or suppers during the week.

• Butternut Squash Chilli – spicy veg and bean chilli with a little added cocoa from Food Thoughts
• Smoky Cannellini Bean Stew – a smoky, hearty stew with a fresh vibrant pesto
• Vegan Gumbo – packed with vegetables, pulses and spice 
• My Favourite Dhal – a delicious, wholesome dhal from food writer Elaine Lemm

3. Pasta sauces – A delicious meal that the whole family can enjoy, and they may not even notice the extra veg!

• Herby Lentil Bolognese - a tasty way to pack in plenty of pulses too
• Sri Lankan Inspired Orzo – a great supper dish and a fantastic showcase for turmeric, from chef Emily Dobbs

4. Salads – maybe not the first thought during the winter months but these can be deliciously wholesome and are a great idea for lunches.

• Turkish Salad (fasulye piyaz) – a flavoursome bean salad from Nikibakes
• Coronation Chickpea Salad – the same curry based sauce but with out the chicken!
• Green Quinoa Tabbouleh – a healthy salad from Petronella Ravenshear’s The HBD Cookbook

5. Cakes – yes, cakes are a lovely way to add extra fruit, vegetables and seeds and often the recipe’s sugar content can be reduced due to the addition of sweeter fruit or vegetables such as butternut squash.

• Spiced Butternut Squash Cake – naturally sweetened with butternut squash and soaked in a spiced syrup
• Carrot & Almond Cake – a delicious dairy free and gluten free cake from Nikibakes
• Apple & Blueberry Cake – a fruity vegan cake from Instagrammer @thetastybitee

Do share your favourite recipes with us too!