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All in Soups and salads
Soups make an easy lunch in the colder months. They are easy to prepare ahead and can be taken into work in a thermos flask. The key to a soup keeping you sustained for the rest of the day is to include some protein and healthy fats. In this soup we have two sources of protein and healthy fats - the coconut milk and the almond butter. If you are allergic to nuts just leave the almond butter out it wonโt make this any less delicious.
My husband loves a creamy mushroom soup - but weโve recently discovered an intolerance to dairy so heโs gone dairy free. I have used some coconut milk to give this a creamy feel - but it doesnโt taste too coconutty as Iโve balanced with tamari sauce. You can blitz this smooth - or leave a little chunky itโs up to you.
North African classic flavours and spices have always been some of my favourites as I grew up with them. Harissa, cumin, sumac mixed with the sweet and sour of lemon and honey easily elevate a very simple, fresh and quick to rustle up salad that brings summer to your table. Give it a try. Also works really well if you add some grated beetroot.
This is a lovely hearty salad with lots of protein so great if you need to refuel after a bout of exercise. Quinoa is a great vegetarian protein source as it contains all the amino acids needed by the body.
Soups are your best friend when it comes to adding more vegetables to your familyโs diet. Packed with autumnโs best high fibre vegetables and warming spices, this soup can be stored in the fridge or even frozen, ready to be warmed up and enjoyed with a slice of toasted sourdough.
This might not be a salad in the traditional sense since itโs warm - but as the months turn cooler, adding warm elements to your salad makes sense. This is how I prefer to eat my salads in the autumn and winter. Sometimes I add just one warm element - or in the instance of this salad I have added a couple - including a spicy kick thatโs guaranteed to warm you through.
Soups are a fantastic way to add more vegetables to your or your families diet. Carrots are naturally sweet and with the addition of oranges this is perfect for kids of all ages! It goes down a treat with our families.
After my recent trip to California, where I had lots of salads, I was inspired to make my own Californian salad. I have used ingredients that were used in many of the salads I tried - kale, quinoa, feta, avocado and almonds. It seemed typical of many of the salads to contain fruit. I am not a fan of fruit in my salad so instead chose to add lemon to a dressing and include some fruit that way!
I love the lebanese salad tabbouleh and it works brilliantly with buckwheat rather than bulgar wheat. Buckwheat is a gluten free grain despite the name so this salad is a fabulous gluten free alternative to tabbouleh. This might seem a lot of parsley - but tabbouleh is traditionally a parsley salad with a small amount of bulgar wheat. Parsley is packed with vitamin C and antioxidants and so very good for us.
This very easy gazpacho is all about enjoying and embracing summer ingredients. Full of gorgeous mediterranean vegetables and flavours, totally refreshing and perfect to make in advance. No cooking is involved and pretty much any blender will do the job. Just make sure you allow a couple of hours to refrigerate it. An absolute keeper to make again and again as a starter on a summerโs evening.
I love a salad. In the spring and summer I make sure I have one at least one a day and in the winter I just warm up a few of the ingredients to make a warm salad. To stop myself getting bored I am always changing the ingredients. My salads are never boring with just lettuce and cucumber - I make sure I pack them with lots of delicious vegetables. They are always colourful and contain at least four different vegetables or herbs.
You can never have enough soup recipes and this one hits the spot. Protein from the lentils, lots of cruciferous vegetable goodness from the cauliflower with the warming undercurrent of anti-inflammatory turmeric.
This chunky soup is really hearty and could probably fall into the stew category! If you need warming up then this will work. Despite the spices itโs kid-friendly too - my daughter enjoys it although as she prefers a smooth soup I blitz all of hers up rather than leaving half chunky. The cooking of this soup is very hands off and easy to rustle up for a quick lunch. I sometimes like to add a dark green leafy veg such as chard, kale or spinach to the soup and I just stir this in at the end to wilt.
Soups are perfect for warming you up during the Autumn and Winter months. They are also a great way of boosting vegetable intake into any reluctant vegetable eater! This soup is very child-friendly with naturally sweet root vegetables. This soup is ideal if you are suffering from a cold or want to boost your immunity. The garlic and ginger are both anti-inflammatory and immune boosting.
Including lots of green in our diet is always top of our list. Soups along with curries are a perfect way to up the daily portions with reluctant eaters. The addition of ground cumin to this otherwise simple soup gives it that extra warmth and comforting quality. The apple and peas work wonderfully to balance out the strong Cavalo Nero and celery flavours.
In August we are always looking for ways to use up a glut of courgette from the veg patch! This salad recipe is perfect. It's a good mixture of carbohydrates, green vegetables and fat from the avocado and dressing. This stores well in the fridge (without the avocado and dressing) and so can be taken into work for a healthy packed lunch.
I eat a salad nearly every day for lunch and so am always trying to come up with different varieties. This one has been a favourite for a couple of weeks now. The lentils and feta provide a good source of protein and the feta and dressing some healthy fats - meaning that this salad keeps you full for the rest of the afternoon. It can be made in advance and taken into work as a packed lunch. This can be made with any type of lentil - but I particularly love the nutty flavour and firm texture of the dark speckled lentils.
A cold soup on a hot summer's day is exceptionally refreshing, but sometimes not that filling. With the addition of avocado, cashew nuts and coconut milk, this soup is creamy and will keep you full until the next meal! You won't need to serve this with bread. We have added mint and basil, but do substitute with other herbs that you have to hand.
This soup is best served in April and May when the nettles are young and sweet, but the days still have a chill and warrant a soup. If you've never cooked with nettles before do give this a try - no sting we promise! Pick the top shoots from young nettles with thick protective gloves and wash thoroughly before using in this dish.
As much as we keep going on about green vegetables, a large helping of warm coloured soup makes everyone happy! Packed with great fibres, vitamins and health boosting spices this heart warming soup makes a great starter or one pot supper . Soups are one of the best "batch cooking" meal to make ahead and freeze. Great healthy option for busy family lives.
