Need some different, tasty and, more importantly, easy plant-based recipes to help inspire you with vegan cooking this January? We want to promote the importance of eating more sustainably. These recipe submissions were made by all our SAC community -academics, societies, student support. We hope you enjoy the dishes, and let us know if you try any!
Dr Corey Wrenn’s Red Lentil Curry
Fancy a heart-warming vegan dish after a day in the cold? Dr Corey Wrenn is a Sociologist, interested in Animal Rights, Ecofeminism and Veganism and this curry is just the dish for that. It’s fool proof and a great way to use up some tins in your cupboard, as well as those leftover veggies in your fridge. It’s also incredibly budget-friendly, as you can get the ingredients anywhere and for very cheap! Enjoy!!
Ingredients:
Cumin seeds (optional)
Mustard seeds (optional)
Cardamon pods (optional)
Tumeric (optional)
Cloves (optional)
Cinnamon (optional)
Curry Powder
Chopped onion
Minced garlic
Ginger
Tomato paste
Vegetable stock (1 cube)
Tinned tomatoes (1 tin)
Lentils (1-2 cups)
Coconut milk (1 tin)
Salt and pepper to taste
Rice to serve
Instructions:
- Fry spices. When these start to sizzle and pop, add in a chopped onion with minced garlic and ginger.
- Let sit for 10 minutes.
- Then add some tomato paste, curry powder, veg broth, and a can of diced tomatoes.
- Let it fry for a few minutes.
- Then add some red lentils with enough water to submerge them.
- Rinse and cook rice.
Serve and enjoy!
Abbie’s Butter Bean Goulash
Looking for the right comfort food for the January blues, or to help you get over that horrible cold? This dish has the right balance of warmth and chunkiness to console you after a hard day. It’s a simple dish which is affordable to make, and also freezable. Suggested by Abbie Cushion, the Digital Media Assistant for SAC, studying Environmental Social Sciences. You can use any beans, and adjust the recipe according to your liking – so if you don’t like celery, don’t panic! It’s a perfect vegan recipe that can be made in bulk, to save time and is a great source of protein!
Ingredients:
2 onions, chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped
5 cloves of garlic, chopped
4 heaped tbsp paprika
500 g potatoes, peeled + halved
2 large carrots, chopped
400g can of chopped tomatoes
1 heaped tbsp tomato puree
450 ml vegetable stock
3 peppers (red and green works best), chopped
1 can butter beans (or another type)
Bay leaf and Thyme (optional)
Instructions:
- Fry onion until soft.
- Add paprika and potatoes and stir. Add Carrots.
- Pour in stock, pepper, salt, bay leaf and thyme.
- Cover and simmer for 30 mins.
- Stir and add pepper and butter beans, cover and leave for 10 mins.
- Take out bay and thyme.
Serve and enjoy!
Maia’s Bean Stew
This stew is perfect if you are waiting for your student loan to come through, or having low motivation – a self-love stew of sorts. Submitted by Maia Clery, a Student Support Assistant for HSS. It can be adapted to your preferences, or whatever ingredients you have available. Amazing for those days when you really can’t be bothered, but want something more nutritious and loving than a pot noodle.
Ingredients:
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 root vegetables of choice (eg carrot, parsnip, potato, sweet potato), chopped
Tsp paprika
1 block tofu, in chunks
1 tin of beans (eg kidney, butter, baked, chickpeas etc)
1 tin chopped tomatoes
Handful of kale
Tsp lemon juice
Pinch of salt and pepper
Instructions:
- Add onion and garlic to a pan and fry in a little oil on a low heat to soften. Stir.
- Add root vegetable, and stir in paprika.
- Add tofu.
- Add can of beans and tin of tomatoes.
- Stir in kale
- Bring to the boil, then add to a bowl.
Serve and enjoy!
Emily’s Broccoli and Apricot Curry
There is certainly a theme with our submissions – this curry is both heart-warming and uses a lot of nutritious vegetables, making it the perfect dish to start trying plant-based food or to add to your list of favourite vegan meals. Emily Mason is the Environmental Sustainability Coordinator at the University of Kent.
Ingredients:
2 1/2 curry powder
Broccoli
Onion (diced)
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into small chunks
2 garlic cloves (minced)
5g ginger
Tbsp tomato puree
300ml veg stock (300 ml water & half a stock cube)
Half tin apricots, apricots halved
Salt and pepper
Rice
100g vegan yoghurt (optional)
Instructions:
- Coat broccoli florets with a tbsp of oil and tsp of curry power. Bake at 200/180(fan) degrees C.
- Put sweet potato in saucepan with onion and some oil. Fry on medium for 3 minutes.
- Add garlic to the pan along with 5g of ginger. (Tip – freeze your ginger root in some tupperware, then just grate the frozen ginger straight into whatever you are cooking to avoid waste and save money). Fry for another 5 minutes.
- Add in 1.5 tbsp of curry powder and tbsp of tomato paste and fry for 1 more minute. Add veg stock.
- Let it all bubble for 10 – 15mins so the potato cooks through and the liquid reduces a bit.
- Cook your favourite rice however you like it.
- Once the curry is ready, mix in the apricots and broccoli from the oven until everything is warm. I like to add in 100g of vegan natural yoghurt but that is optional.
Serve with your rice and enjoy!
Professor Sommerville’s Turlu Turlu
Professor Keith Somerville is an Honorary Professor at the Centre of Journalism, teaching the wildlife trade and political aspects of conservation. He shared ‘Turlu Turlu’ – a Turkish spicy and herby ratatouille. A great vegan dish to have when you have lots of leftover veg, or fancy something tomato-y. Perfect served as a main with salad.
Ingredients:
3 courgettes, sliced
1 aubergine, cut into 4 wedges
1 onion, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, thickly sliced
2 green peppers, thickly sliced
3 carrots, cut into 3 lengthways
200g turnips, cut into wedges
2 medium potatoes, cubed
3 tbsp oil
1/2 teaspoon allspice
2 tsp coriander seeds
3 tbsp cooked chickpeas
150ml tomato passata
A small bunch parsley and coriander, roughly chopped
Salt and pepper
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 220 degrees c
- Sprinkle teaspoon of salt on courgettes and aubergine and leave for 20 minutes before rinsing under cold water
- In a large bowl, toss aubergine, onion, garlic, peppers, carrots, turnips and potatoes with olive oil, allspice, coriander seeds, and a little salt and pepper
- Spread veg mix on a roasting tray and put in the oven. Allow to color/caramelise for 45 minutes, tossing every 15
- Add courgettes and cook for 15 minutes
- Heat up chickpeas with passata in a pan and add seasoning
- Add vegetables and herbs
Serve and enjoy!
Dr Deter’s Brownies
Dr Chris Deter is the new Head of SAC, and senior lecturer in Biological Anthropology. She states that she isn’t much of a cook, but attempted these vegan brownies as she enjoys baking. They were quickly eaten by her family and friends, so I’m assuming that means they are quite delicious! The perfect vegan sweet treat regardless if you are a carnivore!
Ingredients:
2½ oz (75g) margarine
1½ oz (45g / 5 tbsp) cocoa powder
2½ fl oz (75ml) soya milk
6oz (200g) caster sugar
6 oz (170g) rice flour
2½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp xanthan gum
¾ oz (20 g / 2½ tbsp) cocoa powder
4 oz (115g) caster sugar
7½ fl oz (210ml) soya milk
2½ fl oz (75 ml) vegetable oil
1 dessert spoon vanilla essence
1 rounded dessert spoon ground flax seed
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 180C, Gas Mark 4.
- Combine first four ingredients in a saucepan and gently bring to the boil. Simmer for 1 minute, stirring well. Put saucepan into a bowl of cold water and beat sauce until it cools and thickens. Set aside.
- Sieve flours, baking powder, xanthan gum, cocoa and sugar into a bowl. Mix soya milk, vegetable oil, vanilla essence and flax seed together. Stir flours, soya milk mixture and sauce together – do not overmix.
- Place in a greased and lined tin roughly 10″ x 8″ and bake for 30 minutes.
Serve and enjoy!
Dr Waldstein’s Tofu Noodles
Dr Anna Waldstein is a senior lecturer in Medical Anthropology and Ethnobotany. Her healthy tofu noodles recipe is her own creation, and something even ‘picky eaters’ can enjoy. The recipe is made to your own taste, so great for experimenting with and adding vegetables according to what you have in the house! The spices in this recipe don’t have any measurements, as it’s best to pour with your heart.
Ingredients:
1 packet of spaghetti (or fettucine, linguini etc.)
1 block firm tofu
Sesame oil
Garlic
Chilli pepper
Ginger
Spring Onions
Mangetout (optional)
Baby corn (optional)
Carrot (optional)
Broccoli (optional)
Soy sauce
Instructions:
- Cook spaghetti (or fettucine, linguini, etc.). Set aside.
- Cut one block of firm tofu into small cubes. Fry the tofu cubes in sesame oil, stirring occasionally so all sides are browned. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels (you can do this while the pasta is cooking).
- Chop some garlic, chile pepper, ginger and spring onions (as much as you like) and put into the empty pasta pot (in sesame oil). Then chop some vegetables (mangetout, baby corn, carrot, broccoli, green beans-whatever you like). Heat the garlic, etc for 2 minutes then add the other vegetables and stir fry until they are the texture you like.
- Turn off the heat on the pot, add the tofu and the spaghetti and stir it all together. Stir in enough soy sauce to coat the noodles and serve. Serves 3-4.
Serve and enjoy!