A Modern Way to Eat: Over 200 satisfying, everyday vegetarian recipes

CAPERBERRIES

TOMATOES

HUMMUS

PICKLED BEETS

SPINACH

LEMON JUICE

ASPARAGUS

BLANCHED ASPARAGUS

PARMESAN

AVOCADO

PUMPKIN SEEDS

ROCKET

LEMON JUICE

VEG CLUB

SMOKED TOFU

SLICED CHEDDAR

GHERKINS

LETTUCE

CHERRY TOMATOES

MUSTARD

MAYONNAISE

AVOCADO

MASHED AVOCADO

FETA

CORIANDER

LIME

CHERRY TOMATOES

LETTUCE

CHILLI/CHIPOTLE

BEETROOT

COOKED BEETS

GOAT’S CHEESE

PUMPKIN SEEDS

ROCKET

LEMON ZEST

SAN FRAN

PESTO

ALMONDS

PECORINO

ROCKET

HONEY

LEMON JUICE

a bowl of broth, soup or stew (#ulink_2187755f-8700-5d4d-ad4e-a2b2ac4bf50f)

There is something about one-pot cooking that feels properly nourishing. All the goodness of every ingredient is released into the soupy liquor. Most of these soups and stews come together in under 30 minutes and require only a little bit of upfront chopping. In the colder months, I tend to make a pot of soup on a Monday night, usually a double recipe in my biggest cast-iron pot. We then dip into it for lunches and dinners for the rest of the week, varying the toppings so that boredom doesn’t creep in. We start with a chunky soup and after a couple of bowls, I whiz it up and it feels brand new.

Warming winter roots · spicy tomato broth · cleansing miso · Tuscan heartiness · just-chewy udon noodles · cleansing coconut · fragrant lemongrass · smoky chilli spice · toasted nuts · crispy fried sage · crunchy tortilla crisps

Chickpea and preserved lemon stew

This was a quick evening creation. One of those moments when the stars align, even though you haven’t been to the shops, a few ingredients jump out of the fridge and effortlessly come together in the pan to make something special.

I make this when I want the warmth of a soup but need something a little heartier. The depth of flavour from the cinnamon, preserved lemon and tomato tastes like something cooked slowly for hours, but in fact this is a really quick recipe to make, and the warming flavours of Arabic spices are all the more heartening on a cold evening.

I use Israeli (sometimes called giant) couscous here, as it’s bigger, heartier and more substantial than the finer couscous and I think stands up very well to being cooked in a stew. It is available in most delis and supermarkets, though you could swap it for bulgur wheat if you like, or quinoa if you are avoiding gluten.

A note on preserving lemons: the unique salty-but-scented zippiness of preserved lemons introduces a punchy note to this stew. Use them too in salads, to add to a rice pilaf, in spiced soups and to liven up grains and beans. They are best added towards the end of cooking. I use a super-simple variation of the classic Claudia Roden recipe to make them. Cut 4 lemons into quarters, without going all the way through to the bottom, then pack the cuts generously with sea salt. Squash them into a preserving jar, seal and leave for a couple of days so that the salt draws out the juice. Top the jar up with the juice from 4 more lemons, to cover everything completely. Leave in a cool place for a month, then they are ready to use.