Chunky vegan soup recipes are my favourite, this time I’ve used leeks, carrots and pearl barley to make a cheap but delicious soup. You only need a few key ingredients for this recipe.
Pearl Barley- I love this grain as it’s really filling, hearty and easy to cook. If you know you’re cooking this in the evening, you can soak the pearl barley for a few hours before to cut down the cooking time.
Leeks- I’ve kept them nice and chunky for this recipe so when cooking they still have a delicious crisp bite to them. Don’t forget to use those leafy green ends, this part of the vegetable gets thrown away when it retains so much flavour and texture!
Carrots- A great base to vegetable soup is the humble carrot, either finely dice or leave chunky for this recipe.
Garlic- I love adding garlic to vegan soups as it gives a beautiful base flavour. Add how ever many you’re comfortable with but for this one I’ve opted for three cloves.
Pearl Barley and Leek Soup
A simple soup recipe making use of the hearty pearl barley grain to make a chunky vegetable soup. Another recipe with British Leeks to show the versatility of this vegetable.
Top with fresh parsley and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
Start by chopping the carrot, leek and onion, sweat off in a large pot with the vegan butter for around 3 minutes before adding the minced garlic
Rinse the pearl barley then add to the pot, add the veg stock and dried herbs and leave to simmer for around 35 minutes (or until the pearl barley is cooked)
Season generously with salt and pepper and serve with the fresh parsley and extra virgin olive oil
A delicious and creamy winter soup using leeks, mushrooms, a few more veggies and some rice. It’s vegan friendly and perfect for the winter months to warm you right up. Naturally gluten free, this recipe is easy to make, perfect for batch cooking and can easily be chopped and changed to fit with what you have in your fridge.
Leeks- Partnering up with the British Leek Growers’ Association, I’m creating a range of recipes that make the most of this humble vegetable. I’ve used two in this recipe, one finely chopped and one chopped into thick dice. This offers a range of texture within the soup.
Mushrooms- You can use whatever mushrooms you have at hand, for this recipe I used chestnut mushrooms.
Vegan Cream- This is pretty easy to find in the supermarkets now, which is really handy. I’ve opted for a single cream.
Rice and Quinoa- I’ve used a microwavable pouch of rice and quinoa to add a bit of bulk to this soup / stew. Choosing a microwavable pouch helps keep timing low, but you can use a precooked rice if you prefer.
A delicious and creamy winter soup using leeks, mushrooms, a few more veggies and some rice. It's vegan friendly and perfect for the winter months to warm you right up. Naturally gluten free too.
Heat the butter in a large pot, add in the celery, leeks and shallots and fry for around 5 minutes before adding in the garlic, pepper and mushrooms
Once they have been frying for a further 5-8 minutes add the tamari, smoked paprika and sage, pop the kettle onto boil and mix the boiling water with the stock cube
Pour in the stock, vegan cream and season generously with salt and pepper, pop the lid on and leave to simmer on a low heat for around 10 minutes
Taste test adding a little more seasoning or spices to the pot if needed, then microwave the pouch of rice and quinoa, add to the soup and stir together
Taste test one last time and serve up with a garnish of your favourite fresh herbs.
Vegan orzo and leek soup topped with fresh dill. A light and delicious soup recipe to enjoy in the winter or summer. I’ve used orzo but you can can swap this for pulses or grains such as bulgarwheat or couscous. This is ready in less than half an hour so brilliant for an easy dinner recipe.
Vegan orzo and leek soup topped with fresh dill. A light and delicious soup recipe to enjoy in the winter or summer. I've used orzo but you can can swap this for pulses or grains.
Start by finely chopping the garlic and onion, dice the carrot and leek and add to a large pot with a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper and sweat down for around 6 minutes
Boil the kettle and add the water to a bowl with the stock cube and whisk until dissolved
Add the orzo to the pot along with the stock, dried thyme and leave to bubble away for around 12 minutes
Add a little more seasoning of salt and pepper, the squeeze of lemon and fresh dill and taste test
Once cooked serve up with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil on each bowl with a sprig of fresh dill
Curried soups are my favourite and this time we’re making a speedy lentil soup using leeks instead of onions. I’m working with theBritish Leek Growers’ Associationto create a series of leek recipe to show off how versatile they are, so here is another delicious recipe for the collection.
What’s in the recipe?
Lentils- I’ve used a pack of precooked lentil for this recipe to keep the time extra quick for a speedy dinner, however I have cooking instructions for if you’re using dried red split lentils below in the notes section.
Leeks- Again, celebrating them being in season, I’ve swapped onions for leeks in this recipe.
Coconut Milk- To make this delicious and rich I’ve used full fat coconut milk for the recipe
Spices- Using a mixture of spices such as turmeric, cumin, paprika gives a rich flavour. You can use whatever you have at hand whether thats a garam masala spice mix or just a regular curry powder mix. Be sure to taste test, adding a little more if needed.
Simple swaps and changes:
Don’t have pre-cooked lentils? Don’t worry, I have some cooking instructions for red split lentils. The trick is to get them soaking in a pan of water before prepping any veg! That way by the time it comes to adding them to the pot they’ll have softened.
Want to add more veg? Please do! Why not try adding chopped courgette, peppers and carrot to this recipe to get a load of veg into your diet. Simple fry off the finely chopped veggies at the start with the leeks and garlic process.
A hearty lentil and leek curried soup recipe, plant based and easy to make. Using pre cooked lentils to keep the cooking time short, you can make this in less than 25 minutes from start to finish.
200gpack precooked lentilssubstitute for 150g uncooked red split lentils
1large leekbase and green end, finely diced
4large cloves garlicfinely chopped
Large thumb sized piece of gingerfinely chopped
1green or red chillifinely chopped
400gtin of chickpeas240 drained
400mlfull fat coconut milk
550mlveg stockwater and a stock cube
Spices:
1tsppaprikasmoked or hot
1/2tspcumin
1/2tspturmeric
1tspcurry powderoptional
Instructions
Start by finely chopping the leeks, chilli and ginger then add to a large pot with 1 tbsp of plant based butter or olive oil, fry on a medium heat for around 6 minutes
Mince the garlic then add to the pot, cook for a few minutes before adding the chickpeas and dried spices
Toss together then add in the vegetable stock, precooked lentils* and simmer for 5 minutes before adding the coconut milk
Leave on a low- medium heat (you don’t want the coconut milk to bubble) taste testing along the way, season with salt and pepper
When it’s seasoned to preference, serve up and serve with fresh coriander, chilli flakes, pepper and a tsp of the coconut cream from the tin
UNCOOKED LENTILS COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:-If you’re using dried lentils, add them to a pot of water, soak for around 15-20 minutes, drain then wash again before adding to the soup
-Add another 300-400ml vegetable stock as the uncooked lentils will still absorb water
As the current ambassador for the British leek growers’ association I have a whole list of delicious leek based recipes to try out.
Easy 15 Vegan Ravioli Soup, Creamy and 15 Minutes To Make
If you only have 15 minutes to make dinner, give this creamy ravioli soup a try, it’s vegan friendly too. You can find vegan ravioli in the supermarkets now which makes for a perfect addition in this delicious creamy soup. Instead of making a thicker cream sauce, I’ve made it into a delicious soup flavoured with parsley and garlic.
Garlic- I love using 3 cloves of garlic for this, mince or mash the garlic before you add to the pan.
Sage Leaves- Sage leaves work perfectly with cream (vegan cream too) so I’d recommend frying them in olive oil with the garlic to release the flavour.
Ravioli- It’s really easy to find vegan ravioli in shops now! Wicked kitchen have a range in Tesco, there’s Ugo which is available at Sainsbury’s and White Rabbit Pizza also have a range out now. It’s brilliant to have in the fridge for a quick dinner.
Seasonal Ingredients
Asparagus- I think asparagus works beautifully with pasta and creamy soups. If asparagus isn’t in season you can swap for tenderstem broccoli, or if it’s in the winter why not add cubed and roasted butternut squash.
Seasoning
Salt & Pepper- Salt and pepper are so essential when creating a delicious pasta recipe. Add a good tsp of salt to the pasta water when boiling and be sure to add lots of cracked black pepper and sea salt to the soup.
Vegan Creamy Ravioli Soup
Vegan friendly creamy ravioli soup recipe, only takes 15 minutes to make. Perfect for quick dinner ideas and full of flavour. Brought together with sage leaves, dried parsley and thyme, this creamy stock works a dream with the vegan ravioli.
Vegan Wild Rice & Shiitake and Oyster Mushroom Soup
This vegan friendly wild rice soup is really easy to make, slow cooker friendly and perfect for week nights. I’ve tried to combine simple but delicious flavours to bring you a soup that is comforting, hearty and filling.
What’s in the recipe?
Wild Rice- I’ve used a precooked wild rice to save on time, however if you’re cooking the rice from scratch please refer to the cooking notes.
Mixed Mushrooms- I’m a big fan of mixing mushrooms such as oyster, chanterelle and shiitake however you can use whichever mushrooms you can get your hands on.
Vegan Cream- Using a vegan single cream such as oatly or alpro will work a treat for this. It really works with the mushrooms and the smoked paprika.
Tamari- Using tamari with mushrooms helps give an extra kick of umami, as it has an almost ‘meaty’ flavour to it.
Stock- I’ve just used a Kallo stock cube (the post on Instagram was sponsored by Kallo) and boiling water however you can use home made or shop bought stock if that’s available to you.
Vegan wild rice and mushroom soup made using vegan cream, shiitake and oyster mushrooms and a simple stock. This can be made in a slow cooker or left to simmer slowly on a stove top for dinner. Either way, this recipe is utterly delicious, comforting and easy to make.
200gmixed mushrooms (I used a mixture of shiitakechanterelle and oyster
1tbsptamari
1Kallo Organic Garlic & Herb stock Cube + 750ml water
250mlplant based cream
Herbs & seasoning:
1tbspsmoked paprika
1/2tspparsley
1tspthyme
1/2tspbasil
1/2tspsea salt
1/2tspblack pepper
1/2tspmarjoramsub for chilli flakes
180gcooked wild rice *refer to notes if cooking in the soup
1tbsppine nutsoptional to top
Instructions
Finely chop the carrot, onion, garlic cloves, stalk of celery and fry in the butter for 5 minutes
Add the roughly chopped mushrooms and add the tamari, smoked paprika and herbs *note* set aside a handful of the mushrooms to add on top at the end, so they stay crisp
Add the water & stock cube and stir together followed by adding the vegan cream and turn right down to a low heat
Stir in the cooked wild rice and season generously with salt and pepper
If cooking the rice within the soup, add an extra 250ml of water to allow the rice to soak up, keep an eye on the levels of water and add a little more if neededAllow 20 minutes extra cooking time if cooking wild rice from raw
Silky Smooth Chilli Noodle Soup using Leftover Lettuce
Leftover lettuce can be used in recipes such as this delicious noodle soup. It’s crunchy and delicious when grilled and added to ramens and phos offering a gorgeous texture against the noodles and soup. If you’ve made my gyoza noodle soup this is really similar, however to make it extra smooth I’ve put the soup through a sieve to separate the stock.
What’s in the vegan noodle soup?
Stock- I’ve made the stock by using onion, garlic and ginger, boiled water and a stock cube. To make it extra smooth, run this through a sieve before adding the noodles to get rid of the chunks of onion and garlic
Leftover Lettuce- Using lettuce in recipes other than salad shows how versatile it can be! If you marinade it in the sauce and add it to a grill or at piping hot pan it’ll charr it and give a gorgeous crunch.
Noodles- I use soft wheat noodles bought from Sainsburys, Waitrose or Tesco. They usually have their own brand options but Amoy and Yutaka is also a good brand to go for. Udon or medium size noodles will work, or if you’re gluten free swap for ribbon sized rice noodles!
Sauce- I’ve used a mixture of sriracha, soy sauce, sesame oil and garlic. It makes a delicious marinade and if you fancy doubling this up, feel free. It works to coat the lettuce and to add to the stock.
Silky smooth chilli noodle soup with grilled leftover lettuce. Perfect recipe to use leftover limp lettuce lying around your fridge. Perfect for using up old veggies. Vegan friendly recipe.
Make the sauce by simply mixing all of the ingredients together in a bowl
Finely chop the garlic, shallot, ginger and fry in a little sesame oil for 5 minutes
Quarter the lettuce, drizzle over some of the sauce and grill for 5 minutes (or you can sear in a non stick pan on a high heat)
Thinly slice the carrots then add to the pan along with the stock cube, water, and the rest of the sauce and bring so a simmer for 3-4 minutes
To get a silky smooth stock, run through a sieve before serving, otherwise pour into a bowl, serve with the crunchy grilled lettuce, a squeeze of lime and sesame seeds.
Notes
Silky Smooth Option- To get the silkiest soup, make the stock by frying off the onion, garlic and ginger, add the stock cube and water then run through a fine sieve to remove the chunks of onion & garlic. Then follow the other instructions by adding the noodles & carrots & toppings.
If you like this recipe try my Leftover Lettuce RecipeI created with Panasonic and Love Food Hate Waste (one of my favourites)
This comforting mushroom soup recipe is vegan friendly and really easy to make. Using garlic, oregano, thyme and smoked paprika it picks up flavours from the Mediterranean but with a smokey kick. Perfect for autumn nights, lets take a look at the recipe below.
Recipe Breakdown
Wild Mushrooms – Choosing wild mushrooms for this dish will give a slight variation in flavour and texture just from the mushrooms alone. I used a mix of oyster, chestnut and shiitake within this soup.
Herbs- Using mediterranean herbs such as oregano, basil, and thyme with a little touch of smoked paprika adds a really beautiful depth of flavour. When you’re frying the mushrooms, onion and garlic in the herbs and oil it smells INCREDIBLE.
Cream- Traditionally with this soup you need a heavy cream which is basically a cream that has a higher fat content. There are loads of ‘creams’ within the plant based market at the moment so whether you use a soy based cream, or an oat based cream it will work. I used Oatly single cream in this. When I add the butter to the recipe is helps thicken this as though it were a ‘heavy’ cream.
Cornflour- This is a brilliant ingredient. Naturally gluten free and brilliant at thickening soups and stocks. I added around 1tbsp to thicken this up however you can add as little or as much as you like (within reason, I wouldn’t add more than 2tbsp)
Vegetable Stock- I use boiling water mixed with a good quality vegetable stock cube. If you’re doubling up the recipe, don’t forget to double up the stock cubes too!
Cooking Tips
Fry off the vegetables first
Frying off the onion, garlic, herbs and mushrooms first allows the mushrooms to caramelise in the butter. If you fry in a good quality non stick pan for around 6-7 minutes it gives the mushrooms and peppers enough time to start to get a beautiful glaze before adding the stock and cream.
Add the stock before the cream
When you add the stock you want to get the temperature to a low simmer first which will give the water enough time to start to mix all of those beautiful flavours from the vegetables. Turn the temperature right down so it’s not simmering or bubbling then add the cream. You don’t want the temperature too hot as the cream can separate / spoil.
Add crusty fresh or toasted bread at the end
Adding buttered toast or bread, or even leftover breadcrumbs will make a really delicious crunch in contrast to the creamy soup.
Creamy wild mushroom soup inspired by the classic Tuscan soup. Flavours or thyme, oregano, garlic and smoked paprika brought together with a heavy (vegan) cream to make an indulgent comfort food.
3/4 red chilli, thinly sliced (save the other quarter to garnish with)
thumb sized piece of fresh ginger (half grated and half finely chopped)
juice squeezed from 1/2 lime
1 tsp tamari (or soy sauce)
1 tsp brown miso paste
700ml stock (feel free to add 1l of stock to make a bigger batch)
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tbsp peanut oil
200g udon noodles (if you're gluten free, soba noodles work really well too)
To Garnish:
1 tsp sesame seeds per bowl
1/4 chilli thinly sliced
For the tofu
2 tbsp peanut butter
juice squeezed from 1/2 lime
1 block firm tofu 280g, cut into 3cm
1 tsp tamari / soy sauce
Top with:
1 tsp sesame seeds
few slices of fresh chilli
fresh coriander (optional)
handful toasted peanuts
Method:
Drain the firm tofu then slice into 3cm cubes, add all of the marinade ingredients into a bowl, whisk then coat the sliced tofu and leave to marinade for around 15-30 minutes (overnight is even better)
Finely chop the red onion, the chopped half of the ginger and chilli then add to a pan with the peanut oil, fry for 5-6 minutes
Finely chop the garlic cloves then add to the pan to fry for a further 1-2 minutes
Add the vegetable stock, brown sugar, miso, tamari, squeeze of lime and grated ginger and bring to a simmer for around 10 minutes
Place a frying pan on a medium heat with a drizzle of peanut oil then add the marinated tofu and fry for around 4 minutes on each side until crispy then keep on a low heat until the ramen is ready
*If you want a silky smooth ramen, simply pour the liquid through a sieve to remove any chopped onion or chunks of ginger
Place the udon noodles in the miso soup and heat for around 5 minutes, then taste test adding a little more seasoning if needed
Serve up and garnish with a squeeze of lime, 1/2 tsp sesame seeds per bowl and thinly sliced red chilli along with the fried tofu. Top with a few toasted peanuts and enjoy!
Packed with flavour, this harissa cauliflower and potato soup is hearty, filling and perfect for the colder months of the year. Completely vegan and gluten free, it’s perfect to make for friends and family.
Ingredients Breakdown
Potato and Cauliflower- The main bulk of the soup comes from the potatoes and cauliflower which help make this soup / stew extra hearty. I find that if you dice the potatoes into bite size pieces it keeps the cooking time nice and low.
Harissa- I’ve used a homemade harissa as I prefer the flavour which I’ve linked here. If you buy shop bought, the flavour can be quite concentrated so make sure you use the 1tbsp instead of the recommended 3tbsp for homemade.
Chargrilled Peppers- Using the jarred chargrilled peppers marinated in olive oil usually adds a kick of flavour. They’re smokey and have a gorgeous texture that works really well in this stew.
Chickpeas- This is an optional ingredient but I find it helps bulk out the recipe, especially if cooking for a bunch of people.
Vegetable Stock- If doubling up this recipe, remember to double up the stock. I’ve used just boiling water and a stock cube (with an extra half for this recipe). Keep your eye out for reduced salt stock cubes too, that way you can add salt yourself when taste testing.
Packed with flavour, this harissa cauliflower and potato soup is hearty, filling and perfect for the colder months of the year. Completely vegan and gluten free, it's perfect to make for friends and family.
1.2lvegetable stockI use boiling water and 1 1.5 stock cubes
1tspfennel seedsgive them a smush with the back of your spoon to help release the flavour
1 1/2tspground coriander
2tbspsmoked paprika
1 1/2tbspcumin
3tbspharissa pasteif using shop bought harissa only add 1 level tbsp
For the Filling
220gdrained chickpeasA 400g tin of chickpeas will drain to roughly 220g
1largecauliflower headchopped into bite size florets
baby potatoes, any white potato will workroughly around 500g of potato cut into bite sized pieces to help cook quicker
100gchargrilled peppersI use the preserved jarred ones, chopped up
100gspinachfresh or frozen
For the toasted seed topping
1tspblack sesame seeds
1tspwhite sesame seeds
2tbspcashew nuts
1 tbspdairy free yogurt with a drizzle of harissa on top tooto each bowl if you like
Instructions
In a deep pot or frying pan add 1 tbsp of olive oil then throw in the fennel seeds along with the diced red onion and fry for around 4 minutes
Add the minced garlic and fry for a further 60 seconds before adding the drained chickpeas, chopped potatoes & cauliflower along with the dried cumin, paprika and coriander, toss so all the flavours mix together
Add the chopped preserved peppers, drained chickpeas, and chopped potatoes then add the passata and vegetable stock, pop a lid on top and allow to simmer for 15 minutes
In a small frying pan add the seeds and bring to a medium heat to toast for the last 5 minutes whilst the soup is bubbling
Once the potatoes and cauliflower are tender add the spinach to heat through just before serving
Most important part - taste test the soup, season with salt and pepper to taste until perfect
Serve up in a bowl and top with a spoonful of dairy free yogurt and an extra drizzle of harissa. Add the toasted seeds and enjoy!
Notes
If using my home made harissa (recipe here)add around 3 tbsp to the soup, however if using a shop bought, this can have a much more concentrated flavour so only use 1 level tbsp.
I find antipasti jars of red peppers really give this dish the smokey flavour so don't hold back! Add an entire 200g jar (just don't add the oil) to the pot, slice up those peppers and enjoy
Highly recommend mixing harissa in with the yogurt before serving
Cut the potatoes and cauliflower into bite sized pieces to help with the cooking time, and to make it easier to eat!
Feel free to add more passata to the pot if you like, it'll make it a lot more concentrated in tomato flavour but will be delicious
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