SUPERBLY SIMPLE BROCCOLI SOUP 3 WAYS
CARROT RAMEN NOODLE AND MISO SOUP
THE REINVENTED NOODLE POT 3 WAYS
QUICK COCONUT DAHL WITH ZINGY SLAW
SQUASH AND GINGER SOUP WITH LEMONY CORIANDER OIL
SUPER-CHARGED STORE CUPBOARD SPINACH SOUP
FOR SOUP TOPPINGS AND SIDES TRY:
ROASTED TOMATO AND PEPPER PESTO
We love soups. Whether chunky, smooth, thick, thin, hot, cold, sweet, spicy, savoury, warming or refreshing, they are our soul food and go-to meals. Nothing sums up Good + Simple more than a bone-broth-based, veg-heavy, old-fashioned soup. Highly nourishing, these versatile dishes are eaten the world over and are one of the simplest and most economical ways to feed yourself, your family or even a crowd. They are easy to batch-cook, freeze, reheat, serve – and very hard to ruin. A big steaming pot of soup on the table is always a welcome sight.
Soups are where Bone Broth (see here) comes into its own. Nutrient-rich and soothing on the digestion, we include this easy, inexpensive and energising ‘liquid gold’ in as many meals as we can. Plus of course it makes everything taste even better too – you can see why we love it so much! Soups and stews are a great way to enjoy plenty of bone broth on a daily basis, so that’s why it’s the first recipe you’ll find in this chapter – with it, anything is possible.
With a nutritious and tasty base to build on, simply simmer up some roughly chopped veggies or grate them in for speed, add some seasoning, whisk in an egg and, hey presto, dinner is done – no need for a side of bread. With a base of broth you can throw in tinned beans, chopped tomatoes and some spices, or leftover cold cuts and roasted vegetables, and turn a hodgepodge of bits and bobs into a delicious meal. Add energising ingredients, such as ginger, garlic and cayenne pepper or lemon, for their flavour and health benefits, or our favourite superfoods: turmeric, watercress, spinach, broccoli, coconut oil.
A homemade soup is still a fantastic meal without the broth – you can use vegetable stock or water – though you might need to add some fat and protein, such as egg, cheese and/or pulses and oils to make it a complete, one-pot meal. And it’s wonderfully reviving too. When you’re not feeling your best, a well-cooked, vegetable-packed soup is the perfect dish to restore and soothe – being easily digestible, it allows your body to focus its energy where it’s needed most. Try the quick and easy ones with immune-boosting ingredients like ginger and turmeric, such as Super-charged Store Cupboard Spinach Soup (see here) or Squash and Ginger Soup with Lemony Coriander Oil (see here).
In our recipes you’ll also find ideas to adapt them throughout the year with seasonal produce, as well as tips to turn the leftovers from one recipe into another just by adding a dash of chilli, stirring in some miso paste or pesto or topping with fresh garlic, parsley or lemon zest. Mixing things up is what keeps old favourites from becoming boring. Use our soup recipes as inspiration and run wild with them!
OUT OF SORTS Nourishing soups form the basis of our One-Week Reboot – ideal for when you’re feeling run down but still have to go to work and deal with family life. Turn to here for an at-home version that you can use to reset your taste buds whenever you fall off the wagon or just need a boost.
NOT JUST FOR WINTER Even in the summer, a bowl of hot, broth-based food always goes down well – try our Carrot Ramen Noodle and Miso Soup (see here) or a chilled version of our Cream of Tomato Soup (see here).
EASY ON THE DIGESTION For a hit of nutrition, cook up a soup with a bone broth (see here), plenty of fresh veggies and a whole lot of love – a powerful combination that’s easy on the system.
LATE NIGHTS When it comes to late-night suppers, soups are one of the best things to eat so that you can digest quickly and go to bed without feeling heavy.
YES, FOR BREAKFAST! We love nothing more than a piping-hot bowl of soup to start the day, whether it’s Quick Coconut Dahl (without the zingy slaw) (see here) or Easy Drop Egg Soup (see here). Start with one of the sweeter ones, such as Cream of Tomato Soup (see here) and Squash and Ginger Soup with Lemony Coriander Oil (see here). Try it and see how good you feel for the rest of the day.
FRIENDS OVER Serve a soup supper straight from the pot with a crunchy, tangy salad (see here) and some Quinoa Courgette Toast (see here) – simple but special and stress-free.
LAST-MINUTE GUEST? Jazz up your soup with a drizzle of something ready made in your fridge, like a spoonful of Spinach and Butterbean Hummus (see here) or pesto (see here and here), or sprinkle over crumbled cheese, butter-fried onions or grated courgette and toasted pumpkin seeds.
PORTABLE HOT LUNCH ON THE GO Invest in a flask for quick, portable lunches that stay hot for hours. Soups are so good you could eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Or make up a noodle pot (see here) and just add hot water at lunchtime.
COULDN’T BE EASIER No fancy knife skills needed; just roughly chop and simmer – a hand-held stick or stand blender, or a food processor, come in handy too.
FREEZING Soups are ideal for freezing; always make double the quantity and portion them up in one, two or more servings – whatever you need to feed you or your family at once. We love building up a variety of flavours to have to hand in the freezer.
NO BONE BROTH? Add a cold-pressed oil such as flaxseed oil, extra-virgin olive oil or macadamia nut oil when the soup is cool enough to eat.
This is your back-pocket recipe from which a whole host of delicious, everyday dishes begin. If you have our first book, The Art of Eating Well, you’ll already be aware of how much we champion our highly nourishing, gut-healing, economical diet staple. We see it as an all-rounder, packed with protein, vitamins, minerals, collagen and keratin, making it amazing for skin, digestion and even the dreaded cellulite! We love its simplicity – just bones, water and a really long simmer. You can add aromatics like bay leaves, peppercorns and onions, if you like, but we usually save any vegetables for our actual soups and stews and use our broth as a way of using up veg scraps instead – you could store odds and ends in the freezer ready for when you next make a broth. Adding an acidic medium, such as lemon juice or apple cider vinegar (ACV), helps to further extract the minerals we’re after.
Boil your bones (well, simmer them actually) during your Sunday Cook-Off (see here) and store in the fridge (see here) or freeze the broth in batches to use throughout the week. The remains of your Sunday roast becomes a pot of simmering goodness on Monday; blended into a vegetable soup, it provides Wednesday’s fuss-free supper, and sipped from a mug with a splash of lemon juice and a pinch of sea salt, it’s an antidote for Saturday’s hangover. Add to everything – soups, stews, sauces, risottos, for cooking quinoa or vegetables, even add a dash to scrambled eggs as it makes everything taste better.
When making bone broth, we favour a slow cooker. Just leave it on overnight, or while you’re out during the day, and it does the work for you. What’s more, it uses much less energy than a conventional cooker. For those with a pressure cooker, your broth can be ready in just 3 hours. You can even make bone broth in the oven, by bringing it up to the boil on the stove, covering with a lid and transferring to the oven, preheated to around fan 100°C/Gas mark ½, or even lower, and then let it simmer away. (Make sure the lid is heatproof and tight-fitting so that the broth doesn’t evaporate.)
Remember that provenance is key when it comes to making bone broth. A healthy animal is essential for the nutrients that it can provide, and for this reason we source only high-quality bones from grass-fed, naturally reared animals. If you’d like to learn more about why bone broth is at the heart of our philosophy, see here.
MAKES 3.5 LITRES (IN A 4-LITRE PAN)
3kg beef or lamb bones (usually free from your butcher) or chicken carcasses, or use the bones leftover from a roast
OPTIONAL EXTRAS
A generous splash of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
Onion, leek, carrot or celery ends
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
A few bay leaves
1 Place the bones and any optional ingredients in a large stainless-steel or ceramic pot, slow cooker or pressure cooker and cover with cold water. The water should cover the bones by 5cm while still leaving room at the top of the pan.
2 Cover with a lid and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, with the lid on, for at least 12 hours for beef or lamb bones and 6 hours for chicken. If using a slow cooker, cook on high for at least 12 hours. If using a pressure cooker, cook at high pressure for at least 3 hours.
3 Strain the liquid, using a fine-mesh strainer for chicken. Use immediately or leave to cool before storing. Bone broth will keep in the fridge for several days or up to a week if you leave it undisturbed, as a layer of fat will form on the surface and keep it sealed from the air.
TIPS
+ To use it in the week, divide the broth between 2 glass or stainless-steel containers and refrigerate. A layer of fat will form on top. Use one container in the first half of the week and start the second halfway through or freeze it in batches, leaving room for expansion.
+ Beef bones produce a lot of nutritious fat. Skim some of it off the broth and save it in a jar in the fridge for cooking.
+ Fresh chicken carcasses from the butcher usually have a fair amount of meat on them. We tend to poach the carcasses for 20 minutes, then pull off the meat (and save it for another meal, such as a chicken salad or soup) before returning the carcasses to the pot and continuing to simmer to make broth. If you have meaty bones you can roast them first.
TIP
+ The longer the bones simmer, the more nutrients are released; we like to boil the chicken carcass for up to 12 hours and we keep beef or lamb bones going for 24 hours. Since these bigger bones have more nutrients to give, the broth will be more concentrated. You can strain the beef and lamb broth at half-time, refill the pot with fresh water and cook the bones again to make a double batch of broth.
Our favourite way to experiment with flavours is to take a trusted recipe and choose one particular element to tweak. Here it’s our simple broccoli soup jazzed up with various toppings – a perfect way to cook in bulk while enjoying three different versions of the same dish. Make a huge batch of soup (this one makes nine portions) along with our Quinoa Courgette Toast (see here) as part of your Sunday Cook-Off (see here), freeze in single portions and dip into your freezer over the coming weeks. Don’t forget that you can also make your toppings in bulk and keep, covered with a layer of oil, in a sterilised jar, or even freeze.
MAKES ABOUT 4 LITRES
SERVES 9
4 large onions, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons ghee or coconut oil
4 heads of broccoli (about 350g each)
8 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 bunch of celery (about 6 sticks), roughly chopped
2 litres Bone Broth (see here) or water
Juice of 1½ lemons
Sea salt and black pepper
1 In your biggest saucepan (4 litres minimum in capacity, or use your two biggest pans), fry the onions in ghee or coconut oil over a medium heat for 8 minutes until softened.
2 Meanwhile, prepare the broccoli: cut into equal-sized florets and roughly chop the stalks (after first slicing off the tough outer layer).
3 Add the garlic, celery and broccoli stalks to the pan and cook for a further 2 minutes, then add the broth or water, cover the pan with a lid and bring to a medium simmer.
4 Add the broccoli florets and a big pinch of salt and pepper, then allow to simmer until the broccoli is just tender – about 5 minutes. (It is important that the broccoli does not become overcooked; test it by piercing with a knife.)
5 While the soup is simmering away, prepare your choice of topping or toppings (see here). Once the soup is ready, blend the soup using a hand-held stick blender or whizz in batches in a food processor – add a little hot water if your soup is too thick. Season to taste with salt and pepper and add the lemon juice.
6 To serve, divide between bowls, swirling your choice of topping into the hot soup.
EACH MAKES 3 SERVINGS
FOR THE CUMIN GREMOLATA
1 handful of fresh parsley, leaves and stalks finely chopped
1 garlic clove, diced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper
FOR THE THYME AND FETA PESTO
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves or ½ teaspoon dried (or try oregano or rosemary)
3 tablespoons crumbled feta
1 tablespoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper
FOR THE MISO AND CORIANDER
1 handful of fresh coriander, leaves and stalks finely chopped
1 tablespoon unpasteurised miso paste
1 tablespoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
Sea salt and black pepper
1 Place the ingredients for your choice of topping in a mixing bowl and whisk together. Taste for seasoning, then swirl your topping over bowls of the hot soup (see here) to serve.
VARIATIONS
+ Replace the broccoli with carrot, squash or cauliflower and try other sauces to swirl through, such as Avocado and Ginger Sauce (see here) or Homemade Sriracha (see here). Also try it drizzled with flaxseed oil.
The word ‘minestrone’ derives from ministrare, meaning ‘to dish up’, and this chunky soup is perfect for a gathering, at any time of year. Here we’ve included both a summer and a winter version. Save any Parmesan rind to throw in at the beginning of the cooking to add depth of flavour to either soup – just remember to pick it out at the end. In contrast to our Winter Minestrone (see here), the soup below takes advantage of the abundance of sun-ripened tomatoes available during the summer months for a rich red bowl of goodness. Make it lighter for a broth-like starter, or thick and hearty for a main meal. As tomatoes aren’t a natural winter crop here in the UK, we combine hearty root veg and beans in colder months. Borlotti beans complement this soothing soup perfectly, but any beans will do. Leftover quinoa or cooked lentils would go nicely with this dish too.
SERVES 4
1 tablespoon ghee or coconut oil
1 large onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, diced
1 celery stick, diced
1 large carrot, diced
12 large tomatoes, diced
1 medium aubergine, diced
2 medium courgettes, diced
1 large red pepper, deseeded and diced
1 tablespoon fresh oregano or thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon tomato purée or 4 chopped sundried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped
800ml Bone Broth (see here), vegetable stock or water
Parmesan rind (optional)
1 large handful of fresh or frozen peas or broad beans
2 big handfuls of grated Parmesan, to serve (optional)
FOR THE BASIL OIL
2 large handfuls of fresh basil (leaves and stalks)
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
Sea salt and black pepper
SUMMER MINESTRONE WITH A VIBRANT BASIL OIL
1 Melt the ghee or coconut oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat and fry the onion, garlic, celery and carrot for 8 minutes until softened.
2 Meanwhile, make the basil oil by finely chopping the basil and mixing with the EVOO, lemon juice or ACV and salt and pepper to taste – or you could use a blender. Set aside.
3 Add the tomatoes and diced vegetables to the pan with the oregano or thyme, bay leaf, tomato purée or chopped sundried tomatoes and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Pour in the broth, stock or water and add the Parmesan rind (if using). Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover with a lid and cook at a medium simmer for 15–20 minutes until the vegetables are just tender.
4 Stir in the peas or broad beans to heat through for the last 2 minutes of cooking, and taste for seasoning.
5 Ladle the minestrone into bowls, scatter with the grated Parmesan (if using) and drizzle over the basil oil.
1 tablespoon ghee or coconut oil
1 large leek or onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, diced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
1 tablespoon roughly chopped fresh rosemary leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
1 celery stick, diced
1 large carrot, diced
2 handfuls of diced turnip, swede or celeriac
A pinch of diced fresh red chilli (optional)
Parmesan rind (optional)
800ml Bone Broth (see here) or vegetable stock
1 × 400g tin of borlotti beans or chickpeas, drained and rinsed
85g buckwheat pasta or buckwheat (soba) noodles, broken
4 handfuls of kale, cavolo nero, spinach or cabbage leaves, shredded
Sea salt and black pepper
2 big handfuls of grated Parmesan, pecorino or other hard cheese, to serve (optional)
FOR THE GARLIC HERB DRESSING
1 garlic clove
1 large handful of fresh parsley (leaves and stalks)
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Sea salt and black pepper
WARMING WINTER MINESTRONE WITH PUNCHY GARLIC DRESSING
1 Blend all the dressing ingredients in a food processor (or finely chop, and then mix), seasoning with salt and pepper, and set aside.
2 Melt the ghee or coconut oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat and fry the leek or onion with the garlic, herbs, celery, carrot, diced root vegetables and chilli (if using) for 8 minutes or until softened.
3 Season with salt and pepper and add the Parmesan rind (if using), pour in the broth, stock or water and drained beans and stir everything together. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a medium simmer and cook for around 15 minutes, lid on, or until the vegetables are tender.
4 Add the buckwheat pasta for the last 10 minutes of cooking; if using noodles, add these with the kale, cavolo nero or cabbage (if using) for the last 5 minutes of cooking.
5 When the vegetables are tender, stir through the spinach (if using) and taste for seasoning.
6 Serve each bowlful with a drizzle of the garlic herb dressing and, if you like, some grated Parmesan or pecorino.
Vegetable noodles are both colourful and nutritious, and the spiralizer makes quick work of them for this ramen-style dish. If you don’t have a spiralizer, simply use a vegetable peeler to peel strips from the carrots. Revered for thousands of years in Chinese medicine and cooking, shiitake mushrooms are known for their immune-boosting and heart-healthy qualities, and loved for their meaty texture. They are a bit more expensive but well worth it as they have that wonderful umami flavour or ‘savoury deliciousness’. If you prefer, though, you can mix it up with other mushrooms. If you feel you’re wilting and need a boost of energy, this is the soup for you!
SERVES 2
6 spring onions, finely sliced, retaining the sliced green ends to garnish
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2cm piece of fresh root ginger (unpeeled if organic), diced
2 garlic cloves, diced
½–1 fresh red chilli, finely sliced (to taste), plus extra to serve
300g shiitake mushrooms, tops sliced and stems chopped
700ml Bone Broth (see here), vegetable stock or water
2 large carrots
2–3 teaspoons quality miso paste (depending on its strength and saltiness)
1 teaspoon tamari or sea salt
Juice of 1 lime
2 handfuls of pak choi or any leafy greens (such as kale, cavolo nero or spinach), shredded
1 small handful of fresh coriander (leaves and stalks) and a few fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
OPTIONAL EXTRAS
1 large handful of cooked prawns or shredded cooked chicken or beef
Soft-boiled eggs, cut in half (or poach in the broth)
1 tablespoon dried seaweed (such as wakame), soaked according to packet instructions, then drained, chopped and added to the soup
Homemade Sriracha (see here), to serve
1 In a large saucepan, fry the white parts of the spring onions in the coconut oil with the ginger, garlic and chilli over a medium heat for 2 minutes until softened. Stir in the mushrooms and fry for a further 2 few minutes.
2 Pour in the broth, stock or water and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
3 Meanwhile, spiralize the carrots, snipping long strands into shorter lengths for easier eating. Alternatively, peel into strips with a julienne peeler or standard vegetable peeler, then slice in half lengthways.
4 Add any extras (if using) – such as prawns, shredded cooked chicken, halved boiled eggs or wakame – and warm through for 1 minute. Turn off the heat and stir through the miso paste, tamari or salt and the lime juice and then drop the carrot noodles and pak choi or leafy greens into the broth.
5 Serve topped with the chopped coriander and mint leaves and the reserved green parts of the spring onions. Add extra chilli, if you like, or a drizzle of Sriracha.
TIP
+ Try unpasteurised miso paste and add right at the end when cool enough to eat so as to preserve the probiotics/good bacteria.
VARIATIONS
+ Replace the carrots with an equivalent quantity of squash, celeriac or courgette noodles.
We created this recipe for a two-day retreat, where it acquired its name. With its medicinal spices and hearty flavours, this is one of those fail-safe recipes that will not only warm you on a cold winter’s night, but is really simple to throw together using odds and ends from the fridge. We believe that stews should have no rules: play around with what is in season or readily available – swap the lentils or chickpeas for whatever tins you have hiding at the back of the cupboard, and use plenty of fresh greens and herbs at the end of cooking to brighten it up. We highly recommend our ‘4C’ spice mix – cinnamon, cumin, coriander and chilli. Use it in any stews or soups, and mix it with some lemon juice and coconut oil as a rub for meat or fish.
SERVES 4
2 large onions, finely diced
1½ tablespoons coconut oil or ghee
4 garlic cloves, diced
4 dried dates, pitted and chopped
2 large carrots, diced into 1cm chunks
4 large handfuls of mixed root vegetables (such as beetroot, swede, celeriac or squash), diced into 2cm chunks
2 × 400g tins of tomatoes
100g dried red lentils or 1 × 400g tin of chickpeas or beans, rinsed and drained
1 litre Bone Broth (see here), vegetable stock or water, plus an extra 300ml if cooking lentils
1 large red pepper, roughly chopped
4 large handfuls of chopped greens (such as spinach or chard)
1 large handful of fresh parsley and/or coriander, leaves and stalks chopped
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
Sea salt and black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil or flaxseed oil, for drizzling
FOR THE 4C SPICE MIX
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground coriander
A pinch of chilli flakes /powder or finely diced fresh red chilli
1 Fry the onions in the coconut oil or ghee in a large saucepan over a medium heat for 8 minutes until soft and starting to caramelise.
2 Turn down the heat to low and stir in the 4C spices (see here) and garlic and cook for a further minute making sure the garlic and spices don’t burn.
3 Add the chopped dates, carrots, root vegetables and tomatoes with the dried red lentils (if using) and season with salt and pepper.
4 Pour in the broth, stock or water, then bring to a medium simmer and cook for about 12 minutes until the vegetables are just tender.
5 Add the chopped red pepper with the greens and the chickpeas or beans (if using) and cook for a further 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in half the herbs and all the lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6 Serve each bowl with a drizzle of EVOO or flaxseed oil, the lemon zest and remaining herbs.
VARIATION
+ In the summer, you can swap the root veg for fresh peas, green beans and courgettes for a light and vibrant evening meal. Just remember that they cook in one-third of the time, so add them at step 5.
A noodle pot is a simple and fun way to experiment with flavours and ingredients for a packed lunch. It’s the ultimate ready meal: all you need is a large heatproof glass jar with a lid and access to a kettle. We’ve even taken these with us on long-haul flights – just ask a flight attendant to fill up the jar with hot water. Try the following three recipes, which are our absolute favourites, and then have a go at the DIY Noodle Pot here.
SERVES 1
1 handful of spiralized or grated butternut squash
1 handful of greens and/or cabbage (red or white)
1 or 2 spring onions, finely sliced
1 soft-boiled egg, peeled and halved
2 teaspoons garam masala or medium curry powder
1 small garlic clove, finely minced
A pinch of chilli flakes or cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons grated ginger squeezed to get 1 tablespoon of ginger juice
1 tablespoon tamari
1 small handful coriander leaves
1 tablespoon coconut milk
1 tablespoon coconut oil
Sea salt and black pepper
CURRIED EGG NOODLE POT
1 Layer up the veg in a 1-litre heatproof jar and place the egg on top. Top with the garam masala or curry powder, the garlic, chilli flakes, ginger juice and tarmari, the coconut milk and coconut oil and then season. Top with the coriander leaves.
2 When you’re ready to eat, add 200ml boiling water (or enough to fill the jar), mix together well and serve.
TIP
+ It’s also great with courgette noodles (courgetti) in the summer.
1 handful of cooked quinoa
1 tablespoon tomato sauce (see here) or passata
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil or pesto (see here)
Sliced fresh tomatoes
½ small onion, diced
½ teaspoon garlic (powder or finely chopped fresh)
1 small handful of grated Parmesan
2 handfuls of grated or spiralized courgette (or other seasonal greens, such as asparagus or spinach)
ITALIAN QUINOA NOODLE POT
1 Place the quinoa in a 1-litre heatproof jar, followed by all the other ingredients.
2 When you’re ready to eat, add 200ml boiling water (or enough to fill the jar), mix together well and serve.
SERVES 1
1 handful of shredded roast chicken
½ teaspoon garlic (powder or finely chopped fresh)
1 teaspoon tamari
1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander leaves
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh root ginger (unpeeled if organic)
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
2 handfuls of grated or spiralized carrots
1 handful of your favourite veg/salad (we used sliced radish, broccoli, green beans)
1 wedge of lime
CHICKEN AND SESAME NOODLE POT
1 Place the chicken in a 1-litre heatproof jar, followed by all the other ingredients.
2 When you’re ready to eat, add 200ml boiling water (or enough to fill the jar), mix together well and serve.
Pick your base, vegetables and flavourings, pop them all together and you’re done. As a rule of thumb, you’ll want two handfuls of vegetables and a handful of meat/egg/beans/lentils. It’s also a great way to use up leftovers in the fridge, such as salads, quinoa, roast chicken, or dips and dressings such as pesto and barbecue ketchup.
SERVES 1
PROTEIN BASE
1 handful of cooked quinoa
1 handful of cooked lentils
1 handful of cooked/tinned beans, drained and rinsed
1 handful of cooked buckwheat (soba) noodles or pasta spirals
1 handful of cooked and shredded roast chicken
1 soft-boiled egg, peeled
RAW VEGETABLES
Grated or spiralized root vegetables (such as carrot and/or beetroot)
Grated or spiralized butternut squash
Grated or spiralized courgettes
Chopped greens (such as pak choi, spinach or kale)
Shredded cabbage
Chopped red pepper (deseeded)
Sliced radishes
Fresh or frozen peas or broad beans
COOKED VEGETABLES
Leftover cooked greens (such as broccoli or kale) or cauliflower
Roasted vegetables (such as butternut squash or carrots)
FLAVOURINGS
Sea salt and black pepper
2 teaspoons miso paste
1 teaspoon tamarind paste
1 teaspoon tamari
A pinch of chilli flakes or cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon finely chopped fresh red chilli or 1 teaspoon finely chopped pickled jalapeños
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh root ginger
½ teaspoon garlic (powder or finely chopped fresh)
½ onion, diced, or 1 tablespoon chopped chives or spring onions
1 teaspoon ground spices (curry powder, garam masala, turmeric, Chinese five spice or harissa spice mix)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs or 1 teaspoon dried
1 tablespoon coconut milk
1 teaspoon coconut oil
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 small handful of grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon Homemade Sriracha (see here)
1 tablespoon pesto (see here)
1 tablespoon BBQ Ketchup (see here)
1 Choose one protein base, add two handfuls of raw or cooked vegetables (whatever you have ready to go), then add your chosen flavourings, picking as many as you like from the list.
2 Place all the ingredients in a 1-litre heatproof jar, placing the delicate ingredients at the top so they don’t get crushed.
3 When you’re ready to eat, add about 200ml hot water – enough to fill the jar – and mix everything together well before digging in.
Soothing and aromatic, dahl is in our top five meals of all time – we love it served hot or cold at anytime, including breakfast. For a speedy dahl, red lentils are the best as they don’t need pre-soaking and cook really quickly. A bowl of this with a big handful of zingy slaw on top is the ultimate comfort food. The recipe here makes six portions: enjoy any leftovers throughout the week or freeze to use another time.
SERVES 6
1 tablespoon coconut oil
2 medium onions, diced
4 garlic cloves, diced
2.5cm piece of fresh root ginger (unpeeled if organic), finely chopped
1 tablespoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon chilli powder (or to taste)
500g dried red lentils, rinsed and drained
1 × 400ml tin of full-fat coconut milk
1 litre Bone Broth (see here) or water
Juice of ½ lemon /lime or 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons tamari
2 handfuls of fresh coriander, leaves and stalks chopped
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
FOR THE SLAW
1 medium white or green cabbage, leaves shredded
1 handful of fresh coriander, leaves and stalks chopped
Juice of ½ lemon /lime or 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or flaxseed oil
Sea salt and black pepper
1 Melt the coconut oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onions and fry, stirring now and then, for 8 minutes until softened.
2 Add the garlic to the pan with the ginger, turmeric and chilli powder. Fry for a further minute, stirring to prevent the mixture catching on the bottom of the pan.
3 Tip in the lentils and add the coconut milk and broth or water to the pan. Turn up the heat, then stir, cover with a lid and cook at a medium simmer for 20–25 minutes until the lentils are tender. Add a little more broth or water if you like a soupier dahl.
4 While the dahl is cooking, make the slaw. Toss the cabbage and herbs in the lemon/lime juice or ACV and EVOO or flaxseed oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.
5 Add the lemon/lime juice or ACV to the dahl, season with the tamari and salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle over the coriander and sesame seeds. Serve with the slaw, either on the side or spooned on top.
VARIATION
+ Instead of the slaw, try a big pile of peppery watercress served on top of the hot dahl with a squeeze of lemon.
This dish is inspired by everyone’s favourite carrot and coriander soup, using squash instead. We make this with anti-inflammatory ginger for a perfect winter warmer. This soup is quick and easy, especially if you have already roasted a squash during your Sunday Cook-Off (see here). We make this with bone broth for the protein and fats, so that it’s a hearty one-pot meal – no need for a side of bread (recipe photo on here). If you don’t have any broth, coconut milk and water make a good substitute. You could also make this with 1kg carrots, chopped and roasted for 30 minutes until tender. We use the whole lemon here: don’t forget to zest it before you juice it – much easier!
SERVES 4
1 large butternut squash
1 tablespoon ghee or coconut oil
2 medium onions, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
3cm piece of fresh root ginger (unpeeled if organic), grated or roughly chopped
3 celery sticks, roughly chopped
1.4 litres Bone Broth (see here) or 1 × 400ml tin of full-fat coconut milk plus 1 litre water
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon tamari
FOR THE CORIANDER OIL
2 handfuls of fresh coriander, leaves and stalks finely chopped
Zest of 1 lemon
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper
1 Preheat the oven to fan 220°C/Gas mark 9. Pop the whole butternut squash in the oven and roast for 40 minutes until a knife slides in easily.
2 Meanwhile, make the coriander oil. Mix the coriander in a small bowl with the lemon zest, garlic and EVOO (or blend everything in the small bowl of a food processor) and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
3 Melt the ghee or coconut oil in a large pan, add the onions and fry over a medium heat for 5 minutes until softened.
4 Add the garlic with the ginger and celery and cook for a further 2 minutes. Pour in the bone broth or coconut milk and water, bring to a medium simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
5 Halve the roasted squash, remove the seeds and discard, then scoop the flesh into the pan and add a big pinch of salt and pepper. Simmer for a final 5 minutes.
6 Add the lemon juice and tamari, then purée the soup until smooth with a hand-held stick blender or in batches in a food processor. Taste for seasoning, bearing in mind that tamari is salty so you’ll need to add less salt.
7 Serve each bowl of soup with a drizzle of the coriander oil.
TIP
+ Keep a knob of fresh root ginger in the freezer to preserve it, and grate from frozen.
This is a quick and easy creamy spinach soup – perfect for fighting off a bug. The immune-boosting properties of ginger, garlic, turmeric and lemons, along with the nourishing broth, will pep you up in no time. From your store cupboard to a bowl of soup in front of the fire (we wish!) in 10 minutes – it’s our secret weapon against the British weather (recipe photo here).
SERVES 3
2 teaspoons coconut oil
2cm piece of fresh root ginger (unpeeled if organic)
2 garlic cloves
½ lemon or 1 lime
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
4 spring onions or ½ small onion, roughly chopped
1 × 400ml tin full-fat coconut milk
1 × 400g tin of cannellini or butter beans, drained and rinsed
450g spinach, fresh or frozen
2 teaspoons tamari
A pinch of chilli powder or cayenne pepper (optional)
Sea salt and black pepper
1 Gently melt the coconut oil in a saucepan and grate the ginger, garlic and lemon or lime zest straight into the pan. Add the turmeric and spring onions or onion and cook on a medium heat for 2 minutes.
2 Pour in the coconut milk and bring to a medium simmer. Add the drained beans and the spinach, place a lid on the pan and cook for 2 minutes.
3 Squeeze in the lemon/lime juice and add the tamari with a pinch of salt and pepper and chilli powder or cayenne pepper (if using).
4 Blend everything together using a hand-held stick blender or in a food processor and check the seasoning before serving up.
We’ve given this classic recipe a healthy Hemsley twist and added carrots, rather than sugar, for sweetness, and beans to make it creamy and more filling. Try adding Homemade Sriracha (see here) drizzled over the top or a spoonful of pesto (see here), for a flavour punch. This soup is also delicious served chilled in the summer, using up the abundance of ripe fresh tomatoes – check out your farmers’ markets at the end of a summer day for a bargain job lot. If you have any left over, simmer it down to reduce it and enjoy as an Italian-style tomato sauce for your courgetti. You can also make double quantities and freeze half. Great with Quinoa Courgette Toast (see here).
SERVES 4
1 tablespoon ghee or coconut oil
1 large onion, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2 medium carrots, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon tomato purée
2 × 400g tins of tomatoes or 800g fresh tomatoes, chopped
1 × 400g tin of cannellini or butter beans, drained and rinsed
400ml Bone Broth (preferably chicken bones – here) or water
1 teaspoon maple syrup (optional)
Sea salt and black pepper
TO SERVE (OPTIONAL)
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
1 large handful of fresh basil leaves, chopped, or pesto (see here)
1 Melt the ghee or coconut oil in a large saucepan, add the onion and fry on a medium heat for 8 minutes until softened.
2 Add the garlic, carrots, tomato purée and a big pinch of salt and pepper and cook for a further minute.
3 Tip in the tinned or fresh tomatoes and the drained beans, followed by the broth or water, turn up the heat, cover with a lid and cook at a medium simmer for 10 minutes until the carrots are tender. (Pierce a carrot chunk with a knife to check that it cuts through easily.)
4 Purée the soup until smooth in the pan using a hand-held stick blender, or in batches in a food processor, and then taste for seasoning, adding salt, pepper or maple syrup (if using) if needed. You can also add more broth or water to get to the consistency you want.
5 Ladle into bowls. Stir through the basil (if using) and serve with a drizzle of EVOO.
This light, brothy soup is our go-to supper whenever we come home late, tired, hungry and in need of something speedy and easy to digest to ensure a good night’s sleep. Broth, ginger, eggs and greens provide a powerhouse combination that is surprisingly delicious for breakfast, too, and sets you up perfectly for the day ahead. For a heartier meal, double all of the ingredients except for the broth. You’ll soon not need the recipe and you’ll be using this as a base for a variety of veggie, bone broth drop-egg soups.
SERVES 4
1 litre Bone Broth (see here)
½ teaspoon grated fresh root ginger (unpeeled if organic)
3 spring onions, chopped, plus extra (optional) to serve
1 big handful of favourite greens (such as spinach, pak choi, cabbage or chard), roughly chopped as needed
¼ teaspoon white pepper
1–2 tablespoons tamari, to taste
2 eggs
1 small handful of fresh coriander or chives, roughly chopped, to garnish (optional)
1 Pour the broth (see variation here) into a large saucepan, add the ginger and then the spring onions and greens. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and season with the white pepper and tamari.
2 Crack the eggs into a bowl and lightly beat. When the broth is gently simmering, slowly drizzle in the beaten eggs in a circular motion and stir, then turn off the heat, letting the eggs cook for about 1 minute. Alternatively, crack each egg whole into the broth and poach lightly for a few minutes.
3 Top with chopped coriander, chives or extra spring onions (if using) and serve immediately.
TIP
+ If using baby spinach, only add it in the last few minutes of cooking.
VARIATION
+ If you don’t have any Bone Broth, use 1 litre of water instead and add 1–2 tablespoons of unpasteurised miso paste to the soup when it’s off the heat, just after adding the eggs, and stir until thoroughly mixed.
