Homemade Croutons

Homemade Croutons

Homemade Croutons are incredibly easy and economical. Traditionally a way to use up stale bread, they’re a wonderfully moreish and crunchy addition to soups and salads. Containing just bread and oil plus any flavourings you want, the only difficulty is not nibbling them all before …Read more

Leek, Potato & Ham Soup

Leek, Potato & Ham Soup

Leek, Potato & Ham Soup takes a classic and adds extra protein and flavour with cooked ham. This lighter but still wonderfully tasty version finished with chives is made with equal parts milk and stock, the usual cream being entirely optional. Don’t like ham? Use …Read more

Bean and Pulse Soups

Bean and Pulse Soups

Bean and Pulse Soups can be tasty, nutritious and economical. Whether you’re looking for a hearty bowlful like minestrone, a simple delicate lentil soup, or something special like creamy bean and pancetta, you’ll find lots to tempt you in this round-up of my favourite bean …Read more

Sausage, Potato, Bean and Kale Soup

Sausage, Potato, Bean and Kale Soup

Sausage, Potato, Bean and Kale Soup is hearty and warming, a complete simple meal in a bowl. Protein, carbs and veggies are cooked in a soothing, garlicky broth that tastes lightly creamy thanks to a combination of chicken stock and milk.    Unusually, the recipe …Read more

Beef and Vegetable Soup

Beef and Vegetable Soup

Beef and Vegetable Soup is one of those dishes you’ll want to make again and again. Warming, hearty and satisfying, it’s packed with chunks of tender meat, potatoes, plus loads of vegetables bathed in a delicious broth. With deep, rich and savoury flavour, you’ll be …Read more

Sweetcorn and Bacon Chowder

Sweetcorn and Bacon Chowder

Sweetcorn and Bacon Chowder is my lighter take on a classic, made with milk and stock instead of lots of cream. The golden coloured, thick soup is still full of flavour from corn and smoky bacon plus the freshness of chives. Tender cubes of potato …Read more

Chicken with Olives, Lemon and Chickpeas

Chicken with Olives, Lemon and Chickpeas

Chicken with Olives, Lemon and Chickpeas is a twist on a classic Moroccan tagine. Browned chicken pieces slowly braised in a tangy spiced sauce with olives and preserved (or fresh) lemon plus chickpeas makes a satisfying, delicious stew. Serve with bread or rice and salad …Read more

Cream of Vegetable Soup with Croutons

Cream of Vegetable Soup with Croutons

Cream of Vegetable Soup is beautifully simple but so tasty. Full of vegetables like carrot, leek, and peas, it’s subtly flavoured with garlic and herbs. Despite the name, like most traditional ‘cream of’ soups, it doesn’t contain cream. Its velvety texture is thanks to a combination …Read more

Spicy Sweet Potato and Chickpea Stew

Spicy Sweet Potato and Chickpea Stew

Spicy Sweet Potato and Chickpea Stew makes a satisfying, comforting bowlful. With an Indian-inspired mix of aromatics, whole and ground spices, this incredibly tasty but easy dish is packed with vegetables and pulses. Eat just as it is, with a dollop of yogurt on top, …Read more

Meaty Stews and Braises

Meaty Stews and Braises

Deep into autumn now, I’m regularly craving rich, meaty stews and braises for dinner. As the evenings get chillier, tasty, tender meat served with the delicious sauce it was cooked in is exactly the type of hearty food I’m after. In this post I share …Read more

Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli Soup

Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli Soup

Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli Soup is incredibly simple but tastes so good. With a smooth, silky texture, it’s full of flavour without heavier ingredients like cream found in many versions. In fact, I think this pared-down recipe which allows the vegetables to shine, might be …Read more

Smoked Mackerel Chowder

Smoked Mackerel Chowder

Smoked Mackerel Chowder is a complete meal in a bowl with bags of flavour and lots of good things in every spoonful. In this thick, lightly creamy soup there’s chunks of fish, smoky bacon, onion, celery, leeks, garlic, potato, and peas, all flavoured with fresh …Read more

Quick Dumpling Soup

Quick Dumpling Soup

Quick Dumpling Soup, based on frozen gyoza and inspired by East and Southeast Asian flavours, can be made in fifteen to twenty minutes. With store cupboard ingredients like soy sauce, rice vinegar, and chilli oil, a handful of aromatics (garlic, ginger, spring onion) plus your …Read more

Soupe au Pistou (French vegetable soup with basil)

Soupe au Pistou (French vegetable soup with basil)

Soupe au Pistou is a simple vegetable, bean, and pasta soup from the south of France. Traditionally based on seasonal summer vegetables like courgette, beans, and tomatoes, the highlight is the punchy basil and garlic pistou from which the soup gets its name. A stripped-down version of …Read more

Hummus Soup

Hummus Soup

Hummus Soup is a delicious, easy way of using up leftovers of the ever-popular chickpea and tahini dip. Light and refreshing, but so tasty, it can be ready in just five minutes. Perfect for a quick lunch or unusual first course, I like to top …Read more

Chickpea, Chorizo & Kale Soup

Chickpea, Chorizo & Kale Soup

Chickpea, Chorizo & Kale Soup, simple but hearty and delicious, is inspired by the cocidos and caldos of central and northern Spain. Smoked paprika intensifies the chorizo flavour of a garlicky broth that’s subtly spiced with cumin and chilli. Add in chickpeas, potatoes, kale, or …Read more

Minestrone Soup Recipe

Minestrone Soup Recipe

Minestrone Soup is a tasty and hearty one pot meal. Packed with vegetables and beans plus pasta, you can adapt the ingredients according to the seasons and whatever you have in your fridge and cupboards. This winter version includes carrots, potatoes, kale (you can swap …Read more

Venison Sausage Casserole

Venison Sausage Casserole

Venison Sausage Casserole is a rich and comforting, hearty dish that’s full of flavour. Meaty sausages and whole mushrooms are cooked with bacon, vegetables, garlic, chestnuts, red wine, beef stock, and sage. The result is a special but easy and delicious stew that’s perfect for …Read more

Lentil & Bacon Soup

Lentil & Bacon Soup

Lentil & Bacon Soup is a nutritious, simple yet tasty soup that’s perfect for chilly days. Made with quick cooking split red lentils, plus smoked bacon and vegetables, everyday ingredients are transformed into something hearty, comforting and delicious. Disclosure: this post may contain affiliate links. …Read more

Chickpea, Potato & Coconut Curry

Chickpea, Potato & Coconut Curry

Chickpea, Potato & Coconut Curry is subtly spiced but delicious. Chickpeas and potatoes in a coconut-yogurt sauce flavoured with earthy spices like cumin, coriander, mustard, turmeric, and fennel seed. Not your average chickpea and potato curry, here chunks of crispy roasted potato are stirred in …Read more

Pork Braised in Cider with Apples

Pork Braised in Cider with Apples

Pork Braised in Cider with Apples is a delicious, rich, comforting dish that’s perfect for the cooler months. Pork rib eye steaks (or you can substitute pig cheeks) become beautifully tender cooked in cider and chicken stock. Along with onions, garlic and sage, apples add …Read more

Roasted Root Veg Soup

Roasted Root Veg Soup

Roasted Root Veg Soup is a great way of using up odds and ends of all kinds of root vegetables. Roasted in olive oil with a few seasonings, they become sweeter as they caramelize. All you need do then is simmer in stock for five minutes …Read more

Leek, Potato & Watercress Soup

Leek, Potato & Watercress Soup

Leek, Potato & Watercress Soup is a nutritious twist on the familiar leek and potato soup. Adding the peppery leaves right near the end freshens and lightens this delicious soup that cooks in around twenty-five minutes.     When it comes to easy comfort food, …Read more

Scotch Broth Recipe

Scotch Broth Recipe

Scotch Broth, also known as barley broth, is a one-pot meal in a bowl. With pearl barley, pulses, root vegetables, greens and lamb, my version is hearty and satisfying. It’s also very economical. By combining a little leftover roast lamb with cheaper ingredients like green …Read more

Cauliflower, Mushroom, Carlin Pea Curry

Cauliflower, Mushroom, Carlin Pea Curry

Cauliflower, Mushroom, Carlin Pea Curry is warmly spicy with a hint of creaminess thanks to a little coconut milk in the rich tomato-based sauce. In this easy curry made with whole and ground spices, roasting the vegetables intensifies their flavour and keeps more of the cauliflower’s …Read more