In need of some kitchen inspo? You’ll want to try out these recipes
You’ve decreed that 2024 is going to be the year you cook more and rely on Deliveroo and meal deals less but you’re already bored of your regular rotation of dishes and are struggling for inspo in the kitchen. Sound familiar? We hear you and we’ve got you.
We’ve rounded up some of the best recipes that deliver big flavour without requiring you to source obscure ingredients and use every single pot, pan and utensil you own. This is the time of year for comforting, warming dishes – yay for soup season (and food-you-can-eat-with-a-spoon season) – so we’ve rounded up some easy soup recipes to keep you feeling nice and toasty. We’ve also got some more saucy dishes, including a healthy vegan curry recipe, that you can get your spoons into plus an indulgent-but-easy bake to whip up at the weekend.
Pasta e Fagioli | Alfie Steiner
Can’t decide between pasta and soup? Make this pasta e fagioli (pasta and beans) and won’t have to. Similar to minestrone, this dish combines the heartiness of pasta with the goodness of beans and broth, making it both warming and filling. Alfie Steiner’s version is plant-based but the recipe can be easily adapted to suit whatever you’ve got in your fridge and cupboard, and you can easily double it up to make a big batch.
Serves: 4
Time: 50 minutes
Vibe: Vegan / Batch Cooking / Easy
Chilli & Tomato Soup | Emma Louise Connolly
When it’s cold outside, there’s nothing finer than a tomato soup, and while you could reach for a trusty can of Heinz, it’s so simple to make your own from scratch. Emma Louise Connolly has kicked things up a notch by adding a dash of chilli but you could easily leave it out if you don’t like the heat, and you could also up the proportions to make a batch load. And have some crusty bread on hand to mop it all up.
Serves: 2
Time: 30 minutes
Vibe: Batch Cooking / Easy
Black Cabbage Pasta | Gizzi Erskine
If you like a real saucy pasta then you’ll wanna give this black cabbage pasta from Gizzi Erskine a go. Hers is a variation on the original dish from the River Cafe and uses plenty of garlic and anchovies to punch up the flavour so it tastes as vibrant as it looks, and it’ll convert anyone who thinks they don’t like cabbage.
Serves: 2
Time: 30 minutes
Vibe: Batch Cooking / Easy
Chickpea Masala | Lauren Leyva
Put all those tins of chickpeas in your cupboard to good use by making Lauren Leyva’s chickpea masala. Packed with warming spices and with creaminess from coconut milk, it’s a super satisfying curry that you can you can pimp with garnishes of chillies and herbs. She serves it with naan bread but if you’ve got a crowd to feed (or you’re meal prepping your lunches) it also goes great over rice.
Serves: 4
Time: 35 minutes
Vibe: Batch Cooking / Easy / Healthy / Vegan
Remi Idowu | Oreo Cupcakes
Calling all Oreo fans! Don’t just start scoffing them from the packet, turn them into these epic Oreo cupcakes instead. Remi Idowu’s recipe is simple enough for novice bakers but the Oreo-infused buttercream and the genius biscuit base make it look and taste really impressive. This makes 15 cupcakes, so theoretically that’s enough to see you through the week, but we doubt they’ll hang around that long.
Serves: Makes 15 cupcakes
Time: 35 minutes
Vibe: Baking / Easy