Elly’s Plate: 3 autumnal comfort food favourites with a plant-based twist

From stylist.co.uk

Photography: Jo Sidey 

If you follow a plant-based diet and are in need of some comfort food this season, look no further than these three delicious recipes 

When we think of comfort food, our minds may automatically wander to creamy pastas, slow-cooked meats and indulgent desserts, but these aren’t always the most accommodating for those who follow a plant-based diet. But whether you’ve recently gone vegan, are lactose-intolerant or cooking for friends with different diets, there is a way that you can still enjoy your favourite seasonal dishes – and the answer lies in a brand-new cookbook. 

Elly’s Plate by recipe content creator and author Elly Smart is here to prove that plant-based food can be both decadent and delicious. Filled with over 75 main course dishes to take you through the week – from 10-minute meals to dinner party centrepieces – each recipe is perfect for autumn/winter and won’t leave you feeling like you’re missing out. 

Three bean chorizo chilli

Elly says: “I must admit, it takes a lot to get me excited about a chilli, but there’s something about this one that means I make it on repeat. That it’s a one-pot wonder always helps, but the smokiness of the chorizo really sets this apart from your usual weeknight favourite.”

Prep: 5 mins

Cook: 20 mins

Difficulty level: 2/5

Protein per serving: 22.3g (13/16oz)

Serves 4

Ingredients

• vegetable oil, for frying
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• 1 red (bell) pepper, finely sliced
• 1 red chilli, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1½ tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 400ml (1¾ cups) hot vegan beef stock or vegetable stock
• 15g (½oz) dark chocolate (ensure vegan)
• 1 tsp soft light brown sugar
• 400g (14oz) can whole plum tomatoes
• 400g (14oz) can mixed beans, drained and rinsed
• 250g (9oz) tofu chorizo (see below)
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

To serve:

• 300g (10½oz) basmati rice
• 4 tbsp soy yogurt
• small handful of coriander (cilantro), roughly chopped
• lime wedges, for squeezing

Method

Add a glug of vegetable oil to a frying pan (skillet) set over a medium heat. Add the red onion, red pepper, chilli and garlic and sauté for 5–7 minutes until beginning to soften. Season well with salt and pepper then add the paprika, ground cumin and coriander and fry for a few seconds before deglazing the pan with the vinegar.

Add the stock, dark chocolate and sugar, then tip in the tomatoes, crushing them with your hands or a spoon as you add them. Stir everything well then add the mixed beans, cover the pan and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 10 minutes, then add the chorizo to the chilli and remove the pan from the heat.

Cook the rice according to the packet instructions then serve it in bowls topped with the chilli. Dollop a spoonful of yoghurt onto each then sprinkle with coriander and serve with lime wedges for squeezing.

Tofu Chorizo

Prep: 10 mins

Cook: 35 mins

Difficulty level: 2/5

Protein per 50g (2oz): 4.6g (3/16oz)

Makes about 750g (26oz)

Ingredients

• 675g (1½lb) smoked extra-firm tofu, drained
• 6 tbsp smoked sweet paprika
• 2 tsp ground cayenne pepper (or to taste)
• 3 tsp ground cumin
• 6 tbsp maple syrup
• 9 tbsp tomato purée (paste)
• 3 tsp salt
• 3 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 18 sundried tomatoes, finely chopped, plus 12 tbsp oil from the jar (or use olive oil)

Method

Preheat your oven to 210°C (190°C fan/410°F/Gas 6–7) and line a baking tray (sheet) with baking parchment.

Using your hands, crumble the tofu into a bowl in very small pieces so it resembles the texture of minced (ground) meat (you can also use a food processor if the tofu is very firm). Add the spices, maple syrup, tomato purée, salt and pepper and mix thoroughly, then add the oil from the sundried tomato jar and mix again.

Tip the mixture onto the lined baking tray, ensuring it’s spread out evenly. Bake for 25 minutes, tossing the mixture every 3 minutes as it colours very quickly (add an extra drizzle of oil if it starts to dry out). Add the sundried tomatoes to the baking tray and stir, then return to the oven for a further 5–10 minutes until the tofu is a deep brown colour with a slight char at the edges.

Remove from the oven and leave to cool, then transfer to a sealed container. This will keep in the fridge for 4–5 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Note

Depending on the size of jar you’re able to purchase, you may need to buy two jars of sundried tomatoes to reach the stated quantity. If you don’t have enough oil from the jar, simply top up with olive oil.

Lasagne with white bean bechamel

Elly says: “Making a classic lasagne can really pile up the dirty dishes. That’s why this one uses a speedy no-cook white sauce. The beans here add creaminess and a big boost of fibre too. You can’t go wrong!”

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 1 hour

Difficulty level: 4/5

Protein per serving: 28.4g (1oz)

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 250g (9oz) lasagne sheets (ensure vegan)
• 200g (7oz) meltable vegan Cheddar, grated
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the filling:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 250g (9oz) vegan beef mince (vegan ground beef)
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 2 celery sticks, finely chopped
• 6 chestnut (cremini) mushrooms, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar
• 400g (14oz) can of plum tomatoes
• small handful of basil, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp dried mixed herbs
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 2 tbsp tomato purée (paste)
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Marmite (or other yeast extract)
• 100g (½ cup) dried red lentils
• 300ml (1¼ cups) vegan beef stock (or use vegetable stock)

For the white bean béchamel:

• 2 x 400g (14oz) cans white beans; 1 can drained and rinsed, 1 can still with its liquid
• 250ml (1 cup) oat milk
• juice of ½ lemon
• 1 tbsp white miso paste
• 1 tsp English mustard
• 4 tbsp nutritional yeast
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• ½ tsp salt

Method

First, make the filling. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a deep, lidded frying pan (skillet) set over a medium heat. Once hot, add the vegan minced beef and fry for 5–7 minutes until browned, then transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Place the pan back on the heat, then add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, followed by the onion, carrot, celery, mushrooms and garlic. Season well with salt and pepper and fry for 8–10 minutes until catching and slightly browned.

Pour in the vinegar to deglaze the pan, then add the remaining ingredients, crushing the plum tomatoes by hand as you add them.

Give everything a good stir and allow to come back up to temperature, then reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes until the lentils are soft. Add the vegan minced beef back to the pan and stir to combine. Taste, adding salt and pepper if needed, then remove from the heat and discard the bay leaves.

Preheat your oven to 220°C (200°C fan/425°F/Gas 7).

To make the white sauce, simply add all the ingredients to a blender (including the liquid from one of the cans of white beans) and blitz until smooth. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.

Grab a baking dish about 30 x 20cm (113⁄4 x 8in) in size. Spoon a third of the filling into the dish in an even layer then top with some lasagne sheets, avoiding any overlap (snap them if needed). Spoon in another layer of filling, drizzle over a third of the white bean béchamel, sprinkle with a third of the grated Cheddar, then add another layer of lasagne sheets. Repeat this once more (filling, bechamel, cheese, pasta), then finish by topping the final set of lasagne sheets with the remaining third of béchamel and grated cheese.

Place the baking dish on a baking sheet to catch any overflow while it cooks, then transfer the lasagne to the oven to bake for 35–45 minutes, or until the top is golden and bubbling. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving with a green salad. 

Double mushroom brisket and lentil ragu

Elly says: “Even if you’re a mushroom hater, please just stay with me for this one. Drying the mushrooms out in the pan totally changes their texture and gives such a “meaty” vibe to this ragù – try it and I promise you’ll love it.”

Prep: 10 mins

Cook: 45 mins

Difficulty level: 4/5

Protein per serving: 20g (11/16oz)

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 5 dried shiitake mushrooms
• 100ml (⅓ cup) boiling water
• 300g (10½oz) oyster mushrooms, torn into thin strips
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp smoked hot paprika
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tsp agave syrup
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 1 celery stick, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 120ml (½ cup) red wine (ensure vegan)
• 400g (14oz) can brown or green lentils, including the liquid from the can
• 400g (14oz) can plum tomatoes
• 1 reduced-salt vegetable stock cube
• 1 heaped tsp Marmite (or other yeast extract)
• 2 bay leaves
• 300g (10½oz) green beans, to serve
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the butter bean mash: 

• 2 tbsp vegan butter
• 4 x 400g (14oz) can butter (lima) beans, drained and rinsed
• 100g (3½oz) meltable vegan Cheddar, grated
• juice of 1 lemon
• small handful of chives, finely chopped

Method

Place the dried shiitake mushrooms in a heatproof bowl and pour over the boiling water to just cover the mushrooms. Set aside to rehydrate for 30 minutes then drain (reserving the soaking liquid) and roughly chop.

Place a casserole dish over a medium–high heat and add the oyster mushrooms with a pinch of salt. Fry for about 10 minutes, pressing the mushrooms with a spatula to help release water. Once the water has cooked off and they are dry (and sound a bit squeaky when you mix them), add the cumin, paprika, soy sauce and agave syrup and mix well.

Stir in 1 tablespoon of the oil then scrape any extra flavour and charred bits from the bottom of the dish using a spatula. Cook for a further 2 minutes then transfer the oyster mushrooms to a plate and set aside.

Place the dish back over a medium heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the onions, carrot and celery and sweat for 10 minutes until they start to caramelize. Add the garlic and rehydrated shiitake mushrooms then cook for 2 more minutes before deglazing the pan with the red wine.

Tip in the lentils, along with the liquid from the can, and the plum tomatoes, breaking them apart with your hands as you add them.

Crumble in the stock cube, then add the Marmite, bay leaves and the liquid used to rehydrate the shiitake mushrooms. Stir everything well then place the lid on the dish and reduce the heat to low–medium. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, then add the oyster mushrooms back to the casserole dish.

Meanwhile, make the butter bean mash. Set a large saucepan over a medium heat and add the butter. Once the butter has melted, add the butter beans, Cheddar and lemon juice and cook for about 5 minutes, crushing the beans with a wooden spoon as they soften.

Using a hand-held blender, blitz the beans until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste then stir through the chives. Keep warm.

Set a steamer over a pan of boiling water and steam the green beans for about 5 minutes until tender.

Serve the ragù over the butterbean mash with the green beans on the side.

Elly’s Plate by Elly Smart (£24.99, DK RED) is out now 

https://www.stylist.co.uk/food-drink/vegan-comfort-food-recipes-ellys-plate/934720