Eating 30 plants a week has been touted as the new health rule to live by – but how do you reach that magic number? Plant foods include the obvious fruit and vegetables but also spices, nuts, seeds, grains and herbs. Packing your plate with colour and texture is a great way to start, along with looking outside the fruit and veg you typically pick up on the weekly shop and adding a handful of fresh herbs or sprinkle of nuts to your dish before eating.
Let this list of our favourite plant-packed recipes inspire you on the path to up your intake – with no boring salads in sight!
Eating 30 plants a week has been touted as the new health rule to live by – but how do you reach that magic number? Plant foods include the obvious fruit and vegetables but also spices, nuts, seeds, grains and herbs. Packing your plate with colour and texture is a great way to start, along with looking outside the fruit and veg you typically pick up on the weekly shop and adding a handful of fresh herbs or sprinkle of nuts to your dish before eating.
Let this list of our favourite plant-packed recipes inspire you on the path to up your intake – with no boring salads in sight!
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20 of our best plant-packed recipes
Leftovers gochujang rice bowl The vegetables left over from your roast dinner build a rainbow bowl of nourishment in this recipe inspired by Korean bibimbap. Sesame seeds, garlic and kimchi all add to the plant count, alongside the leftover veg.
Mushroom stroganoff ramen
This vegan recipe from MasterChef favourite Omar Foster mashes up two beloved dishes: Japanese ramen and Russian stroganoff. The guest list for this plant party includes parsley, spring onions, ginger, Tenderstem broccoli, radishes, cashew nuts and two types of mushroom.
Masala baked beans
Make your own spiced baked beans and up your plant count! Haricot or cannellini beans are joined by red onions, green chillies, garlic cloves, ginger, tomato and spices including cardamom, fennel, coriander and cumin seeds. A homemade coriander chutney adds freshness.
Bangladeshi shingara chaat
British-Bangladeshi food writer Dina Begum shares her recipe for a colourful chaat, inspired by a street food favourite: shingara. “Shingaras are Bangladeshi pyramid-shaped samosas filled with spiced potatoes,” says Dina. “This chaat is a deconstructed version, with potatoes and chickpeas topped with mint yogurt and tamarind chutney.” Pomegranate seeds, fresh herbs and plenty of spices add to the plant count.
Herb and walnut frittata
Inspired by Persian kuku sabzi, this verdant frittata is packed full of herbs and onions. There’s no need to remove the stalks from soft herbs – they have lots of flavour and can be chopped up with the leaves. Swap the walnuts for pine nuts, almonds or any other nuts you have to hand.
Green shakshuka with feta and herbs
This ‘green’ shakshuka recipe from cookbook author Ruth Nieman is a lively adaption of the popular Middle Eastern breakfast, made from a medley of greens (including chard, spinach and fennel) and fresh herbs, topped with salty feta, a drizzle of olive oil and coriander leaves.
Crudités with dill mayonnaise
This gorgeous green mayo gets its colour from a simple dill-infused oil (which looks cheffy but couldn’t be simpler to make). Serve with lots of fresh crudités as a great snack or pre-dinner nibble that provides transforms raw veg into a moreish treat.
Spinach, chard and chickpea puff pie This rich vegan pie is filled with slowly caramelised onions, plenty of wilted greens and creamy chickpeas. Baked in a tray with shop-bought puff pastry, it’s easy to assemble too. Onions, garlic, chilli flakes and ground cumin all add to the plant tally.
Cauliflower steak diane with potato wedges An indulgent veggie dinner that packs in more plants than you realise. Calling a thick slice of cauliflower a ‘steak’ can be a little contentious – but when it’s roasted with butter, garlic and thyme, it’s a glorious thing no matter what you name it. Served in a retro mushroom diane sauce with spinach and crispy poppy seed potato wedges on the side, this is an absolute treat of a veggie main.
Sprout and harissa hash with tahini yogurt
This seasonal brunch celebrates sprouts with the help of Middle Eastern pantry staples such as fiery harissa, creamy tahini and a crunchy, fragrant dukkah topping (a combo of nuts, seeds and spices).
Black garlic and clementine nut roast Make this nut roast the pick for your next roast dinner. The tangy umami of black garlic is perfectly matched by the sweet, zesty clementines in this satisfying veggie main, which also includes button mushrooms, lentils, chestnuts, mixed nuts and dried cranberries.
Maunika Gowardhan’s vegetable korma (Navratan korma)
Food writer Maunika Gowardhan’s celebratory vegetable korma is packed with cashews, vegetables, ginger and tangy pineapple. Maunika says: “The literal translation of this recipe is nav, which means nine, and ratan, which means jewels, and this rich vegetarian curry is surely fit for royalty.”
Brown butter pumpkin salad with pomegranate and burrata
This luxurious salad has it all: pumpkin, spinach, tart pomegranate seeds, sharp sumac, crunchy hazelnuts and chewy sultanas – plus a brown butter dressing and sumptuous burrata cheese. Indulgence with substance.
Vegetarian paella Paella is usually a relatively meaty affair (or fishy, depending where in Spain you are), but this vegetarian version is perfect for adapting to the seasons and using whatever vegetables are to hand to adorn the rice.
