Refresh your festive traditions with a vegan FEAST by Katy Beskow laden with spices, nuts and fruits
Creamy celeriac soup with toasted hazelnuts
This simple-to-make soup is mellow and fragrant, making it the perfect dish to start your festive meal. Celeriac is roasted before being blended with rosemary-infused stock and vegan cream, then topped with toasted hazelnuts, parsley and a little extra vegan cream. The result? A creamy, nutty soup, with perfectly balanced sweetness.
SERVES 6
• 3 rounded tbsp blanched and chopped hazelnuts
• 1 medium (approximately 800g) celeriac, peeled and evenly chopped into chunks
• 1 onion, quartered
• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
• Generous drizzle sunflower oil
• 800ml vegetable stock
• 1 rosemary sprig
• 200ml vegan double cream, plus extra to serve
• Small handful flat-leaf parsley, to serve
1 Add the hazelnuts to a dry pan and toast over medium heat for 3-4min until fragrant and light golden. Set aside.
2 Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan) mark 4.
3 Arrange the chopped celeriac, onion and carrot in a roasting tray. Drizzle with sunflower oil, then roast in the oven for 40-45min until tender. If the edges of the vegetables are becoming browned, place a sheet of kitchen foil loosely over the top to avoid further browning, which can cause bitterness in the soup.
4 Meanwhile, heat the vegetable stock over medium heat in a pan with the rosemary sprig. Simmer for 5-6min, then remove and discard the rosemary.
5 Spoon the roasted celeriac, onion and carrot into the infused vegetable stock, along with the vegan double cream, then use a hand blender to blitz until silky smooth. Alternatively, add the stock, vegetables and cream to a high-powered jug blender and blitz until smooth. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
6 Ladle the soup into warmed bowls. Sprinkle over the toasted hazelnuts, about ½tbsp in each bowl. Drizzle over a little extra vegan cream, then scatter with a few leaves of flat-leaf parsley. Serve hot.
EASY TIP
The soup can be made up to 3 days in advance and chilled, or frozen up to a month in advance. Defrost, if frozen, and reheat thoroughly before topping with freshly toasted hazelnuts.
Charred cabbage wedges with chilli, tomatoes and olives
Reimagine the humble cabbage! Roast wedges until lightly charred for extra flavour and an unexpected wow factor. Spoon over tomatoes, olives and parsley for an Italian twist that everyone will love.
SERVES 4
• 1 Savoy cabbage, cut into quarters, then each quarter halved again (8 wedges in total)
• 2tbsp olive oil
• Generous pinch dried chilli flakes
• 250g cherry tomatoes, chilled, roughly diced
• Generous handful flat-leaf parsley, ro
