To celebrate National Vegetarian Week (15-21 May), here’s a selection of weekend-worthy meals for meat-free fans
Okra with tomato sauce & couscous
Bored with the same old veg? Try this easy vegetarian dish that makes the most of okra.
■ Serves 4 ■ Prep 15 mins ■ Cook 1 hr
2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to serve
2 red onions, finely chopped
250g okra, each sliced into 4 pieces
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp ground allspice
500g passata
300g couscous
1 lemon, juiced
200g vegetarian feta or natural yogurt
small pack parsley, chopped
1 Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the onions and cook over a medium-high heat for 10 mins, adding a splash of water if the onions stick. Add the okra, garlic and allspice, toss to coat, then add the passata. Pour in 100ml of water, cover and simmer for 40 mins or until the okra is tender.
2 Pour 350ml boiling water over the couscous, cover and leave to stand for 10 mins, then season and stir with a fork to break up any clumps.
3 Stir the lemon juice into the okra, then serve on top of the couscous with feta and parsley scattered over, or yogurt spooned on top.
PER SERVING 550 kcals, fat 18g, saturates 8g, carbs 70g, sugars 13g, fibre 9g, protein 22g, salt 1g
Many of us automatically include vegetarian recipes in our weekly repertoire these days. It’s healthy, as well as being good for the finances. So whether you’re a fully-fledged veggie or you simply want to try something different, let these easy recipes give you some meat-free weekend inspiration.
Halloumi flatbreads with red cabbage slaw
Mix any leftover slaw with a grain of your choice for a satisfying salad.
■ Serves 6 ■ Prep 15 mins ■ Cook 15 mins
50g pumpkin seeds
2 tbsp cumin seeds
1 small red cabbage (about 650g),
core removed, shredded
2 mixed peppers, deseeded and
cut into strips
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
6-8 flatbreads or wraps
2 x 250g blocks halloumi,
each cut into 12 strips
100g hummus
80g bag rocket
1 Toast the pumpkin seeds with the cumin seeds in a large frying pan until they begin to pop and smell fragrant, then transfer to a large bowl. Add the cabbage, peppers and vinegar. Season well, mix thoroughly and set aside.
2 Heat the oven to low and put the bread in to warm through. Using the pan you used to toast the seeds, fry the halloumi in batches for 3 mins each side until crispy and golden. Keep warm in the oven.
3 Spread a layer of hummus on each flatbread and top with a handful of slaw, halloumi and rocket to serve.
PER SERVING 693 kcals, fat 40g, saturates 16g, carbs 47g, sugars 8g, fibre 8g, protein 32g, salt 4g
Spring tabbouleh
Leftovers will be good for lunch the next day; add leftover roast chicken to make it go further.
■ Serves
