The Best Seasonal Vegetables For Plant-Based Comfort Food
With cooler weather comes the necessity to keep ourselves warm, and eating energy-dense foods is a sure-fire way to cover our thermoregulatory needs! Our bodies tell us what nutrients we're lacking through the form of cravings… and these autumn and winter months bring strong cravings for carbohydrate-based meals.
That doesn't mean we need to rely on processed foods like McDonald's fries or greasy burgers - we can easily achieve fulfilling meals without straying from the house (that is, if you get your veggie boxes delivered!).
There are the classic winter root crops like potatoes, carrots, beetroot, celeriac and kumara that create mouth-watering soups, bakes and casseroles. Other crave-worthy plant-based morsels like pumpkin, leek, cauliflower and broccoli, to name but a few, could have your salivary glands going full tilt!
If you're up for some homemade culinary delights, here are a few plant-based meal ideas that will minimize unnecessary spending on processed foods and will do wonders for your energy levels throughout the day:
Leek and potato soup.
An absolute classic! Frying the leek until golden and soft is the key for a wonderfully caramelised undertone.
Pumpkin and celeriac soup.
Yet another warming winter meal that works perfectly as a dinner or lunch; freezing leftovers also covers you for a future meal when standing in front of the stove is the last thing you feel like doing.
Potato and celeriac gratin.
Combine layers of nutrient-dense potato and celeriac with onion and vegetable stock (and plant-based milk, if you desire) and bake to golden perfection.
Vegetarian lasagne.
Meals don't have to have meat to taste good; in fact, I prefer the flavours of a veggie lasagne any day! Create a plant-based mince with lentils, grated carrot, grated celeriac and tomatoes. Toss in whatever fresh herbs you feel like (parsley and thyme are superb here), then incorporate into layers with pasta and a béchamel sauce (using olive oil and coconut milk).
Make gnocchi.
If you have a weekend day free of commitments, homemade gnocchi is SO worth the time to create! And, like the best meals, gnocchi can be left uncooked and frozen for when you want an easy meal! There are a variety of toppings one can add to explore the flavours of autumn: pumpkin and sage are amazing, folding in chimichurri made with parsley, garlic, chilli, oil and vinegar creates a lighter meal, and one can never go wrong with a classic tomato sauce!
Roast veggies.
They're hearty, delicious, and sure to fill that void that your tummy is telling you about! Change up the dressing for something a little different - add in mustard, balsamic vinegar, honey and/ or pomegranate molasses.
Repurpose leftover roast veggies.
Homemade pies are highly underrated and not all that difficult to create! Make your own pastry or buy it frozen - whatever works best for your time and energy requirements. Create the filling using leftover roast veggies, which are already loaded with flavour and, even better, you don't need to cook them! Folding in a béchamel sauce or homemade tomato paste helps bind the pieces to create a lip-smacking combination of tasty treats!