Midweek Meals: Five vegetable-packed recipes to help you get your 5-a-day in

These tasty veg-heavy recipes will help you get your 5-a-day in 

Vegetable packed recipes to enjoy this week

Love your veg soup

recipe by:Erica Drum

This soup uses any leftover vegetables you have and transforms it into a delicious soup

Servings

6

Preparation Time

 5 mins

Cooking Time

 45 mins

Total Time

 50 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 1kg mixed vegetables – carrots, courgette, parsnips, potatoes, bruised tomatoes, peppers, leeks, squash, pumpkin, peas

• 1 large white onion

• 4 garlic cloves

• Leftover fried breakfast bits – bacon, sausage or pudding (optional)

• 1l vegetable stock

• Slices stale bread

• Olive oil

• Salt and black pepper

Method

1. Chop up your raw vegetables into even size pieces. Toss with two tablespoons of olive oil, a pinch of salt and pepper. Place on a baking tray and cook for 20 minutes at 180°C.

2. In the meantime, dice your onions. Pour one tablespoon of olive oil in a large saucepot over a medium heat and begin to fry your onions. Leave these to sauté for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Finely chop your garlic and add this to the onions.

3. If you have leftover bacon or breakfast bits, chop them up nice and fine. Add the breakfast bits to the onions and garlic and stir on a low heat for a minute.

4. Place the cooked veg from the oven into your saucepot and pour over the stock. Bring this to the boil and reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes.

5. While this is simmering, cube up your stale bread, drizzle with olive oil season with salt and pepper and toast in the oven for a few minutes on each side.

6. Place the soup mixture in a food processor or blitz with a soup gun. Add more water and seasoning where needed to reach your desired texture and taste. Serve with some homemade croutons and a drizzle of olive oil.
   
   Picture: Yvonne Keane

Vegetarian enchiladas

recipe by:Derval O'Rourke

Easy, healthy and delicious. I love making this dinner during the week

Servings

2

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 30 mins

Total Time

 40 mins

Course

 Main

Cuisine

 Mexican

Ingredients

• 1 ripe avocado, peeled and cubed

• a handful of mint leaves, chopped

• juice of 1 lime

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• ½ red onion, finely chopped

• 1 courgette, sliced into strips

• 2 red peppers, sliced into strips

• 30g fajita spice mix (homemade or shop-bought)

• 1 garlic clove, crushed

• 2 tortilla wraps

• 60ml tomato passata

• 50g Cheddar, grated (optional, remove for vegan or use vegan approved option)

• 2 tbsp Greek yoghurt, to serve (optional, remove for vegan or use vegan approved option)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4.

2. Use a fork to mash the avocado, mint and lime juice in a small bowl and set aside.

3. Heat the olive oil in a pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 10 minutes, until softened.

4. Add the peppers, courgette, spice mix and garlic and cook for 3–5 minutes, then set aside.

5. Divide the avocado mixture between the two tortillas, spreading it into an even layer. Add a layer of passata, followed by a layer of peppers and courgette mixture.

6. Neatly roll each tortilla, then place them side by side in an ovenproof dish.

7. Sprinkle the Cheddar over and place in the oven.

8. Bake for 15–20 minutes.

9. Divide the enchiladas between warmed serving plates and top each one with a dollop of Greek yoghurt.