What do you eat in winter?

"Chunky soup."

Justin, Texas, USA

This soup is so simple yet so packed with flavour and texture. It is smokey, spicy, savoury, crunchy, soft and soothing. Here, I serve it with toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds), tortilla chips, and chopped cabbage. Normally, I also top my bowl of soup with avocado and lime juice, which I absolutely recommend.  

I think this dish really lends itself to experimentation;  you could try using another legume of instead of chickpeas, or even add a bit of chicken or chorizo if you're feeling a bit more carnivorous. The possibilities really are endless with soup....

Smokey tomato soup with chickpeas and rice

1 onion, chopped

2 small dried chipotle peppers

2 carrots, cut into rounds

10 cups of vegetable or chicken broth

1 cup crushed tomatoes

1 bay leaf

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 cup rice

1 cup cooked chickpeas

2 tsp finely chopped cilantro

Avocado, tortilla chips, chopped cabbage, lime juice and toasted pepitas, to serve.

1.   In a large pot, heat a bit of oil and add onions, chipotles and carrots. Sautee until the vegetables are fragrant and a little soft.

2.   Add broth, tomatoes and spices.  Season with salt and pepper. Bring mixture to boil.

3.   Add rice, reduce heat to a steady simmer, and cook until rice is soft; about 20 minutes.

4.   Add chickpeas and stir through chopped cilantro. Re-season with salt and pepper.

5.   Serve hot with toppings! 

What vegetables do you like?

 "I like most vegetables. I don’t like cauliflower or sprouts. Not overly keen on cabbage.  I like it well fried and shredded and cooked in red wine- that’s good cabbage. Mushrooms, I love mushrooms. Haven’t had one in ages."

Anna, Cheshire, England

Marinated mushrooms

This attractive, Provençal-inspired dish is the perfect picnic food. Throw everything into a mason jar in the morning and pay it no mind until you pop it into your beach bag or picnic basket. This is fantastic served with a crusty baguette to dip into the fragrant leftover oil.

1 1/2 cups crimini mushrooms, brushed clean

1 1/2 cup olive oil

The peel of half a lemon
1 teaspoon white wine

2 sprigs thyme

1 large stem of basil

1 sprig marjoram

1/8th teaspoon dried lavender

3 cloves garlic, smashed

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1. Bring a small pan of water to boil. Add mushrooms, reduce to a simmer, and cook for about 5 minutes. Remove, pat dry, and let cool.
2.Line a sterilised jar with the fresh herbs. 

3. Pack the jar with mushrooms, garlic, and lemon peel.

4. Stir together olive oil, wine, lavender and salt. Pour over mushrooms and seal jar.

5. Let sit for at least two hours, turning occasionally. 

"I love almost all seafood. I love mussels. And all other seafood."

Ahmad, Massachusetts, USA

Mussels with Cider

2 shallots, diced

4 scallions, thinly sliced

1 red bell pepper, julienned

1 small chili, seeded and thinly sliced

2 lbs mussels, scrubbed, debearded, and sorted.

1/4 cup hard cider

Delicious bread, to serve

1. In a large pot, heat a knob of butter with a drop of vegetable oil. Add shallots and gently cook until translucent. Add all other vegetables, season, and cook until soft. 

2. Add mussels, give it a quick stir, and then add cider. Season with salt and pepper. Cover immediately and steam until the mussels have opened, about 3-5 minutes. Discard any mussels that haven't opened.

3. Serve immediately with warm bread to soak up the broth.