The London-based chef, best-selling cookbook author and one half of the Hemsley + Hemsley duo with her sister Jasmine on her mission to get us all to eat sustainably
Cooking and eating in a planet-friendly way can mean lots of different things to different people, but the great thing is we can all make a few small changes in our daily lives that can make a huge collective difference. Making a greener choice doesn’t have to mean making the perfect choice all the time, it’s simply about making better choices.
My book, Eat Green, is all about inspiring a more positive footprint on the planet in a way that is exciting, nourishing and delicious. I’ve written more than 100 feel-good, delicious, wholesome and time-saving recipes to help us all waste less and champion a greater variety of seasonal vegetables at the centre of the plate, while eating less but better-quality meat and fish — although every recipe can be vegetarian, too.
Veg-centric food can be so tasty, comforting and satisfying. It’s all about finding what you like and how to cook it in a way that makes the most of it. Try roasting chunky cauliflower steaks in spices, for example, or make a cheesy lasagne stuffed with root veg and chickpeas. Soups might sound boring, but jazz them up with roasted butter beans and a dollop of pesto.
I’m a huge fan of my rescue soup, so called because I find it uplifting and grounding. It’s a fantastic way to eat lots of vegetables. I love to slurp the nourishing broth — if you like, you can add in leftover shredded chicken from a Sunday roast, a little flaked fish, ramp up the veg content with some mushrooms or add a soft-boiled egg.
30 mins Prep
1 tbsp ghee
or butter
1 large leek or onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1.2 litres vegetable stock or bone broth
1 big handful of a mix of fresh herbs,
such as parsley
and dill, leaves
and stems chopped
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves or
1 tsp dried
1 bay leaf, dried
or fresh
2 celery sticks, diced
2 carrots, thinly sliced
2 handfuls of 2cm
chunks of root veg
such as sweet potato,
squash, pumpkin,
potato or (in the
summer) courgette
400g noodles or spaghetti, any type
1 tsp olive oil
300g mix of cabbage, rainbow chard and/or chard, stems finely chopped and leaves shredded
300g leftover shredded chicken
Juice of ¼ lemon or 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 big handfuls of frozen peas or sweetcorn
Sea salt and black pepper
For a vegetarian version, swap the chicken for 500g roughly chopped mushrooms and a pinch of dried seaweed or seaweed salt. Sometimes I add even more garlic and a thumb of grated ginger, plus 1 tsp ground turmeric for an extra boost. Try adding a tablespoon of miso or tamari just before serving or swap the herbs for coriander and mint.