Everything costs more nowadays, so we’re always on the look-out for cheap, healthy recipes to bring the cost of eating down. That’s why we were excited to come across four new plant-based recipes from Discover Great Veg, a campaign promoting British-grown kale, cavolo nero, leeks and spinach (you’ve heard of Big Oil; this lot are Big Brassica*).
Of the four, the kale and chickpea dhansak recipe caught our eye because, according to the experts, it costs just £1 per portion. With no other information given, we got in touch with Discover Great Veg and were told the calculation is based on prices at Tesco in November 2022.
The dhansak contains potatoes, aubergines, chickpeas, red lentils and kale, and delivers a substantial 24g of protein and 13g of fibre. It also counts as two – two! – of your five a day and packs in vitamins K and C as well. Along with the rest of the recipes, the dhansak takes less than 30 minutes to prepare and cook.
Another appealing weekday dinner is the super greens pie, which combines borlotti beans with leeks and cavolo nero, along with vegan alternatives to cream and a puff-pastry lid. While the fat content is relatively high, it represents three (*swoons*) of your five a day and it’s a source of vitamin C. It also only costs £1.60 per portion.
The remaining two recipes are a harissa kale and houmous flatbread, which looks like a great, quick-to-make lunch if you work from home; and satay noodles with tofu and spinach. Both have chunky amounts of protein and vitamin K, and cost £1.20 and £2.40 per portion, respectively.
For more plant-based meals to make at home, browse these vegan recipes and vegetarian recipes, as well as this fantastic recipe generator that can suggest what to do with healthy cupboard staples. We also really like this tuna and beans pitta pocket recipe, which shows sports nutrition can be affordable. Bon appétit!
*brassica, plus an allium
