"Flavour, color and crunch": Yotam Ottolenghi's vegan soup recipes

Truth be told, I'm not great at New Year's resolutions or letting things go. However, if pushed to choose, I would much rather not eat meat in January than refuse the odd glass of wine, which at this time of year is downright medicinal. And not eating meat or fish is the brightest way to have to boost flavor, color and crunch: vibrant green peas, bright orange squash, aromatics that wake up the palate, crunchy seeds and nuts, fresh herbs , chilli heat... The food we eat in January, and beyond, it can be as much about scaling things up as giving up.

Green Pea and Coconut Soup with soybeans and sunflower seeds (pictured above)

This is all I want in the depths of winter, but it's also to be reserved for winter. summer, when it works just as well cool. It's delicious with a slice of toasted ciabatta bread or cooked rice noodles.

Preparation 30 minCooking 35 minServes 4

3 tablespoons olive oil2 stalks of celery, trimmed and finely chopped (140g)2 leeks, trimmed and finely chopped (170g)3 shallots bananas, peeled and finely chopped (110g)3 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushedFine salt and black pepper2 makrut lime leaves2 sticks of lemongrass, crushed1 400ml can whole coconut milk 500g frozen peas, thawed

For the seeds of soya40 g sunflower seeds40 g olive oil20 g fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped¼ tsp chilli flakes1 tbsp soy sauce

Place a large saucepan in medium-high heat, add the oil, celery, leeks, shallots, garlic and half a teaspoon of salt, and cook, stirring frequently, for 10-12 minutes, until until the vegetables are tender but not coloured.

Stir in the lime leaves, lemongrass and plenty of ground black pepper, and rouco k, stirring constantly to prevent the mixture does not stick, for two more minutes. Stir in the coconut milk and 1.2 liters of water, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer gently for 20 minutes.

While the soup is simmer, make the soybeans. Put the sunflower seeds, oil, ginger and chilli in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. When they start to sizzle, lower the heat to medium and fry gently for five minutes, until the ginger and seeds are golden brown. Pour into a small ramekin or bowl and stir in the soy.

Place the peas in a large bowl or heatproof pitcher with half a teaspoon of salt . Remove and discard the lemongrass and lime leaves from the pot, then pour the soup over the peas. Working in two or three batches, blend the soup in a blender for about two minutes per batch, until smooth and pale green, then return to the pot and reheat if necessary.

< p class="dcr-1b64dqh ">To serve, divide hot soup among four bowls and stir in seeds.

Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Maple Nuts and Herb Oil