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The cookbook Vegetarisch kochen mit 5 Zutaten from GU Verlag is packed with simple, seriously delicious recipes built around a single idea: vegetarian cooking, made effortless.
By Barbara Hämmerl
Sweet Potato Soup
Ingredients
1 can chickpeas (250 g drained) 2 tsp hot curry powder Salt 4 tbsp olive oil 500 g sweet potatoes Pepper 200 g Greek yogurt (10% fat)
Tip: save the chickpea liquid — aquafaba whips up like egg white and makes a great substitute for eggs in pancakes.
Method
CHICKPEAS: Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Drain the chickpeas in a sieve, rinse under cold water and pat thoroughly dry. In a bowl, toss them well with 1 tsp curry powder, ½ tsp salt and 1 tbsp olive oil. Spread the chickpeas over the parchment and roast on the lower rack for 35–40 minutes until crisp, turning occasionally. Remove from the oven and let cool on a plate.
SOUP: Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into 1–2 cm chunks. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pot and sauté the sweet potatoes over medium heat for 2–3 minutes. Dust with the remaining curry powder (1 tsp), stir briefly, then season with salt and pepper and pour in 600 ml water. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer over medium heat for about 15 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are tender.
TO FINISH: Remove the pot from the heat and purée the potatoes in their cooking liquid with a hand blender until smooth. Stir in the yogurt. Season the soup with salt and pepper and ladle into deep bowls. Garnish each portion with a tablespoon of the roasted chickpeas and a drizzle of olive oil (½ tbsp per bowl). Serve the remaining chickpeas alongside.
Potato and Swede Gratin
Ingredients
800 g mostly waxy potatoes 800 g swede (rutabaga) 600 ml vegetable stock 120 g mountain cheese Salt Pepper 1 bunch chives
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Peel the potatoes. Trim and peel the swede, halving or quartering it depending on size. Slice the potatoes and swede thinly, using a mandoline if you have one. Heat the stock. Grate the cheese.
Combine the potato and swede slices and arrange them in a shallow ovenproof dish (about 30 × 20 cm), or spread over a small, deep baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over the stock and scatter with the cheese.
Bake in the middle of the oven for about 45 minutes. If the cheese starts browning too much toward the end, cover the dish with parchment paper. Shortly before it’s done, wash the chives, shake dry and snip into fine rounds.
Remove the gratin from the oven and scatter with the chives before serving.
