Carrots
Homegrown carrots have more flavour, and you can sow a much wider variety than what’s available in the shops. As well as standard orange, you can grow purple, yellow and white carrots, plus rounded ones that are best suited to growing in pots. Use them in myriad ways, from grating into fritters and salads, to roasting until sweet and sticky.
Carrot & harissa soup with feta toasties
Stash this soup in the freezer for a speedy lunch on busy days. (If you freeze a batch in individual portions, it defrosts more quickly.) The feta toasties are optional, but well worth the extra effort.
SERVES 6 PREP 25 mins COOK 40 mins EASY V ❄
2 tbsp rapeseed or olive oil, plus a drizzle2 onions, sliced4 garlic cloves, crushed, or 2 tsp garlic puréethumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped, or 2 tsp ginger purée2 tsp ground cumin2 tsp ground coriander2 tsp smoked paprikapinch of chilli flakes500g carrots, coarsely grated150g split red lentilshandful of coriander, leaves picked, stalks roughly chopped1.5 litres vegetable or chicken stock100ml cream (dairy or plant-based), plus a drizzle to serve1-2 tbsp harissa, plus extra
