Recipes Under 600 Calories
Spicy tomato soup
This filling tomato soup really packs a punch, thanks to all that chipotle paste. Add plenty of fresh ginger for even more warmth
Servings 4
Calories 150 kcal
- 400 g tin chopped tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 thumb-sized piece ginger peeled and sliced
- 600 ml vegetable stock cooled
- ½-1 tbsp chipotle paste (depending on how hot you like it)
- a small bunch coriander chopped
- 1 green pepper cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 medium green chilli chopped
- 5 tbsp basmati rice
- 4 tbsp natural yogurt
Put the tomatoes, tomato purée, garlic and ginger in a blender or food processor with the stock and whizz until smooth. Pour into a large pan and add the chipotle, ¾ of the coriander, green pepper, most of the chilli and seasoning. Bring to a simmer and cook on a medium heat for 10 minutes, then add the rice and cook for another 10-15 minutes or until the rice is tender. Add a little water or stock if the soup is too thick. Serve in bowls with a dollop of yogurt, the rest of the coriander and chilli, and a generous grinding of black pepper.
Vegan chocolate cheesecake
Top a fudgy Oreo biscuit base with silken tofu and dark chocolate for a rich, plant-based cheesecake
Servings 8
Calories 496 kcal
BASE
- 154 g pack of Oreos
- 30 g vegan butter or margarine melted
CHOCOLATE FILLING
- 340 g dark chocolate (most chocolate over 60% cacao contains no milk but be sure to check the label) Chopped
- 60 ml deodorised coconut oil
- 350 g extra-firm silken tofu
- 4 tbsp icing sugar sifted
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 200 ml plant milk
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- a pinch sea salt flakes
Line the base and sides of a deep 20cm springform cake tin.
To make the base, roughly crush the Oreos in a food processor or by putting in a sandwich bag and crushing with a rolling pin. Tip into a bowl, add the melted butter and mix. Cover the base of the prepared cake tin with the Oreo mixture, pressing to compact. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
For the filling, melt the chocolate and coconut oil in a heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, stirring frequently.
While the chocolate melts, put the silken tofu, sugar, lemon juice, plant milk and cocoa powder into a high-speed blender and whizz until completely smooth. Add the melted chocolate mixture to the blender and whizz again.
Pour the filling mixture on top of the chilled Oreo base and chill for at least 3 hours. Once set, sprinkle with a few sea salt flakes before slicing and serving.
Glazed Sweet Potatoes with Maple Gastrique
The gastrique, a tangy-sweet glaze, is Thanksgiving worthy but also simple enough to pull off on a weekday.
- 2 pounds sweet potatoes peeled and cut into 1/3-inch rounds
- 2 1/2 tsp kosher salt divided
- 6 tbsp maple syrup
- 6 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
- 2 1/2 tbsp butter
- 3/8 tsp black pepper
- cooking spray
- 1 tbsp fresh marjoram leaves chopped
Preheat oven to 400°.
Place sweet potatoes and 2 teaspoons salt in a large saucepan; cover with water to 2 inches above potatoes. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Drain potatoes.
Combine syrup and vinegar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil; simmer 4 minutes or until slightly thickened and syrupy. Remove from heat; whisk in butter and pepper.
Coat an 11 x 7-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange potatoes in a shingle pattern in dish. Top with syrup mixture; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and marjoram. Bake at 400° for 4 minutes or until potatoes are very tender. Remove from oven. Spoon sauce over potatoes; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.
Vegetable omelette
Jazz your omelette up with plenty of grated courgette, kale, peas and chilli flakes, then serve alongside cherry tomatoes dressed simply with white wine vinegar (*This recipe is gluten free according to industry standards)
Servings 1
Calories 307 kcal
- a handful cherry tomatoes halved
- 1/2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 large clove garlic sliced
- 1 courgette grated
- a handful kale
- 30 g frozen peas
- a pinch dried chilli flakes
- 2 eggs beaten
Tip the cherry tomatoes into a bowl with the white wine vinegar and some seasoning, and mix well.
Heat the olive oil in a small pan and cook the garlic for 1 minute until smelling fragrant. Add the courgette and cook for 5 minutes or until all the moisture has evaporated. Add the kale and peas, and cook for 2 minutes until the kale has wilted. Season and stir in the chilli flakes.
Heat a small non-stick frying pan with a drizzle of oil. Season the beaten eggs then tip into the pan, swirling and lifting the edges so you have a large, flat omelette. Once the bottom has browned and the omelette has almost cooked on top, pile the cooked veg onto one side of the omelette, then carefully fold over the other half.
Slide onto a plate and serve with the cherry tomatoes alongside.
Orzo, bean and tuna salad
Turn storecupboard staples into this vibrant, nutritious orzo pasta salad with roasted red peppers and black olives
Servings 2
Calories 298 kcal
- 1/2 red onion finely chopped
- 2 tbsp sherry vinegar
- 150 g green beans cut into bite-sized pieces
- 100 g orzo
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tin tuna drained and flaked
- 3 roasted red peppers from a jar chopped
- 12 dry-cured black olives halved
- a handful dill chopped
Put the onions and vinegar in a bowl and season.
Cook the beans in boiling salted water for 3 minutes then scoop out with a slotted spoon. Cook the orzo in the same water until just tender then drain, rinse under cold water and drain really well again.
Tip the beans, orzo, olive oil, tuna, peppers, olives and dill into the bowl with the onion and season well. Toss together and serve.
Slow-roasted tomato and harissa tartine
Something magical happens inside the oven with this recipe – the tomato flavour intensifies ten-fold to the point where it’s almost jam-like
Servings 4
Calories 281 kcal
- 6 large & ripe plum tomatoes halved
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- 2-3 sprigs thyme leaves picked, plus extra to serve
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 ball burrata
- 4 thin slices sourdough toasted
- 2 tbsp rose harissa or regular harissa
Heat the oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3 and line a baking tray with baking paper.
Put the tomato halves in a bowl with the garlic, thyme and olive oil, then season – toss to make sure the tomatoes are well coated. Scatter over the lined tray, cut-side up, and roast in the oven for 45 minutes-1 hour.
To serve, spread the burrata on the toast, then spoon on some of the harissa. Top with the roasted tomatoes, then sprinkle over a little more thyme to serve.
Slow cooker instructions
Put the tomato halves in your slow cooker, along with the garlic, thyme and olive oil, then season. Toss to make sure they are well coated, then make sure they’re all cut-side up. Put on the lid and cook on the high setting for 2 hours. Then follow step 3 as above.
Moroccan-style stuffed peppers
Peppers are incredible. Their sweet flavour and soft texture when roasted pairs beautifully with chickpeas and rose harissa in this classic recipe
Servings 4
Calories 494 kcal
- 2 large, or, 4 small red peppers halved
- 150 g couscous
- 300 ml vegetable stock just-boiled
- 400 g tin chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 100 g feta crumbled, plus extra to serve
- 100 g SunBlush tomatoes roughly chopped
- 50 g green olives chopped
- 1/2 lemon juiced
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp coriander chopped; plus extra to serve
- 1 tbsp rose harissa
Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Put the peppers on a baking tray, cut-side up. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes or until starting to soften.
Meanwhile, put the couscous in a heatproof bowl and pour over the stock. Cover the bowl and leave to stand for 5 minutes. Use a fork to fluff up the couscous, then stir through the chickpeas, feta, tomatoes, olives, lemon juice, olive oil, coriander and harissa. Season.
Take the peppers out of the oven and fill with the couscous mixture. Return to the oven and roast for a further 10 minutes. Serve with a little extra feta and coriander.
Sweet potato and lentil curry
A vibrant, low-calorie and vegan dinner idea, made with sweet potatoes, red split lentils, coconut milk and plenty of spices
Servings 4
Calories 314 kcal
- 2 tsp vegetable oil
- 1 large red onion finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic crushed
- a thumb-sized piece ginger finely grated
- 6 curry leaves fresh or dried (optional)
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 2 medium (about 500g) sweet potatoes cut into chunks
- 75 g red split lentils
- 400 ml tin low-fat coconut milk
- 400 ml vegetable stock
- a handful of leaves coriander
- 1 lime wedged
Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat and cook three-quarters of the onion with a pinch of salt for 10 minutes, stirring regularly, until softened. Add the garlic, ginger and curry leaves, if using, and cook for 2 minutes. Add in the spices and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the sweet potato and lentils, then add the coconut milk and stock. Stir well, bring to the boil, then simmer for 15-20 minutes, adding a splash of water if it’s getting dry, until the potatoes and lentils are cooked through. Season.
Serve in bowls with coriander and the remaining onion on top, with lime wedges for squeezing over.
Quick beetroot chutney
This is great served on burgers or with grilled salmon or mackerel to cut through the richness
Macerating 1 hr 15 mins
Total Time 1 hr 15 mins
Servings 6
Calories 56 kcal
- 1 long or 2 round shallots finely chopped
- 1 red chilli finely chopped
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tsp caster sugar
- 4 tbsp gherkins diced
- 2 tsp yellow mustard seeds
- 500 g cooked beetroot cut into 1 cm dice
- a handful dill chopped
Put the shallots, chilli, vinegar and sugar in a bowl. Stir and leave for 5 minutes until the sugar has dissolved.
Add the remaining ingredients, apart from the dill, stir well then leave to macerate for 1 hour. Stir in the dill and serve
