Healthy, cheap batch-cooking ideas: 3 plant-heavy, gut-loving recipes that cost less than £1 to make

3 plant-packed recipes for gut health

Credit: Asda

Strong Women


Healthy, cheap batch-cooking ideas: 3 plant-heavy, gut-loving recipes that cost less than £1 to make

By Miranda Larbi

3 years ago

2 min read

It doesn’t cost much to feed your gut. In fact, these plant-heavy recipes from Asda are packed with probiotic fibre and they cost under a £1 – making them ideal for batch-cooking.

Healthy eating often gets a bad rap for costing a fortune. Without a load of carb-padding, plants don’t tend to go very far – a couple of salads and a morning smoothie and your weekly fruit and veg shop is all but used up.

These recipes, however, are packed with plants and cost very little to make. Asda has partnered with Mimi Harrison, aka Beat the Budget, to create a number of £1-per-portion meals that are heavy on gut-loving fibre, rich in antioxidants and kind on our finances. 

We’re always banging on about the importance of plants at Strong Women; experts believe that we should be aiming to eat 30 different plants a week. That might sound alarming, if you’ve dropped £20 on a few carrots and lettuce leaves, but remember that cheaper and more filling ingredients like rice, beans and lentils all count towards that goal. If 30-a-week sounds like an impossible goal, that 5-a-day target is still totally valid – and there are plenty of ways to achieve that without breaking the bank.

In the meantime, grab your Tupperware and have a go at batch-cooking these simple, gut-healthy recipes. 

Baked gnocchi with Mediterranean veg (serves 4 | 98p per portion)

Recipe courtesy of Mimi Harrison @beatthebudget in partnership with Asda.

Plant count: 6

Ingredients

2 packs Asda gnocchi (500g per pack)

1 red onion, sliced into thick wedges

2 courgettes, sliced into thin chunks

250g cherry tomatoes, halved

4 garlic cloves, minced

100g Greek style cheese, crumbled

Fresh basil, finely chopped

1 tbsp oregano

3 tbsp olive oil

Salt

Black pepper

Beat the Budget’s Baked Gnocchi with Mediterranean Veg

Credit: Beat the Budget for ASDA

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 175°C.

2. Start by adding the gnocchi into a bowl, covering with boiling water to soak for around five minutes.

3. Meanwhile, prepare the veggies and add them to a baking tray. Pour the soaked gnocchi into the tray along with the oregano and half of the oil.

4. Season with black pepper and stir to combine. Pop in the oven, timer set to 20 minutes.

5. After this time, add three cloves of the minced garlic into the tray and stir. Pop back in the oven for another 15-20 minutes, or until the gnocchi is golden and crispy.

6. While this is roasting, combine the chopped basil, one clove of garlic with the remaining olive oil and a pinch of black pepper.

7. Serve the roasted gnocchi and veg with a sprinkle of feta and a drizzle of the basil olive oil.

Tricoloure couscous salad (serves 4 | 91p per serving)

Recipe courtesy of Mimi Harrison @beatthebudget in partnership with Asda.

Plant count: 6

Ingredients

200g ASDA giant wholemeal couscous

250g cherry tomatoes, halved

75g green pitted olives, thinly sliced

1 cucumber, sliced into thin quarters

½ lemon, juiced

4 avocados, thinly sliced

Fresh basil, finely chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

Black pepper

Beat the Budget’s Tricoloure Couscous Salad

Credit: Beat the Budget for ASDA

Method

1. Start by cooking the giant couscous in boiling water, setting a timer for 18 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, prepare the salad ingredients by slicing the cucumber, olives and tomatoes. Finely chop the basil.

3. For the dressing, combine the finely chopped fresh basil, olive oil, a splash of the olive brine (around ½ tbsp), lemon juice and black pepper.

4. Once cooked, drain and rinse the giant couscous in cold water until cold. Add to a large mixing bowl along with the salad ingredients and dressing. Toss to combine.

5. Top with the thinly sliced avocado and an extra sprinkle of black pepper. Squeeze an extra bit of lemon juice if you like your salads tangier.

Vegan maple and butternut squash roulade (serves 8 | 76p per serving)

Plant count: 6

Ingredients

300g frozen butternut squash chunks

2 parsnips – 1 finely chopped and 1 cut into strips with a veg peeler

2 tbsp rapeseed oil

½tsp smoked paprika

60g pecans, chopped

40g dried cranberries

375g pack Asda Ready Rolled light puff pastry

225g Asda Free From garlic & herb soft cheese alternative

1tbsp almond milk

70g chopped mixed nuts

3tbsp maple syrup

Steamed Savoy cabbage, to serve

Roulade recipe

Credit: Asda

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.

2. Put the frozen butternut squash and the chopped parsnip on a large baking tray. Drizzle with half the oil, sprinkle with the paprika and season with black pepper. 

3. Roast for 30 mins or until tender, stirring halfway through.

4. Meanwhile, toss the parsnip strips and the remaining oil together on a baking tray. Cook for 10 mins until golden, then set aside. The strips will crisp up as they cool.

5. Tip the squash and parsnips into a large bowl. Stir through the pecans and cranberries.

6. Unroll the puff pastry onto a lined baking tray. Spread with the soft cheese alternative, then pile the veg mixture on top, along the length of the pastry rectangle, closer to one long edge than the other.

7. Fold the pastry over the veg for the roulade shape, then place on the tray, join-side down. Brush with the almond milk, to glaze.

8. Bake for 35-40 mins, until golden and risen.

9. Dry-fry the mixed nuts on medium to toast. Add the maple syrup. Cook until thick and bubbling. Pour onto a lined baking tray and allow to set. Break into small pieces.

10. Transfer the roulade to a platter. Sprinkle with the candied nuts and parsnip crisps. Serve with the steamed cabbage.


Recipes and images courtesy of Beat the Budget for ASDA, and ASDA Good Living.

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