Whinney says: “Hot or not, that’s up to you – use regular chilli or a scotch bonnet for more heat. This is full of sunshine veg, as the title suggests and double mango, dried and fresh, adds a delicious sweet tang to the flavour.” 

Serves 4 

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 4 hours on high 

Ingredients 

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, finely sliced
• 1 tsp each of cumin seeds, coriander seeds, mustard seeds and whole allspice (crushed in a pestle and mortar)
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 6 tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 3 mixed peppers (red, yellow and orange), deseeded and roughly chopped
• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1–2 red or green chillies, deseeded and finely sliced, or use 2–3 fine slices from a Scotch bonnet chilli (note: these are very fiery hot chillies)
• 400g tin of black-eyed beans, drained and rinsed
• Handful of thyme leaves, reserve some for garnish
• Handful of dried mango pieces
• 500ml hot vegetable stock
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Fresh mango pieces, to serve

Method 

Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the onion and season well. Cook for a couple of minutes, then stir in the garlic and all the spices and cook for a further minute. Transfer it all to the slow cooker.

To the slow cooker, now add the tomatoes, peppers, sweet potato, chilli, beans, thyme leaves and dried mango pieces, giving them a bit of a stir to combine.

Pour over the hot stock, then put the lid on and cook for 4 hours on high.

Serve the stew on its own or with rice, topped with thyme leaves and fresh mango pieces.

Whinney says: “A ramen dish is a wonderful thing all year round, but it’s the ultimate cold-weather food – it soothes without being heavy and it really hits the spot.”

Serves 4

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 4 hours on high      

Ingredients 

• 1 tbsp sesame oil (use 1 tbsp olive oil for oven method)
• Bunch of spring onions, trimmed, white part finely sliced, green part finely sliced, for garnish
• 3 cloves garlic, finely sliced
• 5cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely sliced
• 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced
• 1 butternut squash, halved, peeled, deseeded and cut into bite-sized chunks 
• 15g porcini mushrooms (soaked in hot water for 15 mins, drained and chopped)
• 3 heaped tbsp white miso (sweet)
• 2 tbsp dark soy sauce, plus an extra splash 
• 1 tbsp mirin
• 600ml hot vegetable stock
• 500g ready-to-wok udon noodles (your preferred thickness)
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 
• Handful of coriander leaves, for garnish 
• Black sesame seeds, to serve (optional) 
• Sriracha sauce, to serve (optional)  

For the soy eggs

• 2 eggs, soft-boiled
• 3 tbsp dark soy sauce

For the red cabbage

• ½ red cabbage, finely shredded 
• Generous splash of rice wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp caster sugar

Method 

First, prepare the eggs. Peel the soft-boiled eggs and sit them in a bowl, pour over soy sauce to cover and turn the eggs occasionally. Leave for a couple of hours or overnight in the fridge.

To prepare the cabbage ahead, mix it with the vinegar and sugar and put it to one side for it to soften and the flavours to develop.

Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the spring onion, season well and cook for a couple of minutes, then stir through the garlic, ginger and chilli and cook for a minute more. Transfer to the slow cooker.

Add the butternut squash, porcini mushrooms, miso, soy sauce and mirin and pour in the hot stock. Stir, put the lid on and set for 4 hours on high.

When ready, stir through the noodles and allow them to warm through. Taste and season as needed – it may need a further splash of soy sauce. Serve topped with red cabbage, coriander leaves, green spring onions, soy eggs (halved), a sprinkle of black sesame seeds, if using, and a drizzle of sriracha, if using.

Whinney says: “A super-simple green soup, full of vegetable yumminess and goodness. This is similar to the thick tomato version, just made without the tomato base and using green vegetables and broth. It’s just as tasty with added tiny pasta and you can match your veg to whatever is available.” 

Serves 4-6 

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 4 hours on high

Ingredients 

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Bunch of spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 400g tin of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 small spring cabbage/greens, trimmed and finely shredded
• 300g broad beans, frozen or fresh from pods
• 300g peas, frozen or fresh from pods
• Piece of vegetarian Parmesan rind or use 2 tsp yeast flakes
• Pinch of chilli flakes
• 800ml hot vegetable stock
• Bunch of asparagus, woody stems trimmed (save the ends for soup), chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 200g orzo pasta (or snip spaghetti into small pieces)
• 2–3 tsp vegetarian basil pesto sauce from a jar
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Grated vegetarian Parmesan, to serve (optional)

Method 

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, add the spring onion, season well and cook for a few minutes to soften. Add the garlic and cook for a minute more. Transfer to the slow cooker.

Add the cannellini beans, cabbage/greens, broad beans, peas, Parmesan rind or yeast flakes and chilli flakes, then pour over the stock, stir and put the lid on. Set the timer for 4 hours on high.

For the last 30 minutes, add the asparagus and pasta, then stir through the pesto to serve. If you wish the soup to be slightly more liquid, top it up with a little hot water from the kettle and stir. Don’t over-dilute the flavours though. Serve with grated Parmesan, if using, with crusty bread on the side.