Tenderheart

Broccoli and mint soup with spicy fried chickpeas

TENDERHEART IS A BOOK ABOUT VEGETABLES. IT IS ALSO A STORY OF UNBREAKABLE FAMILY BONDS, LOVE AND LOSS, AND THE LEGACY OF FOOD AS A WAY TO STAY CONNECTED TO LOVED ONES, INCLUDING THOSE WHO HAVE PASSED.

In this masterwork from Australia’s most respected vegetable-loving food writer, Hetty Lui McKinnon takes readers on a vegetable-by-vegetable journey, packed with clever and inventive ways to combine ingredients, flavours and texture. With practicality, accessibility and economy in mind, Hetty devotes one chapter to each of her 22 favourite everyday vegetables, from Asian greens to zucchini. As is Hetty’s signature, the flavours are globally inspired, with an emphasis on simple yet inventive weeknight cooking. 180 new, inspired and always delicious recipes will change how you see the humble vegetable and what it is capable of, forever. This is the ultimate vegetable bible from Australia’s reigning salad queen.

INGREDIENTS

SERVES 4

Tenderheart by Hetty Lui McKinnon, published by Plum, RRP $59.99, photography by Hetty Lui McKinnon and Shirley Cai.

• extra-virgin olive oil • 1 eschalot or small brown onion, finely diced • 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped • 1 large head of broccoli (about 450g), cut into florets, stalk peeled and sliced • 500g cooked chickpeas (about 2 × 400g cans, drained) • 1.25 litres vegetable stock • 2 cups baby spinach leaves • ½ cup mint leaves, plus extra to serve • sea salt and black pepper • 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained • ¼ cup flaked almonds • 1 long red chilli, nely sliced • ½ cup parsley leaves • 1 lemon, halved

METHOD

Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the eschalot or onion and half the garlic. Sauté for 2–3 minutes, until softened. Add the broccoli, half the chickpeas and the vegetable stock. Increase the heat to medium–high and cover with a lid, leaving it slightly ajar to let steam escape. Cook for 8–10 minutes, until the broccoli is softened. Turn off the heat, add the spinach leaves and mint leaves and stir until the spinach is wilted. Using a stick blender (or regular blender/food processor), blend the mixture until smooth. Add 1 teaspoon of sea salt and some freshly ground black pepper.

Meanwhile, heat a frying pan over medium–high heat. When hot, add 3 tablespoons of olive oil along with the remaining chickpeas. Reduce the heat to medium or medium–low and fry, shaking the pan every now and then, until the chickpeas are crisp. The chickpeas may burst and splatter out of the pan and if they do, reduce the heat to low, increasing the heat again once the bursting stops. Continue to cook for 10–12 minutes, until the chickpeas are crispy all over. Add the remaining garlic, the capers, almonds and chilli, increase the heat to medium–high and cook until the almonds are golden, about 4–5 minutes. Add the parsley and cook for another 1–2 minutes, until everything looks toasted and crispy. Season with ½–1 teaspoon of sea salt.

Ladle the soup into bowls and top with the spicy fried chickpea mixture, some mint leaves and a squeeze of lemon juice. Serving suggestion: Finish with shaved parmesan.

Recipes……… Cheesy kale and rice cake bake

Fennel and black pepper ice cream

INGREDIENTS

SERVES 4

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil • 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped • 1 tablespoon gochugaru • 2 tomatoes (about 300g), roughly chopped • 1 teaspoon sea salt • 1 teaspoon white sugar • 1 litre (4 cups) vegetable stock • 900g rice cake sticks, rinsed in water to separate • 180g kale leaves (from 1 bunch), torn • 170g (1 ½ cups) grated cheddar • 200g fresh mozzarella, torn • 2 green onions (shallots), finely chopped

METHOD

Heat a deep 25cm ovenproof frying pan or shallow Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the olive oil and garlic and cook for 15–20 seconds, until fragrant. Add the gochugaru, tomato, sea salt, sugar and vegetable stock and stir to combine. Cover with a lid and allow it to bubble away for 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200°C.

After 10 minutes, remove the lid and stir the sauce, squishing the tomato with the back of a spoon or spatula. Add the rice cake sticks, along with the kale, and stir until the leaves wilt. Add half the cheddar, half the mozzarella and the green onion, and stir to combine. Top with the remaining cheddar and mozzarella and transfer to the oven, placing a tray underneath to catch any drips. Bake for 15–20 minutes, until melty and golden.

Allow to sit for 5–10 minutes before serving.

INGREDIENTS

SERVES 4-6

• 1 small fennel bulb (about 200g) finely sliced, fronds reserved to serve • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra to serve • 395g sweetened condensed milk (regular or vegan) • 250ml (1 cup) thickened cream or vegan coconut cream • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

METHOD

Place all the ingredients in a high-speed blender or food processor and whiz until smooth. Pour the creamy mixture into a small loaf tin or dish that measures approximately 22cm × 12 cm, cover with plastic or reusable wrap and freeze for at least 3–4 hours, until firm.

To serve, let the ice cream stand at room temperature for 5 minutes (to make scooping easier) and top with a drizzle of olive oil, a few fennel fronds and a few turns of freshly ground black pepper.