The Veggie Hub

15/06/2026

Are you worried about turning off the Main Road into the Veggie Hub?

Another safe option is to park at the Warf on Beach Road and take the easy walk along the river.

We have opened up the Walk Way for easy access to The Veggie Hub parking area.

Our friendly staff are always handy to help carry your bags if you need any assistance.

You are welcome to ask our staff for more information if you are not sure how to get to us safely.

15/06/2026

Cream of Cauliflower Soup

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 cans chicken broth or 2 chicken stock cubes diluted according to pack instructions
1 head cauliflower, chopped
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon dry sherry
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Directions
Gather the ingredients.

Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add potatoes and carrots; cook and stir until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes.

Pour in broth and bring to a boil. Stir in cauliflower, then cover, reduce the heat, and simmer until vegetables are tender, 10 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Purée soup with an immersion blender until smooth.

Return to the stove and stir in milk, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and sherry over low heat. Cook until heated through, 3 to 4 minutes.

Garnish with parsley and enjoy!

14/06/2026

10 Healthy Soup ideas:

-Rustic Vegetable Soup (full recipe below)
-Green Pesto Minestrone
-Healthy Pumpkin Soup
-Leek and Butter Bean Soup with Crispy Kale and Bacon
-Winter Vegetable and Lentil Soup
-Cauliflower Soup
-Celery Soup
-Mushroom and Potato Soup
-Herby Broccoli and Pea Soup
-Healthy Vegetable Soup

Rustic Vegetable Soup Recipe:

1 tbsp rapeseed oil
1 large onion
chopped
2 carrots
chopped
2 celery sticks
chopped
50g dried red lentils
1½ l boiling vegetable bouillon (veggie stock cube)
2 tbsp tomato purée
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
1 leek
finely sliced
175g bite-sized cauliflower florets
1 courgette
chopped
3 garlic cloves
finely chopped
½ large Savoy cabbage
stalks removed and leaves chopped
1 tbsp basil
chopped

Method:
step 1
Heat the oil in a large pan with a lid. Add the onion, carrots and celery and fry for 10 mins, stirring from time to time until they are starting to colour a little around the edges. Stir in the lentils and cook for 1 min more.

step 2
Pour in the hot bouillon, add the tomato purée and thyme and stir well. Add the leek, cauliflower, courgette, and garlic, bring to the boil, then cover and leave to simmer for 15 mins.

step 3
Add the cabbage and basil and cook for 5 mins more until the veg is just tender. Season with pepper, ladle into bowls and serve. Will keep in the fridge for a couple of days. Freezes well. Thaw, then reheat in a pan until piping hot.

13/06/2026

13/06/2026

Simple Slow Roasted Beetroot and Orange Salad:

Ingredients:
2 medium Fresh beetroot Roasted or boiled
2 medium Juicy oranges Peeled and segmented
4 cups Mixed greens Like arugula or spinach
1 small Red onion Thinly sliced
1/2 cup Toasted walnuts
For the Dressing
1/4 cup Extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons Fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon Honey or maple syrup
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
to taste Salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Preparation
Preheat oven to 200c and line a baking sheet with foil.

Trim and scrub beets, toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Wrap in foil and roast until fork-tender, about 45-60 minutes.

Let beets cool for 10 minutes, then peel and slice into ½-inch wedges.

Peel and segment the oranges, removing all pith.

In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, and honey until smooth.

Season the dressing with salt and pepper to taste.

Assembly:
In a large bowl, combine mixed greens, beet wedges, orange segments, sliced red onion, and toasted walnuts.
Drizzle with the dressing and toss gently. Serve immediately.
Notes
Optional: Sprinkle with crumbled feta and fresh mint leaves just before serving.

12/06/2026

Oranges aren't just for desserts - they're brilliant in savoury cooking too (Recipe below), bringing a lively, sweet tart lift that can turn the everyday into something delicious. Here are some of my favourite ways to use them: a zesty honey roasted chicken with root vegetables, a crisp shaved fennel and orange salad, a beautifully crisp skinned Chinese duck with orange sauce, honey roasted halloumi tossed in a honey orange glaze, and a super simple slow roasted beetroot and orange salad.

Honey Orange Roasted Chicken Recipe:

100 g unsalted butter at room temperature
1 tsp onion powder
½ tsp paprika
1 tbsp salt
Pepper
1 tsp fresh rosemary chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme chopped
2 tbsp honey
2 oranges zest only
1 garlic clove purée, grated or finely minced
For the sauce
150 ml freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tbsp cornstarch
Salt to taste

Directions:

For the chicken
Make sure that inside the cavity of the chicken there are no interiors in a bag. Also, cut off the neck and tail if they're still attached.

In a bowl, mix the butter with the rest of the ingredients.

Pat the chicken dry with kitchen paper all around.

Carefully, separate the skin from the flesh of the chicken using your hands. You want to separate it on the breast and also as far as your hand can go into the legs.

Rub the chicken with the butter inside the skin, on top of the skin and also on the inside of the cavity.

If you have time, you can marinade it overnight. Otherwise, it goes straight into the oven.

Roast the chicken in a baking dish or tray that's somewhat deep in a preheated oven at 180°C for approximately 1 hour or until the temperature at the centre of all pieces of the chicken has reached 73°C. Baste it every 15 minutes with its juices. If at any point a section of the chicken becomes golden enough, cover it with aluminium foil.

Remove it from the dish it was baked in and let it rest for at least 15 minutes before carving.

For the sauce
Pour the juices and butter that was left behind in the tray into a saucepan through a colander.

Dissolve the cornstarch in a bit of the orange juice and reserve.

Add the orange juice to the saucepan and mix. Add the dissolved cornstarch too, stirring constantly to prevent lumps from forming.

Let it boil at medium heat. From the moment it boils, let it boil for an extra minute, always stirring constantly.

Taste the sauce and adjust the level of salt if needed.

10/06/2026

Best Veggie Burger Ever Made Recipe

Ingredients:

1 can black beans or 1 ½ cups cooked black beans
225g mushrooms
1 medium carrot
1 ½ cups (85g) broccoli florets
1/4 medium onion
2 medium garlic cloves
2 tablespoons (30g) olive oil or avocado oil, plus more for cooking
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder, try homemade chili powder
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/3 cup (35g) walnuts
2 cups packed (85g) spinach leaves
1/4 cup fresh parsley, or other fresh herbs
1/2 cup (35g) panko or homemade breadcrumbs
2 large eggs or use 2 homemade flax eggs
1 tablespoon (15g) tomato paste
3/4 cup (115g) cooked brown rice

Directions:
Prepare Veggies and Beans
Preheat your oven to 200C. Position two racks so you can fit both baking sheets in at once. Then, line two baking sheets with foil, parchment, or a silicone mat.

Drain the beans and spread them on one of the prepared baking sheets.

Wipe the mushrooms with a damp paper towel. Remove tough stems, then roughly chop.

Roughly chop up the carrot, broccoli, and onion into 1/2-inch pieces.

Add the mushrooms, chopped vegetables, garlic, olive oil, smoked paprika, chili powder, salt, and pepper to the food processor. Pulse until coarsely ground (10 to 20 times). Put the ground vegetable mixture on the second baking sheet and pat it into a thin, even layer.

Slide both baking sheets (beans and veggies) into the preheated oven.

Roast the beans until dry with slightly split skins, about 15 minutes.

Roast the vegetables until they look dry and toasted, about 30 minutes. Stir them a few times and press them back into a thin layer to prevent the outer edges from over-browning.

Let both the roasted vegetables and beans cool on the counter.

Make Burger Mix
While the beans and vegetables roast, rinse the food processor bowl and pat it dry.

Place the walnuts, spinach, and fresh parsley into the clean food processor bowl. Pulse briefly until roughly chopped, resembling the size of breadcrumbs.

Add cooled beans and pulse 5 to 10 times until the beans look crumbly with large crumbs.

Add the roasted vegetables, breadcrumbs, eggs, and tomato paste. Pulse until everything is just combined. You want to keep some texture and avoid over-processing it into a smooth paste.

Transfer the mixture to a bowl and gently fold in the cooked rice.

Cook Burgers
Divide the veggie burger mixture into 8 equal portions (each portion should be about 3 ¼ ounces or 90 grams). Form each portion into a patty that’s about 1/2-inch thick.

Place a skillet over medium-low heat and add oil (about 1 tablespoon for 4 burgers). Carefully place the patties in the skillet and cook on each side for 4 to 6 minutes until heated through, firm, and browned. As you flip them, a few bits might fall. Gently press any loose bits back into the sides of the patties.

09/06/2026

How to make vegetables more exciting?

Transform vegetables by changing how you cook them and what you pair them with. Key methods include high-heat roasting to caramelize natural sugars, adding rich, creamy sauces or punchy vinaigrettes for contrast, and finishing with crunchy elements like toasted nuts or shaved parmesan to elevate the texture.

1. Crank Up the Heat
Stop boiling or steaming, which can leave vegetables bland and mushy. Instead, try these high-heat methods:
• Roasting: Toss vegetables like broccoli, carrots, and Brussels sprouts in olive oil and roast at until the edges are dark and crispy.
• Wok-Frying / Stir-Frying: Cook vegetables in a smoking hot skillet with a neutral oil for 60 seconds. Add fresh ginger and garlic at the very end, and finish with a splash of water or broth to lightly steam

• Broiling: For a quick, charred finish, toss asparagus or bell peppers in oil, place them a few inches from your oven's broiler for 3 to 4 minutes.
For tips on how to get the seasoning, thickness, and consistency of your sauces just right:35

2. Focus on Textural Contrast
If a vegetable feels boring, it is likely because it is entirely soft or entirely crunchy.
• Add crunch: Toss your finished vegetables with toasted pine nuts, slivered almonds, pepitas, or crispy fried capers.
• Make it smooth: Serve your roasted vegetables alongside a flavourful base or swoosh of tahini, tzatziki, or spicy ranch.
• Garnish dynamically: Shave hard, salty cheeses like Parmesan or Pecorino over the top of warm, roasted vegetables.

3. Brighten with Acid and Herbs
Vegetables need both fat and acid to pop. Rely on these flavour enhancers right before serving:
• Acidity: Squeeze fresh lemon or lime juice over the dish, or drizzle with aged balsamic vinegar or a bright vinaigrette.
• Fresh herbs: Sprinkle chopped fresh basil, cilantro, or parsley over your finished plate for an instant boost of colour and aroma.
• Bold Spices: Move beyond salt and pepper. Try tossing vegetables in smoked paprika, cumin, or curry powder before cooking.

4. Hide or Blend the Flavours
If you are still struggling to enjoy the texture of standalone vegetables, incorporate them into other dishes:
• Blend them: Grate zucchini or carrots into meatloaves, hamburger patties, or pasta sauces.
• Dip them: Purée roasted vegetables like spinach or artichokes into creamy dips to eat with crackers or chips.