Vegan winter menus

Super soups

Slipping into soup season is like donning a favourite sweater: each flavour evokes a particular memory of winters gone by. But this year it's time to break away from tradition and safe bets. Put the old favourites into hibernation to embrace new flavours.

Almost anything goes with soups - they turn leftovers, sad excess vegetables and unloved ingredients into a delicious, frugal and seasonal meal. Use spices to add depth of flavour: try blending parsnip and apple with ground cumin or pumpkin with chilli and ginger. Or create layers of flavours in exotic suppers: try blending classic Thai ingredients such as Thai basil, coriander, chopped lemongrass, garlic, ginger, lime leaves and brown sugar to a paste, then simmering the paste with vegetables or red lentils, lime juice, red chilli and coconut milk.

Be soup savvy: prepare homemade vegetable stock to enrich your dishes before you start. Vary the bases of your soups to expand your culinary horizons and feed your inspiration: keep sachets of umami-rich miso in the cupboard for when time is short and expectations high, or experiment with pulses, grains or noodles. Blend toasted, ground pumpkin seeds into the simmering mixture to create thick, luscious soups perfect for cold winter evenings. And treat yourself to the little extras, such as chunky homemade croûtons made with herbed focaccia or garlic baguette, or garnishes of toasted nuts, seeds or vegan cheese.

• Miso noodle soup by James Tanner
• Spicy beetroot and coconut soup by Simon Rimmer
• Red cabbage soup by Brian Turner
• Spiced sweet potato soup by Antony Worrall Thompson
• Carrot and chilli soup by Gino D'Acampo
• Chickpea soup with socca by Rosa Baden-Powell
• Spinach and okra soup by Madhur Jaffrey
• Noodle soup for needy people by Nigella Lawson
• Focaccia with rosemary by Lesley Waters

Party time

Party season is revving up. Save the canapés for other people's parties - they're more fun to eat than to prepare. Dips are the way forward for a relaxed party vibe, washed down with a few festive cocktails.

The secret to dips is the timing. Some dips, such as dukkah, can be made in advance and will keep in the fridge for a few days. Guacamole, on the other hand, needs to be made at the last minute to preserve the jade green colour. For something different, mash up cooked butterbeans with garlic, olive oil and lemon juice and serve sprinkled with chopped parsley.

Dips need chips and some freshly fried tortilla chips make the perfect dipping device. If that sounds like too much hard work, chunks of Turkish bread or toasted pitta will fill guests up happily. Serve vegetable crudités, crisps and marinated olives alongside.

If you can't resist whipping up something a little more impressive, stick with the idea of finger food and make Simon Rimmer'spumpkin fritters. Dip them in a raita made with unsweetened soya yoghurt and chopped fresh herbs such as parsley, coriander or dill. Add cucumber if desired.

Chestnuts are quintessential winter fare. Roast up a batch and let guests peel them themselves as a cosy winter nibble. Pumpkin seeds are also delicious roasted with warming spices such as paprika and chilli powder. Save leftovers in an airtight container, and sprinkle over salads.

Dips

• Pumpkin fritters by Simon Rimmer
• Avocado hummus by Gizzi Erskine
• Egyptian dukkah by Jill Dupleix
• Hummus by Roberta and Julia Sawalha
• Baba ganoush by Lesley Waters
• Green chilli salsa by Antony Worrall Thompson
• Parsnip, beetroot and basil crisps by Patrick Williams
• Garlic and chilli olives by David Laris from Saturday Kitchen
• Guacamole by The Hairy Bikers

Bread

• Freshly baked bread by Paul Merrett
• Barley bread by Sam and Sam Clark
• Pitta bread from the Flour Advisory Bureau
• Coriander and garlic bread by by Anjum Anand

An apple a day

Winter is a bit of a dry spell for fruit, but don't underestimate the humble apple. It can be used in a variety of home-grown sweet and savoury dishes.

There's nothing better than a comforting winter pudding using apples and a dusting of cinnamon - try classic recipes such as American apple pie, tarte tatin, apple strüdel and apple crumble. Use Bramley apples in particular in pies and crumbles, or bake them whole with some brown sugar, butter and spices.

Salads offer respite from stodgy winter fayre and can be just as satisfying. Make coleslaw with grated apple, onion and white cabbage, then whisk olive oil with Dijon mustard until emulsified and mix together. Or shred carrot, apple and beetroot and dress with lemon juice and olive oil. Top with toasted pine nuts and slices of fried vegan sausage for a hearty lunch.

Apples are also delicious paired with sweeter vegetables such as pumpkin and butternut squash, especially in hearty soups and stews, try adding a splash of cider for an extra kick.

Sweet

• Toffee apples by Gino D'Acampo
• Beetroot, carrot and apple juice by Lesley Waters
• Fruit crisps by James Martin
• Mulled cider by The Vegetarian Society
• Mincemeat, apple and apricot crumble tart by The Vegetarian Society
• Caramelised apples by Paul Heathcote
• Baked apples with dried cherries, cinnamon and orange zest by Bill Granger

Savoury

• Apple and herb salad by Brian Turner
• Apple and ginger soup by Burrastow House Hotel
• Chestnut, roasted butternut squash and Bramley apple soup by The Hairy Bikers
• Spicy apple and walnut chutney by Rick Stein
• Salade chaude de pomme by The Vegetarian Society
• Cider, butterbean and thyme soup