Earth Day food

This article first appeared in our Earth Day 2025 issue of My Green Pod Magazine, published 22 April. Click here to subscribe to our digital edition and get each issue delivered straight to your inbox

In celebration of Earth Day on 22 April, we’re bringing you three hearty and flavour-packed plant-based recipes that prove how easy it can be to make a positive impact on the planet.

These recipes are designed to empower everyone to make small but meaningful changes in their eating habits, supporting Earth Day’s mission to inspire global environmental action.

By switching to plant-based meals, even a couple of times a week, we can reduce our carbon footprint and contribute to a healthier planet.

Each of these dishes is fuss-free, inexpensive and uses easy-to-find ingredients, perfectly aligning with our company mission to get more plants on plates.

Whether you’re a seasoned plant-based eater or just starting to explore the world of plant-based cooking, these recipes make it easier than ever to create delicious, wholesome meals that are kind to the planet.

Small changes can lead to a huge positive impact – and what better way to start than with these fantastic dishes?

ULTIMATE CHILLI

Rich, smoky and deeply satisfying – the addition of mushrooms and dark chocolate give this chilli a bold depth of flavour. Serves 4.

Ingredients

• 400g mushrooms
• Olive oil
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• 2 red onions
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 fresh red chillies
• 30g fresh coriander
• 1 celery stick
• 1 red pepper
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 250ml red wine
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
• 1 x 400g tin black beans
• 1 x 400g tin kidney beans
• 1½ tsp maple syrup
• 10g dark chocolate

For the spice mix

• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 bay leaf

Before you start

Food processor; frying pan on a medium-high heat; large saucepan on a medium heat.

Method

Prepare the mushrooms:
Put the mushrooms in the food processor and pulse until very finely minced (you can chop them if you prefer, but it’s quicker and better with a food processor).

Pour a little oil into the hot frying pan. Once the oil is hot, tip in the mushrooms with the salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes.

Take the pan off the heat, transfer the mushrooms to a bowl and set aside.

Prepare the vegetables:
Peel and mince the red onions and garlic. Rip the stems from the chillies, cut them in half lengthways and remove the seeds if you prefer a milder sauce, then chop finely.

Remove the leaves from the coriander and set aside. Finely chop the stalks.

Trim the leaves and root from the celery. Cut the pepper in half and cut out the stem and seeds. Cut the celery and pepper into very small chunks.

Cook the aromatics:
Add a little oil to the large saucepan. Once it is hot, add the minced onions, garlic, finely chopped coriander stalks and chillies.

Cook gently for 5–10 minutes, making sure you stir constantly. Add the chopped celery and red pepper chunks to the pan and stir.

Add the spices and liquids:
Add all the spice mix ingredients to the pan and stir so that the spices are well mixed and coat all the vegetables.

Stir in the tomato purée to give a rich colour and depth of flavour.

Pour the red wine, soy sauce and balsamic vinegar into the pan and turn up the heat to high.

Stir constantly until the liquid has reduced by two-thirds and the alcoholic aroma has subsided.

Tip the chopped tomatoes into the pan, stir into the chilli and simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce is noticeably thicker.

Add the beans & mushrooms:
Drain the black beans and kidney beans and add them to the pan along with the maple syrup, dark chocolate and minced mushrooms.

Stir everything together really well and reduce the heat to a very gentle simmer. Leave this bubbling away with the lid off, stirring occasionally,
until it’s reduced to the right thickness (at least 10 minutes).

You can leave it bubbling for longer to deepen the flavours, adding more water if needed.

Finish and serve:
Take the lid off the pan and remove the bay leaf. Stir in the coriander leaves and serve.

Sheffield Shepherd’s Pie

A comforting classic! Puy lentil and mushroom filling topped with creamy mashed potatoes. Serves 4-6.

Ingredients

For the filling:

• 2 medium red onions
• 1 celery stick
• 3 garlic cloves
• 4 sun-dried tomatoes, plus
• 2 tbsp oil from the jar
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 large carrot
• 500g mushrooms
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 tbsp yeast extract
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 250ml red wine
• 100ml vegetable stock
• 400g pre-cooked puy lentils
• Salt and black pepper

For the potato topping:

• 1.2kg Maris Piper or other floury potatoes
• 40g dairy-free butter
• 150ml unsweetened plant-based milk
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard

Before you start:
Preheat oven to 180°C; fine grater or microplane; 2 large saucepans; food processor; potato masher; 20 x 30cm lasagne dish; piping bag fitted with a wide star nozzle (optional).

Method
Make the potato topping:
Peel and chop the potatoes into large chunks. Put them in a saucepan, cover with cold water and add a generous pinch of salt.

Put over high heat, bring to the boil and cook for 12–15 minutes until tender. Drain into a colander and leave to dry. Tip the potatoes back into the pan.