Food for the Earth

This article first appeared in our Earth Day 2026 issue of My Green Pod Magazine. Click here to subscribe to our digital edition and get each issue delivered straight to your inbox

Every year, Earth Day is a reminder that the choices we make – even the small, everyday ones – add up to something much bigger.

In fact, one of the most powerful choices any of us can make for the planet happens three times a day: at mealtimes.

You don’t need to overhaul your life. You don’t need to be perfect. The science consistently tells us that shifting even one meal towards plant-based eating has a measurable impact – on emissions, land use and water.

Millions of people making one small change matters more than a handful of people doing everything right. That’s what these two recipes are about; not sacrifice, not compromise – just genuinely delicious food that happens to be built around some of the most sustainable ingredients on the planet.

Legumes like butter beans and chickpeas require a fraction of the water and land required for animal proteins, and produce far fewer emissions. They’re also cheap, filling and, as these recipes prove, anything but boring.

Pick a recipe. Make it tonight. That’s where change starts.

Harissa Butter Beans with Whipped Feta

Serves 4

Butter beans are one of the unsung heroes of sustainable eating: high in protein and fibre, low in emissions and endlessly versatile.

Here they’re slow-roasted in a rich harissa and tomato sauce until deeply flavourful and bubbling, finished with whipped plant-based feta and fresh dill.

The whole dish comes together in one skillet, mostly from tins and jars, which means minimal waste and maximum flavour.

Ingredients
For the Harissa Beans

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 500g cherry tomatoes
• 1 large bulb garlic
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 × 400g tin polpa tomatoes
• 1 × 570g jar queen butterbeans
• 2 tbsp harissa paste
• Salt, black pepper and sugar, to taste

For the Whipped Feta

• 200g plant-based feta
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 4 tbsp cold water

To serve

• Small handful dill fronds
• Sourdough bread
• Plant-based butter (or olive oil)
• Extra olive oil, for drizzling

Before you start

Preheat oven to 200°C, ovenproof skillet, bullet blender, tongs, toaster.

Method

Prep the vegetables
Slice the red pepper into thin strips. Slice the top off the garlic bulb to expose the cloves. Add both to the ovenproof skillet with the cherry tomatoes.

Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and toss well to coat. Nestle the garlic bulb in the centre.

Roast the base
Place the skillet in the oven for 25 minutes until the tomatoes have burst and the pepper has softened.

Make the Whipped Feta
In a bullet blender, combine the plant-based feta, olive oil and cold water. Blitz until smooth and creamy, like a thick mayo. Add an extra splash of water to loosen if needed. Set aside.

Build the sauce
Remove the roasted garlic bulb with tongs and allow to cool slightly. Squeeze the soft cloves into the skillet and mash with the back of a spoon.

Stir in the harissa paste until well combined. Pour in the polpa tomatoes and season with salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar.

Add the beans
Drain the butterbeans and gently fold them through the sauce. Return the skillet to the oven for a further 25 minutes, until bubbling and slightly reduced.

Toast the sourdough
While the beans finish, toast slices of sourdough and spread with plant-based butter or a drizzle of good olive oil.

Finish and serve
Remove the skillet from the oven and swirl the whipped feta through the centre of the hot beans. Top with dill fronds, a drizzle of olive oil and a final pinch of salt and pepper.

Serve straight from the pan with toast on the side for scooping – ideal for lazy lunches and relaxed dinners.