Make this for dinner! A veg-packed, light, Tuscan-inspired soup recipe for warmer evenings

We all know fibre is important, but we’ve got enough on our plates (metaphorically) without having to constantly think about whether we’re hitting the recommended NHS amount of 30g per day. (Spoiler alert: most of us are only just about getting half that).

But this is where nutritionist Emma Bardwell’s new book The Fibre Effect comes in. It’s brimming with helpful tips to boost your fibre intake that are genuinely easy to implement.

There are also heaps of quick and easy recipes that’ll ensure you’re hitting all your nutritional markers without sacrificing on taste.

Got a bit of a sweet tooth? Check out Bardwell’s healthy but moreish chickpea blondies.

Need a new dinner recipe to add to the weekly rotation that use ingredients you already have in the cupboard? This light Tuscan-inspired soup, called a ribollita, is just the thing. Served with a few slices of sourdough, enjoy it in the garden with a glass of chilled rosé for a perfect midweek dinner.

Emma Bardwell’s quick ribollita recipe

Image: Kimberly Espinel

Makes 4 servings, each containing 18g protein, 10.5g fibre, 440 cals and 9 plants 

• 1 tbsp olive oil
  
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
  
• 1 carrot, finely diced
  
• 1 celery stick, finely diced
  
• 200g cavolo nero, stalks removed and roughly
  chopped
  
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  
• 4 medium tomatoes, grated
  
• 1 litre vegetable stock
  
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
  
• 60g Parmesan, grated (add the rind to the pot if
  you have it) or vegetarian hard cheese
  
• 1 × 400g tin haricot beans, drained and rinsed
  
• 4 tbsp pumpkin seeds
  
• Pinch of chilli flakes to serve (optional)
  
• 4 slices of seeded sourdough bread, toasted 

Heat the oil in a large saucepan on a low heat and gently cook the onion, carrot and celery, with the lid on, for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and add the cavolo nero and garlic. Increase the heat to medium and cook for 3 minutes, until the garlic is slightly coloured.

Stir in the tomatoes for 2 minutes. Add the stock, rosemary and the Parmesan rind if you have it. Simmer on a low heat for 10 minutes.

Add the beans and warm through for 5 minutes. Season to taste, with salt and pepper.

Serve in bowls, scattered with the grated Parmesan or vegetarian hard cheese, pumpkin seeds and chilli flakes (if using) with the toasted sourdough on the side.

Tip: Add ricotta or grated fried tofu or tempeh to increase the protein.

Extracted from The Fibre Effect(Vermillion, £16.99) by Emma Bardwell