Forget the protein obsession: three high-fibre recipes that deliver on both

Protein has had a terrific few years. It has been stuffed into yoghurts, stirred into coffee and slapped across supermarket packaging in letters large enough to be read from the next aisle. Fibre, meanwhile, has been getting on with rather more important work, largely without the marketing budget.

The trouble with treating food as a race to hit an ever-higher protein target is that something else gets pushed off the plate. And for most of us, that something is fibre. It helps keep the gut healthy, supports digestion and can make meals more satisfying – yet it’s the nutrient we should arguably be paying much more attention to.

That doesn’t mean trading a decent supper for a bowl of bran, nor abandoning protein altogether. Bettina Campolucci Bordi, the bestselling food writer and award-winning culinary educator, makes a persuasive case for doing both, with plant-forward recipes built around pulses, vegetables and the sort of cupboard ingredients that earn their keep.

Her red lentil dhal, topped with crunchy tandoori chickpeas, delivers around 30g of protein and 22g of fibre per serving, and is exactly what a miserable Wednesday requires. Mexican nachos layer spiced black beans, avocado and punchy fresh salsa for a dinner that feels more like a treat than a nutritional undertaking. And a five-minute pea soup comes with curried onion-and-date pancakes, because no one ever looked at a bowl of soup and wished it were less interesting.

No powders, no joyless arithmetic, no need to turn dinner into a science project. Just good food, with plenty of the things your body actually needs.

Mexican nacho plate

Fresh, colourful and packed with flavour, this is perfect for sharing over drinks, serving as a light lunch or snacking on in front of the television.

Serves: 2

Protein (excluding corn chips): ~14g

Fibre (excluding corn chips): ~18g

Ingredients:

240g drained tinned black beans

1 tbsp fajita spice mix

Splash of plant cream

1 avocado, peeled and pitted

Squeeze of lemon juice

Salt

Corn chips and lime wedges, to serve

For the fresh salsa:

300g cherry tomatoes, halved

30g coriander leaves, chopped

½ shallot, finely chopped

½ chilli, chopped

Pinch of salt

Freshly cracked black pepper

Method:

1. Put the black beans into a blender with the fajita spice mix and a pinch of salt. Pulse until combined.

2. Spoon onto a serving plate and spread evenly.

3. Mash the avocado with the lemon juice and a little salt, then spoon over the black beans. 4. Combine the salsa ingredients in a bowl and toss gently.

5. Spoon the salsa over the plate and finish with corn chips and lime wedges.

Red lentil dhal and tandoori chickpeas

Comforting and hearty with added crunch, this is perfect for batch cooking and taking away for lunch on a drizzly day.

Serves: 2

Protein: ~30g

Fibre: ~22g

Ingredients:

1 leek, green and all, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

2 Medjool dates, torn into pieces

1 tbsp turmeric

1 tsp fenugreek seeds

100g uncooked red lentils

250ml boiling water

400ml coconut milk

1 large handful fresh spinach

Olive oil, for cooking

Salt and freshly cracked black pepper

For the crispy chickpeas:

240g drained tinned chickpeas

1 tbsp tandoori spice mix

1 tbsp olive oil

To serve:

Plant yoghurt

Toasted sourdough bread

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C and line a baking tray with baking parchment.

2. Put the drained chickpeas into a bowl with the tandoori spice mix and olive oil and toss until well coated. Spread over the prepared tray and roast for about 20 minutes until golden and crunchy. 3. Meanwhile, heat a little olive oil in a large frying pan and fry the leek, garlic, dates and spices for 5 to 10 minutes until soft.

4. Add the lentils and boiling water and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the water has been absorbed.

5. Add the coconut milk, season with salt and pepper and simmer for another 10 minutes, until the lentils have a lovely creamy texture.

6. Stir through the spinach and serve topped with the crispy chickpeas, plant yoghurt and toasted sourdough.

Five-minute pea soup with baji pancakes

Quick, comforting and full of flavour, this vibrant soup makes a satisfying lunch or easy midweek supper, with spiced pancakes for dipping.

Serves: 2

Protein: ~20g

Fibre: ~20g

Ingredients:

For the soup:

375g frozen peas

250ml plant cream

Olive oil, for frying

Salt and freshly cracked black pepper

For the pancakes:

Olive oil, for frying

1 red onion, sliced

2 to 4 Medjool dates, torn into pieces

120g buckwheat flour

250ml water

Pinch of bicarbonate of soda

½ tsp baking powder

1 tsp yellow curry powder

1 tsp salt

Plant yoghurt and coriander or parsley leaves, to serve

Hemp hearts, optional

Method:

1. Heat a little olive oil in a large frying pan and fry the onion for about 5 minutes until soft. Add the dates and set aside.

2. Combine the remaining pancake ingredients in a bowl and stir through the cooked onion and dates. 3. Reheat the pan and cook the pancakes one by one. Once small bubbles appear on the surface, flip and cook on the other side. Keep warm.

4. For the soup, heat a little olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add the frozen peas and plant cream and gently heat through.

5. Transfer to a blender and blitz until completely smooth.

6. Season to taste and serve immediately with the pancakes, plant yoghurt, herbs and hemp hearts if using.

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