Days are getting shorter and the temperature is beginning to drop, which means it is time for autumn! This season invites us to slow down and enjoy the comfort of warm, nourishing meals. It’s also a wonderful time to make the most of seasonal vegetables, from mushrooms and cauliflower to carrots and tomatoes, bringing their natural flavours into the kitchen.
At Silent Focus, food is an important part of our retreats. The meals we serve are inspired by the principles of a Sattvic diet, rooted in the yogic tradition. This vegetarian approach emphasizes fresh, simple, and easily digestible foods, with the aim of supporting mental clarity and physical balance.
The recipes below follow these principles, integrating them into your autumn cooking. They are comforting, full of flavour, and made with wholesome ingredients, perfect for the cooler fall months.
Giant Mushrooms with an Herb Filling
These stuffed mushrooms are a very special recipe as they can be made for breakfast, lunch, or dinner! They can be prepared up to 24 hours before baking, so preparing them the night before is super simple. The filling combines fresh herbs, sun-dried tomatoes, and vegan cheese for a rich, savoury flavour. This recipe serves 4.
Ingredients
- 8 large open-cup mushrooms
- 4 tbsp oil from a jar of sun-dried tomatoes in oil, plus extra for drizzling
- 20g flat-leaf parsley, leaves and stalks chopped separately
- 1 leek, finely chopped
- 150g gluten-free breadcrumbs (or leave them out if you prefer)
- 12 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and finely chopped
- 80g vegan cheese, grated
- 2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing
- Salt and black pepper
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F) and grease a large baking tray.
- Cut the mushroom stems from the mushrooms and chop them finely.
- Heat the 4 tablespoons of sun-dried tomato oil in a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the chopped mushroom stems, parsley stalks, leek, and a good pinch of salt. Cook for 6-8 minutes.
- Add the breadcrumbs and fry for 5 minutes, until lightly golden.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the chopped sun-dried tomatoes, half of the parsley leaves, and half of the grated vegan cheese. Season well with salt and pepper.
- Spoon equal amounts of filling into each mushroom cup, pressing it down lightly. Scatter the remaining vegan cheese over the top.
- Drizzle the olive oil over the mushrooms and roast for 15-20 minutes, until crisp and golden on top.
- Scatter the remaining chopped parsley leaves over the mushrooms before serving.
If you want to make them ahead of time: Prepare the mushrooms as above, but do not bake them. Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours, then roast as instructed.
Roasted Cumin Tomato Soup
There is nothing like a warm, comforting bowl of soup during a chilly autumn day.
Ingredients
- 5-6 tomatoes
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp whole cumin seeds
- 1 × 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 250g precooked white beans
- 800ml water
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Method
- Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F).
- Halve the fresh tomatoes across the middle. Pour half of the olive oil into a shallow roasting tray and add some salt and pepper. Stir, then arrange the tomatoes on the tray, cut side down.
- Roast for 20-30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, pour the remaining olive oil into a large saucepan over medium heat. Add both types of cumin and cook briefly until fragrant.
- Add the canned tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes. Pour in the water and add the white beans. Bring to a simmer.
- Remove the roasted tomatoes from the oven and carefully peel off their skins. Add the tomatoes to the saucepan and simmer everything together for another 20 minutes.
- Purée the soup with a handheld blender until smooth. Add a little more water if needed, then taste and adjust the seasoning before serving.
At silent retreats, we like to serve this soup with dehydrated crackers, and so you’re not missing out at home, here’s the recipe for those as well:
Dehydrated Carrot, Zucchini and Sun-Dried Tomato Crackers
These crunchy crackers are a great accompaniment to not only the tomato soup above, but really any autumn soups. Made with vegetables, seeds, buckwheat, and sun-dried tomatoes, they add texture and flavour.
Ingredients
- 125g buckwheat
- 125g golden flaxseed
- 100g sunflower seeds
- 400g carrots
- 400g zucchini
- 60ml gluten-free tamari
- 60ml olive oil
- 70g sun-dried tomatoes, cut into strips
This recipe is more easily made with a dehydrator, but if you don’t have one, don’t worry! We will also include a version you can also try with just your oven.
Dehydrator Method
- Soak the flaxseed, buckwheat, and sunflower seeds overnight, or for at least 4 hours.
- Strain and rinse the buckwheat, flaxseed, and sunflower seeds, then set aside.
- Grate the carrots and zucchini. Add the tamari, olive oil, and sun-dried tomatoes, and mix well.
- Blend the flaxseed, buckwheat, and sunflower seeds in a food processor. Add them to the vegetable mixture.
- Stir vigorously until everything is combined, then spread the mixture evenly over the dehydrator sheets.
- Dehydrate for approximately 12 hours. Turn the mixture over, cut it into squares with kitchen shears, and leave to dry for a further 8 hours.
- Store in an airtight container.
Oven Method
- Soak the flaxseed, buckwheat, and sunflower seeds overnight, or for at least 4 hours.
- Strain and rinse the buckwheat, flaxseed, and sunflower seeds.
- Grate the carrots and zucchini. Place the zucchini in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out as much excess moisture as possible.
- Add the tamari, olive oil, and sun-dried tomatoes to the vegetables and mix well.
- Blend the soaked flaxseed, buckwheat, and sunflower seeds in a food processor until roughly combined. Add them to the vegetable mixture and stir until everything is evenly incorporated.
- Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F). Line two baking trays with parchment paper.
- Spread the mixture thinly and evenly across the trays, pressing it down firmly. Aim for a thickness of around 3-5mm.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, then remove from the oven and carefully score into squares or rectangles.
- Return to the oven and bake for another 30-45 minutes, until the crackers are dry and crisp. Turn them over if possible to help them dry evenly.
- Allow to cool completely before breaking along the scored lines. Store in an airtight container.
Vegan Cauliflower Gratin
This vegan, creamy cauliflower gratin is the kind of dish that makes autumn evenings feel a little cozier. Made with a rich cashew-based sauce that gives it a comforting texture, finished with a savoury vegan parmesan topping that adds a satisfying contrast, it is a lovely plant-based dish to share around the table. This recipe serves 6, and you will need a food processor to prepare the vegan parmesan, which is inspired by Minimalist Baker’s vegan parmesan recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 small cauliflower (about 450g)
- ½ cup raw cashews
- ¾ cup water
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp miso paste
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
- ½ tsp sea salt, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1–2 tsp fresh sage, finely chopped, or ½ tsp dried sage
For the vegan parmesan
- ¾ cup raw cashews
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- ¾ tsp sea salt
- A pinch of smoke paprika
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) and brush a 28 × 18cm baking dish with olive oil.
- Break the cauliflower into small, bite-sized florets and set aside.
- Roughly chop the cauliflower cores. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil and cook the cores for 5 minutes, or until fork-tender.
- Transfer the cooked cores to a blender along with the cashews, water, lemon juice, miso paste, mustard, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt, black pepper, and sage. Blend until creamy.
- Prepare the vegan parmesan: add the cashews, nutritional yeast, shake of paprika, and sea salt to a food processor. Pulse until the mixture resembles a fine meal. Be careful not to overblend, as it can turn into a paste.
- Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the cauliflower florets and sauté for a few minutes.
- Stir in half of the cashew sauce and toss to combine. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish.
- Pour the remaining sauce evenly over the top and sprinkle generously with the vegan parmesan.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender and the topping is golden.
- Serve warm.
Making the Most of Autumn’s Harvest
As autumn settles in, cooking with seasonal ingredients can be a simple way to reconnect with the rhythm of the season. Whether you’re preparing a meal for yourself or sharing it with others, take a moment to notice the colours, textures, aromas, and flavours along the way. Sometimes, mindfulness begins with something as ordinary as making dinner.
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