Recipes for leftover food
Inspired by the spirit of wartime Britain and the resilience celebrated on VE Day, this collection of recipes is all about making the most of what you have. During the Second World War, rationing meant households had to get creative in the kitchen—stretching ingredients, reducing waste, and finding comfort in simple, nourishing meals.
Today, these thrifty traditions feel more relevant than ever. By using up leftovers and thinking differently about what’s in our fridge or cupboard, we can all do our bit to cut down on food waste and make meals go further.
Waste not want not soup
Total cost £2.59, cost per portion 62p
Lord Woolton was the Minister for Food during World War Two and the man behind the message ‘waste not want not’. The slogan captured the spirit of the time, when food shortages and rationing were a part of everyday life. Back then this recipe was a tasty pie, known as Lord Woolton’s Pie, but we’re giving it a modern twist as a satisfying soup. Today, as we try to be more sustainable and recycle more of our scraps and leftovers, ‘Waste Not Want Not’ still applies. Why bin your ageing veggies - when you can soup them up!
Ingredients
- 250g cauliflower, roughly chopped into small florets
- 250g parsnip, peeled and finely diced
- 250g carrots, peeled and finely diced
- 250g potatoes, peeled and finely diced
- 1 large white onion, peeled and finely diced
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
- 1-2 tbsp yeast extract
- 4 tbsp porridge oats
- 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley (or 1 tsp dried)
- 1500ml vegetable stock (made to pack instructions)
- Freshly ground black pepper
Method
- Begin by placing the oil, parsnip, carrot, potato and onion in a large heavy based saucepan and cook on a medium heat for 10 minutes or until beginning to soften.
- Add the vegetable stock, cauliflower, porridge oats, yeast extract and black pepper and simmer for around 30 minutes or until soup thickened and vegetables tender.
- Add the parsley and more black pepper if required.
Corned beef hash
Total cost £4.61, cost per portion £1.15
It’s about time we revived this World War II favourite! Why? Because we need to think sustainably and stop wasting spuds! Potatoes are a leading contributor to food waste in the UK, with 4.4 million wasted daily – that’s nearly half of all potatoes bought being thrown away. If you’re bored of chips or jackets try this recipe, which was a budget friendly dinnertime dish during World War Two. It’s just as tasty today, and you can substitute corned beef with beef burgers, or leftover cuts from your roast. If you’re feeling fancy or want a protein hit, top it off with a couple of fried eggs. Peelings can go in your food caddy or air fried into crisps.
Ingredients
- 500g potatoes, peeled and chopped into 2cm cubes
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 red onion, peeled and finely sliced
- 340g can corned beef, roughly chopped into cubes
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Method
- Put the potatoes in a pan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Cook for about 6-7 mins, then drain.
- Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan and cook the onion for 3-4 mins over a medium heat.
- Add the potatoes and corned beef or other meat, and push down with a spatula to crisp up, cooking for about 5 mins.
- Turn the mixture over, trying not to break up the meat and potatoes too much, then add the Worcestershire sauce.
Cook for another 5 mins, pushing down to crisp the base again and serve.
Easy lentil curry
Total cost £2.53, cost per portion 63p
It might surprise you to know that the ‘waste not want not’ diet of the war years was healthier and more sustainable than the way we often eat today. Less meat, more veggies and cutting down on food waste was encouraged then and today it’s still good for our health and the planet. So, why not borrow some tips from the past with this modern curry. A quick and simple dish made with lentils providing a great protein alternative. If fresh vegetables are on the turn, then freeze them and use them as required straight from the freezer.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 4 tbsp curry paste
- 850ml vegetable stock
- 750g stewpack frozen vegetables (e.g. carrot, swede, celery etc)
- 100g red lentils
Method
- Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion and cook over a high heat for about 8 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Stir in the curry paste and cook for a minute. Slowly pour in a little of the stock so it sizzles, scraping any bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Gradually pour in the rest of the stock and stir in the frozen vegetables, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add the lentils and simmer for a further 15-20 minutes or until the vegetables and lentils are cooked.
Ration book cookies (Makes 20)
Total cost £2.40, cost per cookie 12p
These light, delicious cookies were a real wartime treat, born out of rationing and made from simple store cupboard ingredients. A plate of these biscuits would have been on every VE Day party table. Today they’re still a low-budget treat that hits the sweet spot - perfect for stretching the pennies without skrimping on flavour. In 1945 they’d have been iced and topped with a glace cherry. But you can use sprinkles or whatever you have at home.
Ingredients
- 175g plain flour plus extra for dusting
- 100g cold salted butter cut into cubes
- 335g icing sugar
- Half tsp vanilla extract
- 2 medium egg yolks
- 100g glacé cherries, halved or any sprinkles if preferred
Method
- Put the flour, butter, 85g of the icing sugar, vanilla and egg yolks in a food processor and pulse in bursts until combined (alternatively to be authentic to the 1940’s rub together the butter and flour with your fingertips and mix in the sugar, vanilla and egg yolks).
- Add half tbsp water if the mix feels a little dry. Tip the rough mixture onto a work surface and briefly knead until the dough has come together. Wrap and chill for 30 mins.
- Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line two baking sheets with baking parchment.
- Lightly dust your work surface with flour and roll the dough out to around 3mm thick. Cut 20 rounds from the dough with an 8cm cutter.
- Bring the remaining scraps of pastry together and reroll to make more biscuits.
- Line up the discs of dough on the baking sheets, then bake for 10-12 mins or until lightly golden brown around the edges. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
- Mix the remaining icing sugar with 2-3 tsp of water to make a very thick icing. Spoon or pipe the icing over the top of the biscuits and top with half a glacé cherry or whatever sprinkles you prefer!