Holly Fleck

It is that time of year where the days turn colder, and it becomes essential that we keep ourselves fuelled with nutritious meals. Here are five of the most affordable Autumn meals to try.

1. Pumpkin soup

First is the popular pumpkin soup, a dish that serves eight at the estimated cost of £5.80. Begin by gently heating the onions, garlic, celery, and carrots in a pan until they are soft, before adding the pumpkin chunks and chicken stock. Once the pumpkin can be mashed, add the double cream and simmer gently. Finish this dish by blending to create a perfectly smooth soup that’s crammed with potassium to boost energy levels.

TIP: There is always soup leftover, so make the meal stretch further (and save yourself some pennies) by freezing any soup in a freezer-safe container. Quick and easy to defrost and reheat.

2. Autumn Vegetable Chowder

Next up is a delicious vegan, gluten, and dairy free Autumn Chowder. This flavourful dish incorporates the onion and garlic in a pot along with potatoes, carrots, butternut squash, sweetcorn, salt, and vegetable stock. Once the dish has been simmered, the pot is removed from the heat, and the coconut milk is stirred in, creating a vitamin and mineral-packed meal. Although this recipe contains a lot of fresh vegetables, don’t let that scare you, shops like Lidl and Asda sell fresh produce at a price that won’t drain your bank account. Or you could always swap them out for the frozen kind to prevent you from having to throw out vegetables that have gone to waste.

3. Brunch Puffs

Cinnamon is one of the essential flavours of Autumn, so these Jus-Rol brunch puffs are a must-try this time of year! This recipe cuts down the time it takes to make the dough so all you must do is assemble the puffs and put them in the oven. Perfect if you want to treat yourself after finishing an assignment! Find the recipe here.

4. Salted Caramel and Apple Pudding

If you are a vegetarian with a sweet tooth then these delicious, salted caramel and apple puddings are for you! First, make a batter by mixing egg, sugar, milk cream, caramel, vanilla, sea salt, and flour in a bowl until it is smooth. Then cut the apple into one-centimetre slices, add them to a baking dish and pour the batter over the top. After thirty to thirty-five minutes, you can drizzle any remaining caramel over the top and enjoy.

TIP: Ingredient prices may vary depending on the retailer, so make sure you find the best price by comparing product prices online. It’s also a good idea to bulk buy ingredients that you use frequently to help you save the long term.

5. Sausage Ragu

The final budget-friendly meal is a sausage Ragu. If there is one thing that us students cook well, it’s pasta (generally speaking). It is pretty much a staple in most student accommodation cupboards! By adding in the sausage meat to this recipe it adds some extra protein to keep you fuller for longer on those cold walks to class.

When shopping for your ingredients you can keep an eye on your spending by making use of the scan and shop option which is available at major supermarkets. Make sure you sign up for loyalty schemes at your local supermarkets too as they are always offering savings. Buying items from your ingredients list that are on offer can also save you some extra cash.

Finally, take advantage of your days off university by committing to bulk cooking meals to last the week. You can freeze many meals too, which are handy to pull out of the freezer and heat up in the microwave when you don’t want to be standing over the stove cooking after classes.

Holly Fleck is a health and lifestyle reporter for The Scoop and a Journalism student at Ulster University.

5 hearty autumn meals on a budget