10 must-cook easy vegetarian and vegan recipes for autumn

Potatoes are fantastic carriers of flavour, absorbing sauces and spices with ease. This one-pot tagine sees slices of waxy potato paired with briny green olives, crunchy roast chickpeas and plenty of spices – a cracking dish to feed the family.

Malfatti are Italian dumplings traditionally made with ricotta and spinach, but giving it a seasonal twist is simple. Swap out the spinach for red cabbage, add plenty of warming spices and finish it with sage and charred orange for a pretty little starter that will see you right through to Christmas.

Millet is a woefully underused ingredient, despite being packed with nutrition and fibre. For a few short weeks, as summer turns into autumn, you can find mushrooms and sweetcorn at their very best. This dish combines the two, using millet as the base. Finish off with a few crispy cavolo nero leaves and you've got a healthy, filling supper.

Croquettes have to be one of Spain's best inventions. Crunchy on the outside, fluffy in the middle and small enough to eat in one bite (so you can go back for plenty more). These are given the autumnal treatment, replacing some of the potato with celeriac. Serve on a blob of damson ketchup for a truly seasonal treat.

You can't get more autumnal than this dish, which combines wild mushrooms with a silky mushroom sauce and pillowy gnocchi made with chestnut flour. Best of all? It's vegan, thanks to the oat cream in the velouté. The oaty flavour of the cream actually complements the other flavours in the bowl, making this a fantastic dish to rustle up whether you're vegan or not.

Salt-baking beetroot ensures the vegetable has both a soft, yielding texture and is perfectly seasoned throughout. Paired with apple matchsticks, creamy ricotta and crunchy hazelnuts, it also makes use of beetroot leaves, eliminating food waste.

Butternut squash seems to take on curry spices better than any other vegetable, amping up the warm, sweet and comforting flavours of this little tart. The simple apple and chicory salad on the side provides contrasting crunch to the smooth puréed squash and the pastry tart can be made ahead, which makes this a good option for a dinner party.