Vegan Summer Pudding

Puddings are not high on my priority eat list in the middle of a hot summer, but I’ll make an exception for this one. It’s light and fresh (and thankfully can be prepared in advance), making it the perfect choice for an easy lunch. The mint and lemon lend an added dimension to the flavour, but whatever you do, make sure your bread is top-notch quality otherwise it will really impair the taste.

Serves:4

Ingredients
600g fresh or frozen mixed berries
200g granulated sugar
grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
sprig of mint, plus extra leaves, to decorate
10 slices white bread (about?1cm thick) crusts removed

Method
1 Place the berries in a pan along with the sugar, lemon juice and mint sprig.?Bring to the boil and then reduce to a gentle simmer for several minutes until?the berries begin to exude their juices and soften. Make sure they don’t soften’too much. Take off the heat and leave to cool completely before removing the’mint sprig and stirring through the lemon zest.
2 Cut all but 4 slices of the bread into triangles.?3 Dip the bread triangles in the fruit mixture so they soak up the juices. Use?the bread to line 4 teacups or deep ramekins, ensuring there are no gaps, and?then fill each with one-quarter of the fruit. Cut 4 circles from the remaining?bread to fit on top of the fruit. Put in place and press firmly so the bread soaks
up some of the juices.?4 Spoon any remaining juices over the puds. Refrigerate overnight with?weights on top.?5 To serve, loosen each pudding gently with a knife and place a small serving?plate on top of the cup. Holding the cup securely in place, invert the plate.?Gently tap the cup with the handle of a knife until the pudding slips out.?6 Decorate with mint leaves and serve with dairy-free cream.

This recipe and more are?available in “Keep it Vegan” by ?ine Carlin. Published by Kyle Books, priced from ?22.55. Photography by Ali Allen.