Vegan pavlova with poached rhubarb and vanilla yogurt

Serves 6-8

Pavlova – the holy grail of vegan desserts if ever there was one. Who would have thought that chickpea liquid would be the answer to our prayers? A stand mixer or electric mixer is pretty crucial here, and I advise whisking until the mixture is as firm as you can humanly get it before transferring it to the tray. It’s also crucial that you allow the meringue to cool completely in the oven before removing it. I like to make it a day in advance, but if you’re not serving it immediately, be sure to keep it in an airtight container. If you prefer to make slightly smaller meringues, reduce the cooking time by 30 minutes.

— 100ml chilled aquafaba

(reserved chickpea liquid) — ½ tsp cream of tartar — 125g caster sugar

— 400ml coconut yogurt

— 1 vanilla pod, split lengthways and seeds scraped

— 400g rhubarb, cut

diagonally into 6cm chunks — 4 tbsp raw cane sugar

— 1 strip of lemon rind, plus

extra to garnish

— 1 lemon-thyme sprig, plus

extra to garnish

Preheat the oven to 120C/gas mark ½. Line a large baking sheet with baking paper.

Place the aquafaba in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment added and whisk on a medium setting until it becomes thick and frothy. (Alternatively, a large mixing bowl and handheld electric