Healthy Fall Recipes

It's time to settle in with warm and comforting recipes that are bursting with the fresh flavors we all love this time of year. Sweet potatoes, apples, sage, cinnamon, and cider–there's something here to satisfy all of your autumnal cravings.

This plant-powered salad delivers over 50% of your daily fiber and one-third of your daily potassium goal. Butternut squash is an excellent source of eye-healthy vitamin A and a good source of immune-boosting vitamin C and blood pressure–supporting potassium.

A range of textures—crunchy peas, tender vegetables, and silky coconut broth—makes this cool-weather main incredibly satisfying. The chickpea mixture can also be a delicious gluten-free snack: After baking, toss with a little kosher salt, ground cumin, and ground red pepper. Serve with Cilantro-Chile Couscous.

This dish is perfect for easing into fall and comes together in one pan to boot. Vastly underrated thighs are rich and moist, perfect for stewing, grilling, or searing. This dish also works beautifully with pork chops—a twist that's weeknight-fast yet fit for company and makes us simply giddy for fall. Sub 4 (6-ounce) bone-in pork chops for the chicken thighs, searing 5 minutes on each side. Like the thighs, the chops will finish cooking in the apple mixture. 

Simple and easy to make ahead—this twist on the apple crumble is unbelievably good. With cinnamon-sugar butter between the layers, a crispy streusel sprinkle, and a dollop of ice cream on top, there’s no doubt this will be a hit with your friends and family.

Homey and hearty chicken and dumplings has never been faster or easier, thanks to store-bought gnocchi. Browned bits from the seared chicken thighs create a rich base for the soup. Frozen green peas cook instantly, keep well, and add a fresh, springy note to any dish any time of the year.

Microwaving the potatoes gets them tender in minutes; roasting gets them the crispy edge we love. One package of poultry herbs includes just enough fresh sage, rosemary, and thyme, while packages of single herbs tend to spoil before they're used.

In this recipe, pumpkin plays a triple role: cooking vessel, serving bowl, and part of the meal itself. Choose a Long Island Cheese pumpkin for its creamy flesh or a Cinderella pumpkin. The hearty stew simmers inside the pumpkin while the flesh cooks and softens. Berbere, a peppery Ethiopian spice blend, richly seasons the pumpkin and stew. Find it at specialty markets or online at penzeys.com.

This oven-baked side couples the earthiness of poblanos with the sweetness of red bell peppers. Combine those with rich pumpkin and you have a new fall-weather classic you'll make time and again.

This easy bowl of brothy goodness is loaded with both veggies and umami depth—it's comfort food you can feel good about. It's also great for times when the food budget is tight, as it costs only about $11 for 4 servings.

Fresh, brightly colored vegetables add some welcome vibrancy to this comforting soup. Have fun with the noodle shape, or use any small pasta you have on hand. If you'd like, sprinkle each serving with freshly ground black pepper for a finishing touch. Let the toasted bread and cheese sauce cool slightly. Kids can then spread the cheese sauce over the bread with a butter knife. Serve with French Bread with Cauliflower Cheese Sauce.

A full-plate dinner simmers to saucy, savory perfection in the slow cooker. To end up with super-succulent pork, don't overcook the chops in the pan before adding to the slow cooker. Just a couple of minutes per side will be enough to achieve nice color. Using bone-in center cut pork chops results in a juicier, more flavorful dish. With just 25 minutes of active prep time, you can throw dinner together in the morning and come home to a comforting meal of tender pork and vegetables for supper. To speed up prep, opt for presliced mushrooms, carrots, and onion.

Kobocha squash, also known as Japanese pumpkin, is the sweeter cousin of the pumpkin. The vivid orange flesh of this winter squash is tender and rich, with a flavor reminiscent of a sweet potato. While the shell is very hard when raw, it becomes very tender when cooked, making peeling optional. It's wonderful here, dressed with olive oil, coriander seeds, pepper, and salt.

Even without the added cream, pumpkin soup takes on a velvety texture after it's simmered and pureed. Make sure all the ingredients are very tender so they'll blend together smoothly. We start with a base recipe, then tweak it to create 2 more soups, each with a different flavor makeup. Simple toppings like salty-sweet pepitas or chorizo make them a little more special. For a fun, no-fuss garnish, top any of the soups with 2 tablespoons popped popcorn. Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper, if desired.

Chilly evenings call for a comforting soup with a bit of restorative kick and plenty of vibrant toppings. Top with tortilla chips, or make your own crispy tortilla strips as shown. Cut 4 (6-inch) corn tortillas into 1/2-inch strips and bake at 375° for 10 minutes. Crush halve the strips for the soup and garnish with the rest. Make these ahead and store in a zip-top bag at room temperature for a day or two. Poblano peppers range in heat; add cooling avocado or crushed red pepper as needed.

Talk about a company-worthy meal without much effort or a hefty price tag. Serve this easy and elegant entrée over a bed of couscous and with a side of the Steamed Broccoli with Garlic and Red Onion.

The slow cooker gently coaxes out delicious flavors from simple, hearty ingredients. This soup is perfect for ushering in fall: It's hearty enough for the beginning of soup season, yet brothy and veggie-packed so that it doesn't feel too heavy. Pair it with a slaw or kale side salad and crusty whole-grain bread for a light, satisfying dinner. This recipe is ideal for a weekend, when you can check on the slow cooker after just a few hours; though you won't be able to leave the soup unattended all day, this still offers the benefit of hands-free, fuss-free cooking. Either baby red, Yukon Gold, or fingerling potatoes will work well here, as they'll maintain their shape nicely during cooking.

We have 4 speedy sweet potato sides to complete your fall meals. Start with our Butter-Pecan Mashed Sweet Potatoes, then try one of these variations: Maple Bacon, Chipotle-Lime, or Parmesan-Sage.

This rustic fall meal will soon become a family favorite. Round out the plate with Haricots Verts and Mustard Vinaigrette.

The scent of fall will overtake your kitchen while this pork roulade bakes in the oven. It looks a little fancy but, trust us, it's much easier than it looks.

These apples are stuffed with fall flavor that we know you will love. Savory, and a little sweet, this combination is bound to be a family favorite.

Broth, thickened with flour and enriched with crème fraîche, forms the savory sauce in this dish. We like the addition of earthy, hearty kale which helps balance the sweetness from the squash.

The hearty and earthy mushroom sauce tastes divine atop the filets. Parmesan popovers make for a satisfying accompaniment.

Jonagold apples bring some tartness to the lightly sweet squash-based filling. You can also use other good baking apples like Honeycrisp or Rome. Serve as a side dish or appetizer.

The classic ingredient combination of cider and sage allow the delicious flavor of the pork to shine through. Serve with steamed green beans.

You can easily double, triple, or quadruple this small-yield recipe to feed more hungry diners. A few simple fall ingredients turn carrots into a star side dish.

Moist yet crusty bread and nutty Gruyère cheese set this French toast recipe apart from more traditional varieties. A vegetable peeler works great for getting thin slices out of the cheese. For the apples, Rome or Fuji varieties would also work.

To make this a nonalcoholic fall treat, simply omit the rum; to make it sweeter, replace the rum with apple juice.

Pungent goat cheese, peppery arugula, and slightly sweet apples transform this token finger food into a gourmet autumn dinner.

A zesty mustard sauce dresses chicken breasts and sautéed Brussels sprouts. Paired with Rosemary Potatoes, Chicken with Brussels Sprouts and Mustard Sauce will be one of your go-to meals for busy fall weeknights.

Apples are a tasty welcomed addition to this traditional comforting classic of stringy melted Swiss, sweet onions, and sourdough bread.

We took the best part of the classic fall pie and stuck it in a glass for a perfectly-portioned treat. Top with a dollop of whipped cream and chopped walnuts.

This is fall comfort food at its finest. An interesting array of ingredients come together in a magnificent way under a baked topping of crispy bread and pecorino Romano cheese.

The sweet flavors of fall are found in this dessert. Sweet fuji apples flavored with the fruit's classic spice of choice, cinnnamon, will make for a pleasing after-dinner treat.

When did the lowly sprout become a side dish superstar? This was a happy turn of events: It's a flavor-packed veggie that is both meaty and pleasingly bitter when sautéed or roasted, perfect for pairing with smoky bacon in this fall favorite recipe.

Embrace Indian flavors by making this vegetarian meal that only takes 30 minutes from start to finish. Serve with Cashew Basmati Rice for a complete fall meal.

With minimal effort, you can have a delicious and festive fall dessert on the table that is dressed to impress with a dollop of creamy yogurt. Spoon a bit of the cooking liquid over the pear for a tasty finishing touch.

These sweet-savory pancakes get irresistibly crisp from pan-frying. Keep cooked latkes warm in a 200° oven as you prepare the next batch. Serve with a dollop of fat-free sour cream if you want a tangy adornment.

Fresh fall figs should be available this time of year but, if you can't find them, try the dessert with dried figs: Place 24 small stemmed, halved dried figs in a large saucepan with 3/4 cup fresh orange juice, 2 tablespoons honey, 1/4 teaspoon ginger, and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla; bring to a simmer. Simmer 3 minutes; cover, remove from heat, and let stand 15 minutes.

Squash and carrots add orange accents and a buttery flavor boost to this hearty dish. Make a big batch and freeze a few servings for a chilly night.

A large assortment of mushrooms, including luxurious dried porcinis, is the key to the huge earthy fall flavor of this dish. It's meatless, but you'd never know it with all the savory flavor of mushrooms, Parmesan, and truffle oil. A generous splash of cream gives the sauce its luscious texture.