Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Margaret Dickeyt, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
Try one of these healthy winter dinner recipes tonight. These dinners are appropriate for the Mediterranean diet and feature key ingredients including whole grains, legumes, vegetables and seafood. Recipes like our Lemony Chicken & Kale Brown Rice Bowl and Roasted Salmon with Smoky Chickpeas & Greens are bright, flavorful and make following a Mediterranean eating pattern easy.
Lemony Chicken & Kale Brown Rice Bowl
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Margaret Dickeyt, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
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Bowl meals build texture and flavor with layers of nutritious ingredients. Since there’s no center stage in a bowl, a small portion of meat travels far, putting more emphasis on the vegetables and whole grains. Use time-saving ingredients like precooked microwavable brown rice and prepared guacamole from the supermarket deli section.
Sheet-Pan Teriyaki Salmon with Green Beans
Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Lydia Purcell
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Think of this sheet-pan teriyaki salmon as a stir-fry without the stirring! Instead, rice and veggies are baked on a hot sheet pan alongside green beans and salmon coated in a sweet teriyaki glaze. Microwaveable precooked rice or leftover brown rice works well here. Just be sure to break up any clumps of rice that are stuck together so it cooks evenly.
Chickpeas alla Vodka
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Phoebe Hauser
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This Chickpeas alla Vodka is the ultra-quick, fiber-packed dinner you’ve been waiting for! Chickpeas are swimming in a creamy vodka sauce that gets enhancements from sautéed garlic, onion and vibrant green baby kale. Crispy, toasted whole-wheat bread is perfect for dipping. You can customize this dish easily by using chard or spinach in place of kale.
Vegan Mediterranean Lentil Soup
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This vegan Mediterranean lentil soup is packed with fresh ingredients and plenty of lentils that deliver a healthy dose of fiber in each bite. This vegan soup is the perfect cold-weather lunch or healthy dinner the whole family will love.
Creamy White Chili with Sweet Potatoes & White Beans
Photographer Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Sally McKay, Prop Stylist Hannah Greenwood
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A bowl of creamy white chili with sweet potatoes is the perfect comfort food to warm you from the inside out. This hearty plant-based dish blends white beans and the subtle sweetness of sweet potatoes in a rich, flavorful broth. A can of chopped green chiles adds to the warmth. If you like your chili on the mild side, opt for mild green chiles.
Chickpea & Sweet Potato Grain Bowls
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman
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This sweet potato and chickpea bowl will make your gut happy! This nutrient-dense bowl is rich in dietary fiber and antioxidants, which support a healthy digestive system. Sorghum, a gluten-free ancient grain, is packed with fiber and essential nutrients that aid digestion and support gut health; the deliciously tangy yogurt-based drizzle offers a probiotic boost.
Spiced Couscous-Stuffed Peppers
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While I enjoy a classic dish of peppers stuffed with hashweh, a spiced ground beef dish, there are plenty of other traditional options that don’t use meat at all. A roasted stuffed vegetable is so central to regional Mediterranean cooking, and there’s something deeply satisfying about making a delicious pilaf-style filling of couscous and lentils to tuck inside juicy bell peppers. To take things up a notch, I drizzle everything with a fresh cucumber yogurt sauce. These spiced stuffed peppers are flavorful, filling little packages that will make any plant or meat eater happy. Excerpted from THE FEEL GOOD FOODIE COOKBOOK by Yumna Jawad. Copyright © 2024 by Yumna Jawad. Used by permission of Rodale Books, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Slow-Cooker Mediterranean Stew
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This Mediterranean stew is a healthy dinner chock-full of vegetables and hearty chickpeas. A drizzle of olive oil to finish carries the flavors of this easy vegan crock-pot stew. Swap out the chickpeas for white beans for a different twist, or try collards or spinach in place of the kale. Any way you vary it, this stew is sure to go into heavy rotation when you are looking for healthy crock-pot recipes.
Skillet Spinach, Mushroom & Wild Rice Casserole
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
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This wild rice and mushroom casserole is the ultimate comfort food, combining hearty, wholesome ingredients with rich, savory flavors all in one skillet. The earthiness of the wild rice pairs beautifully with the meaty mushrooms, while fresh spinach adds a burst of color and nutrients. It’s the perfect balance of texture and taste—a cozy, one-pan meal that’s easy to make, which makes it even more comforting on those busy days!
Roasted Salmon with Smoky Chickpeas & Greens
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In this healthy salmon dinner, you’ll get a dose of greens and green dressing! Chowing down on 6 or more servings of dark leafy greens a week can help keep your brain in top shape. This dish features the Test Kitchen’s current go-to method for doctoring a can of chickpeas: spice them up and roast until crispy.
Creamy Spinach & Artichoke Chicken Skillet
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
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This creamy spinach-and-artichoke chicken skillet serves up the classic combo often reserved for dips and elevates it to main-dish status with the addition of quick-cooking chicken cutlets. It’s a one-pan wonder that comes together quickly, perfect for those busy nights when you crave something comforting yet sophisticated without spending hours in the kitchen. We prefer tender canned artichokes here, but be sure to give them a good rinse to wash away some of the sodium. Add some crushed red pepper to give this dish a little kick.
Lemon-Garlic Sheet-Pan Salmon with Potatoes & Green Beans
Photographer: Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Sally McKay, Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood
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This sheet-pan salmon with green beans recipe is a game-changer for weeknight dinners, offering a balanced meal made entirely on one sheet pan. With tender salmon, crispy potatoes and fresh green beans drizzled with lemon, this dinner is not only delicious but also easy to prepare and clean up. It’s the perfect solution for busy nights when you want a nutritious meal without the hassle.
French Onion Cabbage Soup
Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood, Food Stylist: Sally McKay
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This French onion cabbage soup is a creative twist on the classic, bringing a new level of comfort to this warming soup. This version swaps out some of the onion for caramelized cabbage. The savory broth, infused with sweet onions and topped with cheesy croutons, remains just as satisfying, but with a veggie-packed twist.
Buffalo Cauliflower Grain Bowl
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Lindsey Lower
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This Buffalo cauliflower grain bowl is a delicious and healthy alternative to traditional Buffalo wings, packing plenty of gut-healthy fiber and plant-based protein. It features a variety of fresh and colorful vegetables on a bed of precooked brown rice to keep prep speedy. Feel free to swap out the rice for another whole grain.
Sheet-Pan Salmon with Melting Leeks
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman
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This panko-crusted salmon roasts alongside tender leeks, which offer a boost of prebiotics to support a healthy gut. Yogurt offers probiotics and enhances the flavor, while black lentils offer fiber that helps maintain a balanced and healthy digestive system.
Fajita-Inspired Pasta Bake
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Lindsey Lower
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This easy chicken fajita pasta bake perfectly blends the vibrant flavors of classic fajitas with a rich and creamy pasta dish. The result is a mouthwatering fusion of flavors, offering the best of both worlds in a single, satisfying meal. Chopped jalapeño and canned chipotle chiles add heat to this delicious meal. You can cut back on both or leave them out completely for a milder version. Like it spicy? Swap out the Monterey Jack cheese for pepper Jack for an extra kick.
Spaghetti Squash Nests with Vodka Sauce, Broccoli & Chicken Meatballs
Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Prop Stylist: Lydia Pursell, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf
Sheet-Pan Chicken with White Beans & Mushrooms
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman
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This sheet-pan chicken and mushroom recipe features kale, mushrooms and beans—all prebiotic foods that offer plenty of fiber to help you maintain a healthy gut. We use a mini food processor to make quick work of making the chimichurri sauce, but you can easily make it by hand by finely chopping the ingredients and whisking in the oil at the end.
Roasted Broccoli & Kimchi Rice Bowl
Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Styling: Christina Brockman
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This well-rounded kimchi rice bowl is packed with fiber and probiotic foods like kimchi and yogurt to support a healthy gut. Prebiotic foods like edamame and garlic add flavor and additional gut-healthy benefits. Gochugaru is a Korean chile powder with a smoky-sweet flavor and mild heat. You can use a combination of crushed red pepper and paprika in its place.
Massaged Kale Salad with Roasted Squash & Chickpeas
Photography: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Kelsey Moylan, Prop stylist: Gabriel Greco
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This kale salad is piled high with roasted butternut squash, red onion and toasty chickpeas. The kale starts to break down as you “massage” it, soaking up the lemony dressing. Za’atar, a Middle Eastern seasoning with dried herbs, sesame seeds and sumac, adds a bright, earthy taste. You can swap it out for chili powder for a slightly different flavor profile.
Pesto Tuna Noodle Casserole
Photographer: Grant Webster, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop Stylist: Lexi Juhl
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A creamy pesto sauce with sweet shallots and wilted spinach gives a light and bright spin to classic tuna noodle casserole. Albacore tuna is an ideal choice, as it holds its texture well once mixed in, although any water-packed tuna will do the job. For the best results, we recommend using refrigerated pesto for its fresh flavor which enhances the overall dish.
Roasted Squash & Lentil Kale Salad
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman
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This squash lentil salad packs 14 grams of fiber and features plenty of kale, a powerful prebiotic that helps set the stage for a healthy gut. This salad can be assembled in a Mason jar so you can prep it the night before for a healthy, grab-and-go lunch the next day.
Roasted Gnocchi & Brussels Sprouts with Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette
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In this quick vegetarian dinner recipe, you can skip boiling the gnocchi–they’ll cook through while roasting on the sheet pan with the rest of the ingredients. If you can’t find Meyer lemons, use 1 small regular lemon in Step 2 and use 4 teaspoons lemon juice and 2 teaspoons orange juice in Step 4.
Slow-Cooker Mediterranean Chicken & Chickpea Soup
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This set-it-and-forget-it slow-cooker recipe simmers away all day so you come home to a warm and healthy dinner the whole family will love. Using bone-in chicken is the key to making rich soup without adding broth.
Sheet-Pan Chicken & Brussels Sprouts
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Roasted Brussels sprouts and chicken thighs are a match we go back to over and over again in the Test Kitchen. Paired with cumin, thyme, sweet potatoes and a hit of sherry vinegar, they create one of our favorite easy dinner recipes.
Sweet Potato Carbonara with Spinach & Mushrooms
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Loaded with veggies, this spiralized sweet potato vegetable noodles recipe–our healthy take on a traditional carbonara recipe–achieves superfood status with the addition of spinach and mushrooms. Look for large, straight sweet potatoes to make the longest veggie noodles.
Sheet-Pan Salmon with Crispy Quinoa
Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Lydia Purcell
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Enjoy a complete protein-rich dinner cooked on just two baking sheets for easy cleanup with this salmon, roasted tomato and quinoa recipe. Baked quinoa adds texture and crunch to the dish. After the quinoa finishes cooking, fluff it with a fork to release steam and encourage it to crisp up as it sits. Packages of precooked quinoa streamline the prep, but if you have leftover quinoa, it works just as well.
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