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There’s something about autumn that makes us crave food that’s both hearty and healing. When the nights draw in and the heating finally clicks on, it’s natural to reach for rich stews, slow-baked casseroles and bowls of something steaming.
But comfort doesn’t have to mean casting aside health goals. With a few clever tweaks, the dishes we rely on to see us through the colder months can also deliver on protein, fibre and immune-supporting nutrients – the kind of fuel that keeps you going when the weather outside is less than inviting.
These recipes strike the balance beautifully: cosy enough to warm you from the inside out, but packed with the sort of wholesome ingredients that make you feel as good as they taste. Think sticky soy and sesame chicken with a citrus kick, a deeply spiced chickpea curry scattered with toasted almonds, and a smoky aubergine chilli that proves meat-free doesn’t mean missing out. Each one is big on flavour, satisfying enough for dark evenings, and designed to keep both body and spirit in check as we settle into the season.
Whether you’re cooking for a crowd or just yourself, consider this the kind of comfort food that won’t leave you sluggish afterwards – the kind you’ll want to return to, again and again, until spring finally arrives.
Sticky soy and sesame baked chicken (33.2g protein)
Ingredients:
4 skin-on chicken legs
1 crushed star anise
3 tbsp dark soy sauce
3cm piece fresh ginger, grated
1 tbsp The Groovy Food Company Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
2 tsp honey
1 sliced orange and the juice of 1 orange
200g basmati rice
200g sliced spring greens
4 sliced spring onions
Method:
1. Heat your oven to 180C. Heat a shallow casserole dish over a medium heat and add the chicken legs, cooking until brown all over.
2. Mix together the crushed star anise, soy sauce, ginger, coconut oil, orange juice and honey in a bowl, then pour over the chicken. Add the slices of orange and roast in the over for about 30-40 minutes, basting halfway through.
3. While the chicken is roasting, cook the rice in boiling, salted water for around 12 minutes. Once the chicken is cooked, stir the spring greens into the sauce and return to the over for another couple of minutes.
Chickpea curry (18.2g protein)
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Layers of spice, creamy yoghurt and roasted cauliflower make this curry the kind of midweek saviour you’ll turn to again and again (The Groovy Food Company)
Ingredients:
400g cauliflower, cut into florets
4 Sprays of The Groovy Food Company Butter Flavoured Cooking Spray
¼ tsp cumin seeds
1 onion, chopped
20g ginger, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
20g unsalted butter
1 tsp garam masala
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground fenugreek
½ tsp smoked paprika
¼ tsp chilli powder
300ml passata
300ml fresh vegetable stock
400g tin chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 tsp runny honey
100g natural yoghurt
100g baby spinach
20g flaked toasted almonds
20g coriander, roughly chopped
600g steamed brown rice, to serve
Method:
1. Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Line a baking tray with baking paper, scatter over the cauliflower florets, the cooking spray and sprinkle with the cumin seeds, seasoning well. Transfer to the oven and roast for 25-30 minutes, tossing halfway through, until lightly charred. Set aside.
2. Put the onion, ginger, garlic and 2 tablespoons of water in a mini food processor, and blitz to a purée. Melt the butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Once it starts to foam, add the onion mixture and cook for 3-4 minutes or until golden. Add the spices and cook for 1 minute. Add the passata, stock, chickpeas, honey and cauliflower florets, and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Remove from the heat and stir in the yoghurt a spoonful at a time – this will help to prevent it splitting. Once incorporated, return to a low heat and stir in the spinach in batches, cooking until wilted. Serve, garnished with the almonds and coriander, and the rice alongside.
Burnt aubergine veggie chilli (15g protein)
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Smoky, rich and deeply satisfying, this chilli proves plant-based comfort food can still pack serious depth and indulgence (The Groovy Food Company)
Ingredients:
1 aubergine
1 tbsp olive oil or rapeseed oil
1 red onion, diced
2 carrots, finely diced
70g puy lentils or green lentils, rinsed
30g red lentils, rinsed
400g canned kidney beans
3 tbsp dark soy sauce
400g can chopped tomatoes
20g dark chocolate, finely chopped
¼ tsp chilli flakes
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp sweet smoked paprika
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp cinnamon
800ml vegetable stock
½ lime, juiced
1 tbsp The Groovy Food Company Coconut Sugar
To serve:
Brown rice
Tortilla chips, mashed avocado, yoghurt or sour cream, grated cheddar, roughly chopped coriander (optional)
Method:
1. If you have a gas hob, put the aubergine directly onto a lit ring to char completely, turning occasionally with kitchen tongs, until burnt all over. Alternatively, use a barbecue or heat the grill to its highest setting and cook, turning occasionally, until completely blackened (the grill won’t give you the same smoky flavour). Set aside to cool on a plate, then peel off the charred skin and remove the stem.
2. Roughly chop the flesh and set aside.
3. In a large pan, heat the oil, add the onion and carrots with a pinch of salt, and fry over a low-medium heat for 15-20 minutes until the carrots have softened.
4. Add the aubergine, both types of lentils, the kidney beans with the liquid from the can, soy sauce, tomatoes, chocolate, chilli powder, oregano and the spices. Stir to combine, then pour in the stock, add The Groovy Food Company Coconut Sugar. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat to very low. Cover with a lid and cook for 1½ hours, checking and stirring every 15-20 minutes to prevent it from burning.
5. Remove the lid and let the mixture simmer over a low-medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes until you get a thick sauce. Stir in the lime juice and taste for seasoning – add more salt if needed. Serve hot over rice with whichever accompaniments you want!
Recipes from groovyfood.co.uk
Dining and Cooking