You Just Got a Dutch Oven—Here Are 15 Heart-Healthy Recipes to Make First
Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD
With its thick walls and heavy lid, the Dutch oven can be an invaluable tool in your home kitchen, helping you make some really delicious and nutritious food. This collection is packed with dishes that are as flavorful as they are healthy for your heart. Whether it’s soup, stew, chili or pasta, these comforting meals are each made with low amounts of sodium and saturated fats to seamlessly fit a heart-healthy eating pattern. Put your new Dutch oven to good use with recipes like our Chicken & Dumplings Soup and Whole-Grain Spaghetti with Italian Turkey Sausage, Arugula & Balsamic Tomato Sauce, and you’ll want to give your sturdy pot a permanent spot on the stovetop.
Chicken & Dumplings Soup
This hearty and warming chicken-and-dumplings soup features whole-wheat biscuits that offer a boost of fiber while maintaining a light texture. Thyme and parsley add freshness to the traditional flavors of this crowd-pleasing soup.
One-Pot Pasta With Spinach & Tomatoes
This one-pot pasta dinner is simple, fresh, and healthy—what's not to love? Cooking the pasta right in the sauce saves time and cleanup while infusing the noodles with more flavor. This speedy recipe is also endlessly adaptable, and lends itself to plenty of easy ingredient swaps (make sure to check out the clever riffs below). Change up the spinach for any vegetables you have on hand such as sliced zucchini and mushrooms, or add leftover chicken or cooked and crumbled sausage. We've happily embraced whole-wheat spaghetti as a healthier alternative to white pasta; it works especially well in this one-pot application.
Hearty Chicken Stew
Perfect on cold winter nights, this hearty chicken stew recipe will warm you right up. Serve it with some homemade biscuits for a filling meal.
Copycat Olive Garden's Chicken & Gnocchi Soup
This comforting copycat Olive Garden chicken and gnocchi soup is creamy, with chewy, pillowy gnocchi to satisfy your appetite. Enjoy with a green salad and breadsticks for dipping.
Whole-Grain Spaghetti with Italian Turkey Sausage, Arugula & Balsamic Tomato Sauce
Total happiness in a bowl: pasta, sausage, tomatoes and herbs. The tomatoes get sweet and tender and turn into sauce with the stock and the pasta. Without ever adding any butter, the spaghetti sauce is rich and silky. Adding the herbs at the end gives the dish a fresh pop of color and flavor. This is one healthy pasta recipe we can definitely get behind!
Vegetable and Tofu Soup
Tofu has a reputation for being bland, but when marinated in Italian seasoning for up to four hours, it's anything but in this veggie-packed soup.
Pasta alla Norma
Pasta alla Norma is a Sicilian pasta dish traditionally made with eggplant, tomatoes and ricotta salata. While not traditional, our version includes a splash of balsamic vinegar and fennel seeds for sweetness and flavor. Ricotta salata is a firm, salty cheese that, along with basil, brings brightness to this easy vegetarian dish.
Turkey Chili
In this healthy turkey chili recipe, we skip browning the turkey for two reasons—it helps save time, and the lean turkey stays tender as it gently simmers in the chili. Poblano peppers and chipotles in adobo add a nice spice and smokiness to the dish. Top with your favorite garnishes, like shredded cheese, yogurt, avocado or lime wedges.
Chicken Soup with Recaito & Potatoes
This hearty chicken soup builds flavor quickly, thanks to store-bought recaito, a cooking base made from culantro, onions, sweet peppers and garlic. Each bite is packed with veggies, including potatoes, carrots and red bell pepper. Lime juice finishes the dish to add brightness.
Southwest Salmon Chowder
Perfect for a cold day, this salmon chowder is an excellent source of high quality lean protein and omega-3 fatty acids. As an added bonus, this low-effort chowder can be prepared in less than an hour.
Vegan Lentil Stew
This comforting vegan lentil stew is incredibly satisfying thanks to hearty lentils and sweet potato. The leeks provide a savory allium note while the tomato paste, miso and cumin add bold flavor.
Sweet Potato Soup with Orange-Walnut Gremolata
This easy sweet potato soup comes together quickly with the use of refrigerated mashed sweet potatoes, which provide a creamy, smooth texture. The gremolata brings freshness and brightness to complement the soup.
Grilled Salmon with Kale Sauté
In this healthy dinner recipe, salmon fillets are seasoned with a zesty dry rub, grilled and served with a simple side--lemon-seasoned sautéed kale and shallots. Sometimes simple is best!
Moyo de Poulet Fumé
Combining smoke and heat, this dish is easy and quick to assemble. If you like fiery food, cut long slits in the peppers to release their juices. Four jalapeños, which are more readily available, may be substituted for the habaneros (also called Scotch bonnets), but the habaneros contribute a flavor all their own. Smoked chicken is available in specialty meat shops. Serve hot over rice.
Split Pea Soup with Ham Bone
Split pea soup gets its smokiness from a ham bone and a dash of smoked paprika. The split peas break down as they cook, picking up flavor and delivering a creamy texture to this rich and warming soup.
EatingWell.com, December 2023
Read the original article on Eating Well.
