3 healthy autumn recipes for comforting seasonal meals

As the evenings draw in and temperatures begin to dip, few things feel more inviting than a warming bowl or bubbling homemade cooking.

It is also a season bursting with versatile produce. Squash and sweet potato bring natural sweetness and colour, while leeks, mushrooms and leafy greens add layers of flavour to stews, soups and family favourites.

“Autumn is a wonderful time to embrace a wide variety of seasonal ingredients,” says Sasha Watkins, registered dietitian and Head of Health at Mindful Chef. “These foods can add colour, flavour and a valuable mix of vitamins, minerals and fibre to our meals.”

The following three recipes from Mindful Chef strike a balance between familiar comfort food and plenty of plants to hit your 30-a-week. There is a vegetarian squash and bean stew, a shepherd’s pie topped with sweet potato mash and a vibrant chicken noodle soup with green harissa. Each one offers a different way to welcome autumn to the table, whether you have time to let something simmer or need a quick midweek dinner.

1. Goat’s cheese and squash stew with cannellini beans and pesto

Sweet roasted squash, creamy cannellini beans and tangy goat’s cheese come together in this comforting vegetarian stew. Leek, courgette and kale add extra vegetables, while fennel seeds, chilli and a tomato herb sauce create an Italian-inspired base. A spoonful of pesto and some chopped sunflower seeds provide the finishing touch.

Serves 4 people

Ingredients

• 10g veg stock powder
• 125g French goats cheese
• 400g tomato & herb sauce
• 80g Kale (whole leaf)
• 1 large butternut squash
• 2 leek
• 1 courgette
• ½ tsp chilli flakes
• 2 tbsp garlic, basil and parsley paste
• 460g cannellini beans
• 4 tbsp green pesto
• 10g sunflower seeds
• 1 tsp fennel seeds

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220C / fan 200C / gas 7 / air fryer 200C. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and pull out a large frying pan, a small bowl, a sieve & a measuring jug.
2. Halve the squash lengthways, discard the seeds, and cut into 2cm chunks.
3. Place the squash onto the lined baking tray, drizzle with 1 tsp olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 25-30 mins / air fryer 20-25 mins, until soft and golden.
4. Meanwhile, trim and slice the leeks into 1/2cm half-moons. Dice the courgette into 1cm chunks. Strip the kale leaves from the stalks and cut into bite-sized pieces.
5. Heat the large frying pan with 1 tbsp olive oil on medium heat. Once hot, add the leek and cook for 3-4 mins, until softening. Add the courgette and cook for another 4-5 mins. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Drain and rinse the beans.
7. Add the chilli flakes (for those who'd like the heat), fennel seeds and garlic herb paste to the veg pan. Cook for 1 min, then stir in the beans, tomato herb sauce, stock powder and 100ml water. Simmer for 4-5 mins.
8. Add the kale and crumble in half the goat's cheese and simmer for a further 2 mins. Add a splash of water to loosen the stew if needed. Season with salt and pepper.
9. Roughly chop the sunflower seeds. In the small bowl, mix the pesto with the sunflower seeds and 1 tsp olive oil.
10. Serve the stew into bowls, topped with the roasted squash. Spoon over the remaining goat's cheese and drizzle with the pesto.

Nutrition per portion: 475 kcal, 41g carbohydrates, 18g protein and 13g fibre.

2. Shepherd’s pie with sweet potato mash

This seasonal take on shepherd’s pie combines lamb mince with carrots, chestnut mushrooms, tomatoes, thyme and spinach. Instead of the usual white potato topping, it uses smooth sweet potato mash for extra colour and a subtly sweet contrast to the rich filling.

Serves 4 people

Ingredients

• 500g lamb mince
• 2 garlic clove
• 1 chicken stock cube
• 1 onion
• 1 handful of fresh thyme
• 4 tbsp sundried tomato paste
• 160g baby spinach
• 240g chestnut mushrooms
• 2 sweet potato
• 40g sundried tomatoes
• 200g seasonal mixed tomatoes
• 1 carrot

Method

1. Finely dice the onion and carrots. Thinly slice the mushrooms. Strip the thyme leaves from the stalks and finely chop. Halve the fresh tomatoes. Finely chop the sundried tomatoes. Finely chop or crush the garlic.
2. Heat a medium frying pan with 1 tsp oil on medium-high heat. Add the lamb, carrots and onion and cook for 5 mins, breaking up the lamb with a wooden spoon, until golden. Add the mushrooms, sundried and fresh tomatoes and cook for 5 mins, until softened. Season lightly with sea salt and black pepper.
3. Bring a saucepan filled with salted hot water to a boil. Roughly chop the sweet potatoes into 1cm pieces (peel optional), then add to the pan. Cook for 10 mins, until soft, then drain. Return to the pan and mash with a pinch of sea salt until smooth. Set aside and keep warm.
4. Stir the sundried tomato puree, garlic, chopped thyme and 100ml hot water into the lamb. Crumble in the stock cube, stir to dissolve then simmer for 8-10 mins, until the sauce has reduced. In the final minute of cooking, stir in the spinach to wilt.
5. Turn the grill to high (240C). Place the lamb in a small baking dish and cover with the sweet potato mash. Place under the grill for 5 mins, until golden.
6. Serve the shepherd's pie on two warm plates.

Nutrition per portion: 538 kcal, 53g carbohydrate, 32g protein and 9.4g fibre.

3. Chicken and leek noodle soup with green harissa and radish

Ready in around 25 minutes, this chicken noodle soup offers comfort with a fresher, more vibrant flavour. Sweet leek, courgette and peppery radishes form the vegetable base, while green harissa, ginger and garlic add warmth. Brown rice noodles turn the broth into a complete and satisfying meal.

Serves 2 people

Ingredients

• 20g pitted green olives
• 1 handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 10g chicken stock powder
• 4 tsp ginger & garlic paste
• 1 tbsp green harissa
• 300g British Free Range chicken thighs
• 1 courgette
• 3 radish
• 1 leek
• 100g brown rice noodles

Method

1. Pull out a large saucepan, a medium saucepan a sieve & a measuring jug.
2. Trim and slice the leek into 1/2cm half-moons. Trim and quarter the radishes. Dice the courgette into 1cm chunks. Slice the olives. Slice the chicken into 1cm strips.
3. Heat the large saucepan with 1/2 tbsp oil on medium-high heat. Once hot, add the the courgette and cook for 3-4 mins mins, until turning golden. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Add the leek and radish and cook for another 3-4 mins, then stir in the ginger & garlic paste and green harissa and cook for 2 mins.
5. Stir the olives, stock powder and 450ml hot water (225ml for 1 person) into the veg pan. Bring to the boil, then add the chicken strips and simmer for 11 mins, until cooked through.
6. Meanwhile, bring the medium saucepan filled with salted hot water to a boil. Add the noodles to the saucepan, gently separate with a fork, and boil for 3-4 mins, until cooked. Drain, then rinse under cold water.
7. Roughly chop the parsley.
8. Check your chicken is cooked through by cutting a large piece in half; the flesh should be white and the juices running clear.
9. Stir three-quarters of the parsley into the soup. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
10. Share the chicken broth and noodles between bowls, topped with the remaining parsley.

Nutrition per portion: 554 kcal, 45g carbohydrate, 39g protein and 7.9g fibre.

Comfort food with balance built in

As Sasha Watkins explains, autumn dishes naturally lend themselves to comforting combinations. "Adding protein, plenty of vegetables and fibre-rich foods such as beans and wholegrains can help make meals satisfying and nutritionally balanced," she says.

Healthy eating does not have to feel restrictive, and these three recipes show how seasonal ingredients can become genuinely delicious comfort food.