Golden Lentil Stew with Sweet Potatoes & Kale

This cozy lentil stew warms you from the inside out. The sweet potato, ginger, and spices make it feel like a gentle holiday hug in a bowl. It’s bright, healing, and so easy to make on busy winter nights.

Pro Tip: Add the lemon juice right at the end — it brings the whole pot to life. Make some extra to freeze!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium sweet onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
A tiny pinch of cayenne pepper, or to taste
5 cups vegetable broth
1½ cups red lentils
1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
½ teaspoon sea salt
Fresh black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 cups chopped lacinato, Curly kale or baby spinach
¼ cup fresh chopped cilantro or parsley

Instructions:

Warm the olive oil in a large pot and sauté the onion until soft. Stir in the garlic and ginger until fragrant, then add the tomato paste and spices and cook for a moment to deepen their flavor.

Pour in the vegetable broth and add the lentils and diced sweet potato. Let everything simmer gently until the lentils are soft and the sweet potato is tender.

If you’d like you can use an immersion blender (or place 1/4 soup in a blender and carefully pulse for a brief moment) to smooth it out a touch, but keep most of it with texture. Red lentils tend to puree themselves while cooking.

Turn off the heat.

Stir in the lemon juice and greens until they wilt. Season with salt and black pepper , add some chopped parsley or cilantro and serve warm.

Maple-Balsamic Quinoa & Cranberry Stuffed Acorn Squash

This is one of those cozy holiday dishes that feels both bright and grounding. The sweet cranberries and warm squash make the perfect pair. This version is light, nourishing, and looks beautiful on the table.
Pro Tip: Roast the squash earlier in the day so the final assembly is quick. You can also add in additional proteins to the mix.

Ingredients:

2 acorn squash, halved and seeded
1 cup cooked quinoa
½ cup dried cranberries (no sugar added)
¼ cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon dried thyme

Instructions:

Add in’s ( optional) Chickpeas, ground cooked turkey, shredded cooked tofu.

Heat the oven to 400°F and place the squash halves cut-side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment.

Roast until the flesh is tender.

Mix the quinoa, cranberries, pecans, olive oil, balsamic, maple, salt, pepper, and thyme in a bowl ( and other add-in’s if desired)

Fill the roasted squash halves with the quinoa mixture and warm in the oven before serving.

Roasted Squash Sheet Pan Trio

This is an easy, colorful fall dish that feels cozy but still light. The mix of roasted squash gives you natural sweetness and warmth, and the crispy chickpeas make it filling enough for dinner. It’s great on its own or served over greens or grains.

Ingredients:

3 medium shallots, halved and thinly sliced
½ cup apple cider vinegar
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and thoroughly dried
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Salt and fresh black pepper
2 medium delicata squash, cut into ½-inch rounds and seeded
1 medium acorn squash, halved lengthwise, seeded and sliced into 6 wedges
1 medium kabocha squash, halved lengthwise, seeded and sliced into 8 wedges
Pinch of cayenne (or to taste)
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
8 ounces feta, crumbled into large pieces (optional; swap with toasted almonds for dairy-free)
¼ cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves
1–2 teaspoons honey or maple syrup, for finishing (optional)

Instructions:

Place two oven racks in the top-third and center of the oven and heat to 400°F.

Toss the sliced shallots with the apple cider vinegar in a small bowl and set aside to marinate.

Pat the chickpeas completely dry with paper towels, spread them on a rimmed sheet pan, drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil and a pinch of salt, and toss to coat. Spread into a single layer.

On a second rimmed sheet pan, arrange the delicata rounds, acorn wedges, and kabocha slices. Drizzle with the remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil, sprinkle with salt and a light dusting of cayenne, and toss to coat so everything is evenly oiled.

Place the chickpeas on the top rack and the squash on the center rack. Roast for about 30 minutes until the chickpeas are beginning to crisp and the squash is very tender.

Remove the chickpeas from the oven; if any squash was roasted with the chickpeas, transfer it to the squash pan.
Sprinkle the smoked paprika over the hot chickpeas, shake the pan to coat, and set them aside to cool and finish crisping on the sheet pan. (Crispy chickpeas can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container up to 24 hours.)

Turn on the broiler, move the squash to the top oven rack, and broil 3–5 minutes until nicely charred. Use tongs to pile the squash onto a serving platter.

Scatter the chickpeas over and around the squash, drain the shallots and sprinkle them on top, add the crumbled feta (or your swap), and scatter the mint leaves.

Drizzle 1–2 teaspoons honey or maple syrup over everything (optional) and finish with a couple more pinches of cayenne if you like heat. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes:

To make this a fuller dinner, serve over cooked quinoa, farro, or a bed of peppery arugula.
Make it dairy-free by skipping the feta and adding toasted almonds or pumpkin seeds for crunch.
For extra brightness, squeeze a little lemon over the platter before serving.

Pro Tip: Dry the chickpeas as much as possible—pat them with paper towels and let them air out a minute—so they crisp up in the oven instead of steaming.

Inspired By NY Times