Our favourite autumn/winter recipes

The weather is gradually getting colder as we make our way through autumn and winter. No longer do we crave salads but instead we want warming soups for lunches. And what better than coming home to a freshly made casserole or stew for dinner that’s been slowing cooking whilst you’ve been at work? To kick off your autumn eating, we’ve got our favourite healthy autumn recipes to warm you up throughout the colder months.

Butternut Squash & Sweet Potato Soup 

Simple and nutritious, this butternut squash and sweet potato soup is perfect to make on a Sunday and means you’ll have all your lunches for the rest of the week sorted. Both vegetables are full of vitamins, including Vitamin B6, which is great for the immune system! Ingredients (serves 4)

• 1 butternut squash cubed
• 2 medium sweet potatoes cubed
• 1 large onion diced
• 900ml vegetable stock
• 2 cloves of garlic roughly chopped
• 1 red chilli deseeded and chopped
• 1 tsp Olive oil

Method Add the olive oil to the sauce pan with the onions to soften. Afterwards add the sweet potatoes, butternut squash and garlic and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the vegetable stock and simmer for 30 minutes. Take off the heat and use a hand blender to blend the soup. Sprinkle with the chopped chilli to serve.

Chicken & Bean Stew

Stews make great dinners on cold winter days. Chuck all the ingredients into a slow cooker in the morning before work, and when you come home your dinner is ready and waiting for you! This stew is full of protein, just serve with some steamed vegetables and you’ve got a filling and nutritious weeknight dinner. Ingredients (serves 4)

• 1kg chicken thighs
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion sliced
• 400g can of chopped tomatoes
• 400g can of kidney beans
• 400g can of butter beans (drained)
• 2 peppers chopped
• 250ml chicken stock
• 1 clove of garlic crushed
• 1 red chilli deseeded and chopped
• 1 tsp paprika

Method Add the oil to a large saucepan and brown the chicken thighs. Once the skin is golden brown add the chicken & the remaining oil to the slow cooker. Add the remaining ingredients and cook on low for 6-8 hours (if you’re out of the house at work for longer than 8 hours you can cook the stew overnight and re-heat in the evening). Serve with steamed greens.

Beetroot & Berries Smoothie

It may be cold out, but smoothies are always a go too breakfast option for many of us. Quick and simple to make, but still nutritious. This smoothie is full of vitamins, and research has also revealed that the nitrate within beetroots can help to lower blood pressure. Ingredients (serves 1)

• 1 beetroot peeled
• 1 frozen banana
• 150g berries of your choice
• 200ml almond milk (or liquid of your choice)

Method Throw all of your ingredients into a blender and blast for 1 minute or until desired consistency. For more delicious smoothie recipes using super ingredients for your skin click here!