7 Healthy Comfort Food Recipes for Autumn

As soon as it hits September and the weather starts to get colder, I'm ready to fully embrace the 'ber' months. And there's nothing more comforting than the rain pattering outside against the window while you curl up on the sofa with a heated blanket, wearing something warm and cosy, while eating a steaming hot bowl of something nourishing and delicious. 

Autumn, is in my opinion, the best season for increasing the colours and variety of our food. When focusing on more natural foods like vegetables, fruits, lentils, beans, pulses, herbs and spices, we have a much better chance of feeding our bodies with the vitamins and minerals it needs to not just function during the colder months, but also to thrive and keep us healthy too.  

As we kick off September this week, here are the first 7 healthy comfort food recipes for Autumn that I hope you’ll enjoy just as much as I have.

1. Super Filling Tagliatelle Bolognese 

Of course pasta had to be top of this week’s recipes for comfort food! This Tagliatelle Bolognese blends both the rich and tasty beef sauce, with ribbon pasta that I think, elevates the dish more than traditional spaghetti does. Let me know when you try this one! 

Serves: 1 

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients: 

• 120g uncooked beef mince 
• 1/4 brown onion
• 1 carrot 
• 80g chestnut mushrooms 
• 1 clove of garlic, minced 
• 1/2 can of chopped tomatoes 
• 1 tablespoon of tomato purée
• 100ml of beef or vegetable stock 
• 75g fresh tagliatelle pasta 
• A few sprigs of fresh basil 
• Optional: Parmesan cheese to grate on top 

Method: 

1. Brown off the beef mince in a medium sized pan on a low to medium heat. 
2. Peel and dice the onion and slice up the carrots and mushrooms. Peel and mince the garlic too, and then add them all to the pan.
3. Pour in the chopped tomatoes, add the tomato purée and stock, and cook for about 10-15 minutes. 
4. In another pan, bring some water to the boil. Add in the fresh tagliatelle pasta and cook for 2-3 minutes or until cooked for your liking. 
5. Dish up the pasta and add the bolognese mix on top. Grate parmesan cheese on top and add the fresh basil - then enjoy! 

Tip: Keep the skins on the carrots for an extra boost of fibre!

2. Roasted Butternut Squash, Mediterranean Veg and Lentils

If like me, you work from home a lot, this is the perfect comforting dish to make for either lunch or dinner. It doesn't take a huge amount of effort but is packed full of seasonal veggies that are bursting with vitamins and minerals that help keep us feeling our best! 

Serves: 1 

Cooking Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients: 

• 80g of butternut squash chunks  
• Half a red bell pepper
• 1-2 small carrots 
• 1 inch of courgette 
• A few slices of aubergine 
• 1/4 red onion 
• 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary 
• 50g green puy lentils 
• 1 clove of garlic, minced 
• Half a can of chopped tomatoes
• 10g of raisins
• A handful of rocket 

Method: 

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200°C or 180°C if using a fan oven. 
2. On a baking tray, add a layer of baking paper ready to put your veggies on to cook. 
3. Add the butternut squash to the baking tray. (I buy frozen butternut squash chunks from Tesco. This makes it so much easier to use straight away and saves time as it's already peeled and cut up ready to roast!)
4. Slice up the red bell pepper, carrots, courgette, aubergine and onion. Add to the baking tray too. 
5. Sprinkle over the dried rosemary and pop in the oven for about 30-35 minutes. 
6. In a small pan on a low to medium heat, add the lentils, chopped tomatoes and minced garlic. Stir well and simmer for about 20-25 minutes. Add a splash of water when needed to keep the lentils cooking in a sauce. 
7. Plate up and add the fresh rocket and sprinkle over the raisins.

Tip: Either use up all the veggies and make a big batch you can eat for lunch or dinner for a few days, or slice up the veggies and pop into the freezer to avoid wasting them (and save effort and time prepping for your next veggie meal!)

3. Chickpea and Cauliflower Curry  

Any celebration in my family and we're probably going to find an Indian restaurant; I can't describe in words just how much we love a curry. And for Autumn especially, it's one of the easiest ways to add more spices to your diet, such as turmeric which is fantastic for helping reduce inflammation in the body and ground coriander which can help ease bloating. 

Serves: 1 

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients: 

• 50g uncooked brown rice

• 100g chickpeas (drained from a can)

• 1/4 brown onion

• A few florets of cauliflower

• 1/4 teaspoon of mild chilli powder

• 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin

• 1/2 teaspoon of ground coriander

• 1/4 teaspoon of ground turmeric

• 1 clove of garlic, minced

• 100ml of chicken stock

• A few sprigs of fresh coriander 

Method: 

1. Heat some water in a small pan and when the water is boiling, add the rice and cook for about 20-30 minutes. 
2. While the rice is cooking, peel and roughly chop up the onion, and add to a medium sized pan on a low to medium heat. Stir until the onion starts to soften and brown. 
3. Add the spices and minced garlic to the pan, stirring for about a minute until fragrant. 
4. Then add in the drained chickpeas, cauliflower and stock, stirring well to combine all the ingredients. Reduce the heat and continue to cook until the sauce thickens. 
5. Once ready, plate up and add the fresh coriander on top. Serve with a warm peshwari naan or poppadoms on the side too with an onion salad.  

4. Sausage and Cranberry Traybake

Words cannot describe just how delicious this traybake not only tastes, but smells when it's in the oven too! This is another simple dish for those cosy evenings when you just want to relax and have minimal effort in the kitchen. 

Serves: 2

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients: 

• 2-3 sausages (I highly recommend getting caramelised onion sausages for this dish!)
• 1 small red onion 
• 100g cranberries 
• 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil 
• 1/2 teaspoon of fennel seeds 
• 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary 

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C or 180°C if using a fan oven. 
2. Chop up the vegetables and add into a big mixing bowl, drizzling over the olive oil, fennel seeds and dried rosemary.  
3. Spread out the mixed veggies and add the raw sausages onto a baking tray lined with baking paper. Sprinkle over the cranberries. 
4. Pop into the oven for about 20-30 minutes or until the sausages are cooked all the way through, turning them over halfway through. Enjoy!

5. Pesto Chicken and Roasted Veg Gnocchi

My boyfriend and I absolutely LOVE this gnocchi dish when we're limited on time to cook. We also regularly double up the portions and pop into a Thermos ready for our lunches the next day too! So extra time to chill in the evenings and knowing you have a tasty, nourishing lunch to enjoy tomorrow. 

Serves: 1 

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients: 

• 1 chicken breast 
• Half a red bell pepper
• 3-4 baby plum or cherry tomatoes 
• 1 inch of courgette 
• A few slices of aubergine 
• 1/4 red onion 
• 125g of fresh gnocchi 
• 2 tablespoons of green pesto 
• 30g fresh buffalo mozzarella 
• A handful of fresh rocket 

Method:

1. Slice up the chicken breast and cook on a low to medium heat in a medium sized pan. 
2. Slice up the red bell pepper, courgette, aubergine and onion and add to the pan. Throw in the tomatoes too and stir well to combine. 
3. In a small pan, bring some water to the boil and add the gnocchi when it's ready. Cook for 2-3 minutes (or when the gnocchi has floated to the top of the water).
4. Add the gnocchi to the chicken and veg pan, and stir in the green pesto. Warm through and make sure the pesto coats all the ingredients. 
5. Plate up, adding the mozzarella and fresh rocket then enjoy! 

6. Tofu Coconut Curry

This tofu coconut curry is a lighter dish, but still just as comforting to eat in the evenings. You also don't need to just stick to the veggies in the ingredient list too, as a lot of stir fry veggies would work well for this curry, such as mangetout, green beans and baby sweetcorn! 

Serves: 1 

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients: 

• 100g cubed tofu (firm or extra firm)
• 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil 
• 50g uncooked jasmine rice 
• 60ml of canned coconut milk 
• Half a courgette 
• Half a red bell pepper 
• Handful of raw spinach  
• 1/2 teaspoon of mild curry powder
• A wedge of lime to serve 

Method: 

1. In a small pan, bring some water to boil, and add in the jasmine rice when it's ready. Cook for about 20 minutes or until done. 
2. While the rice is cooking, heat the olive oil in a non-stick pan on a low to medium heat. 
3. Cut the courgette up into slices and half again. Slice up the red bell pepper into long slices and add both to the pan, sauteing for about 2 minutes.
4. Add the tofu and stir in the curry powder.
5. Pour in the coconut milk and simmer for about 4-5 minutes.
6. Stir through the spinach to wilt. 
7. Plate up with the cooked rice and sprinkle fresh coriander on top!

Easy swap: If you don't want to eat a completely plant-based dish or would prefer a meat option, swap out the tofu for chicken breast diced up instead!  

7. Slow Cooker Moroccan Spiced Lamb and Chickpeas

Whether you work from home or love the idea of having your dinner simmering away in a slow cooker while you relax on a Sunday, this recipe is one you have to try. This is also perfect for doubling up portions ready for your lunch or dinner the next day, or for making for family and friends to enjoy round the table together. 

Serves: 4 

Cooking Time: 1-2 hours on high or 3-4 hours on low

Ingredients: 

• 400g lamb mince or pieces 
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced 
• 1 tin of chickpeas 
• 1 red pepper 
• 1 carrot 
• 1 onion 
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes 
• 250ml of beef stock 
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon 
• 1 teaspoon of cumin 
• 1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika
• A big handful of kale 
• Optional: Add in red chillis for extra heat!

Method:

1. Cook the lamb in a medium sized pan on a low to medium heat. 
2. Slice up the veggies and mince the garlic. Add to the pan and stir well.
3. Add in the spices, the tinned tomatoes and stock. 
4. Transfer into a slow cooker and cook for 1-2 hours on a high heat or 3-4 hours on a low heat, stirring every now and then. About 1 hour before you plan to turn off the slow cooker, drain the chickpeas and add to the slow cooker, stirring well to mix all the ingredients together. 
5. Stir in the fresh kale about 2 minutes before you're about to dish up.
6. Serve with buttered sourdough or crusty tiger bread!

I hope you enjoy making these healthy comfort food recipes this Autumn, and as always, let me know which ones your making by tagging or sending me a photo of your dishes on Instagram @amy.lee.jackson as I would love to see what you make 🤍 

Cheering you on, always,