5 Easy Seasonal Recipes for When You Have the Sniffles

Winter is just around the corner, and with that comes flu season. Here are a few simple and nutritious recipes for when the sniffles have you down and you want a low-effort meal. 

1. Butternut Squash Soup 

Equiptment

• Dutch oven, slow cooker, or cast iron skillet
• Blender 

Ingredients 

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 (3lb) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed (can also buy precut squash for greater ease) 
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
• ½ tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 3 to 4 cups vegetable broth
• Freshly ground black pepper

For Serving (optional)

• Chopped parsley
• Toasted pepitas

Instructions 

• Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, salt, and several grinds of fresh pepper, and sauté until soft for 5 to 8 minutes. Add the squash and cook until it begins to soften, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add the garlic, sage, rosemary, and ginger. Stir and cook for thirty seconds to one minute, until fragrant, then add three cups of the broth. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until the squash is tender for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Let cool slightly and pour the soup into a blender, working in batches if necessary, and blend until smooth. If your soup is too thick, add up to one cup more broth and blend. Season to taste and serve with parsley, pepitas, and crusty bread.

2. Classic Minestrone Soup

Ingredients 

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 2 celery ribs, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 garlic cloves, grated
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1½ cups cooked white beans or kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup chopped green beans
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• ¾ cup small pasta, elbows, shells, orecchiette
• ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
• Red pepper flakes
• Grated Parmesan cheese, optional, for serving

Instructions

• Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, salt, and several grinds of black pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, for eight minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften.
• Add the garlic, tomatoes, beans, green beans, broth, bay leaves, oregano, and thyme. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Stir in the pasta and cook, uncovered, for 10 more minutes, until the pasta is cooked through.
• Season to taste and serve with parsley, red pepper flakes, and parmesan, if desired.

3. Parmesan Spinach Orzo 

Ingredients

• 1 onion, yellow, medium, chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil, extra virgin
• 2 cups spinach
• 1 cup orzo pasta
• 2 cups of stock, vegetarian or chicken
• 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

• In a large saute pan, heat olive oil, add chopped onions and cook until translucent, 3-4 minutes
• Add spinach and cook until wilted, for about another 2 minutes
• Add pasta and stir to coat it all with olive oil, onion and spinach mixture
• Add stock, cover the pan, and cook for about 8 minutes until the pasta is cooked through
• Turn off the heat, add cheese and black pepper, stir and taste. If needed, add some salt. Serve immediately

4. Vegetarian Chipotle Chili

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium red onion, chopped
• 2 red bell peppers, chopped
• 1 small butternut squash (1 ½ lbs or less), peeled and chopped into one-half-inch cubes
• 4 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
• Fine salt, to taste
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• ½ or more tablespoons of chopped chipotle pepper in adobo (start with ½ tablespoon and add more to taste, I thought mine was just right with 1 tablespoon)
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained, or 3 cups cooked black beans
• 1 small can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes, including the liquid
• 2 cups vegetable broth or one 14-ounce can
• 2 ripe avocados, diced
• 3 corn tortillas for crispy tortilla strips, or a handful of crumbled tortilla chips
• Optional additional garnishes: chopped fresh cilantro and/or red pepper flakes

Instructions

• In a 4- to 6-quart Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat, warm the olive oil until shimmering. Add the onion, bell pepper, butternut squash, and ⅛ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are turning translucent.
• Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the garlic, chili powder, ½ tablespoon chopped chipotle peppers, cumin and cinnamon. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the bay leaf, black beans, tomatoes (with juices)and broth. Stir to combine, then cover and cook for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Taste about halfway through cooking and add more chopped chipotle peppers if you’d like.
• You’ll know your chili is done when the butternut squash is nice and tender, and the liquid has reduced a bit, creating the hearty chili consistency we all know and love. Remove the bay leaf and add salt to taste.
• To make the crispy tortilla strips: stack the corn tortillas and slice them into thin little strips, about 2 inches long by ¼ inch wide. Warm a drizzle of olive oil in a medium pan over medium heat until shimmering. Toss in the tortilla slices, sprinkle with salt, and stir. Cook until the strips are crispy and turning golden, stirring occasionally, about 4 to 7 minutes. Remove the tortilla strips from the skillet and drain them on a plate lined with a paper towel.
• Serve the chili in bowls, topped with crispy tortilla strips and plenty of diced avocado. I added a little sprinkle of red pepper flakes (optional). Cilantro would be nice as well. For spice lovers like me, you might want to serve this with some chipotle hot sauce (Tabasco makes one).

5. Roasted Garlic Spaghetti Squash Boat

Ingredients

• 1 large spaghetti squash
• Salt
• Pepper
• Olive oil

Garlic & Herb Sauce:

• 3 tablespoons non-dairy butter or regular butter
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ¼  teaspoon salt

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut spaghetti squash in half and remove the seeds. Drizzle each half with a small amount of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place squash, face down, on a baking sheet and roast until fork-tender, for 50 mins.
• Heat a small saucepan over medium heat and add all Garlic Herb Sauce ingredients. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the butter is melted and the garlic is cooked.
• Remove spaghetti squash from the oven, run a fork through it to loosen the spaghetti squash and then pour a desired amount of garlic and herb butter over the top.

• cooking
• recipe
• soup
• winter