Fresh and Flavorful: 15 Light(er) Recipes from the Kitchn

Quinoa Stuffed Dumpling Squash

You may have noticed that we're not really big on dieting in the count-your-calories, watch-the-fat sense around here. But we do feel that there are times when a period of eating lighter meals helps us feel refreshed and healthy, especially after a period of more indulgent eating like during the holidays or after a long vacation (or both!). Here are some of our favorite recipes from The Kitchn archives that we go to when we want clean flavors, nutritious ingredients, and a fresh start.

TOP ROW:
• Quinoa-Stuffed Sweet Dumpling Squash - Feel free to swap the quinoa for any grain you have in the cupboard and throw in whatever vegetables are in the fridge.

• Seared Char with Asian Kale - Simple, fresh flavors with a nice dose of vitamin D!

• Roasted Vegetables on Creamy Polenta - Oven-roasting concentrates the flavor in just about any fresh vegetable, making them rich and satisfying.

• Vegetarian Báhn Mì with Lemongrass Tofu - Perfect for a light lunch on the go.

• Pasta with Mint Pesto Peas and Ricotta Salata - We love the bright flavors in this simple pasta dish.

MIDDLE ROW:
• Big Green Salad with Shallots, Chicken, Smoked Almonds, Goat Cheese, and Dates - If you're craving a salad, this one has it all!

• Very Simple Dal Palak - Indian lentil soups like this one make a perfect light meal on a cold afternoon.

• Wheat Berry Salad with Blood Oranges, Feta, and Red Onion Vinaigrette - Nutty wheat berries make an excellent contrast to the vibrant flavors of orange, feta, and red onion.

• Smoky Scallops with Fennel and Tomato - Scallops are easy to make at home and have a delicate sweet flavor that pairs well with a lot of fresh vegetables.

• Italian Marrow Beans with Tuna - Crunchy celery comes together with tender white beans and flaky tuna in this light salad.

BOTTOM ROW:
• Warm Farro Salad with Roasted Vegetables and Fontina - Grain salads are so versatile. We love them as a main course for lunch or a side dish with dinner's main course.

• Hot and Sour Mushroom, Cabbage, and Rice Soup - This soup is comforting and satisfying, but won't weight you down.

• Stuffed Chicken Breast with Grapes, Hazelnuts, and Parmesan - Try this paired with a bed of greens toss with a spritz of lemon!

• Halibut, Spinach, and Tomatoes in Foil Packets - This technique is such easy and simple - not to mention delicious - way to cook fish at home!

• Quick Udon Noodle Soup - Just a few simple ingredients make this soup satisfying.

What are your favorite recipes for lighter eating?

(Images: See linked posts for full image credits.)

Comments (11)

Celebrating a holiday or special time with friends and family isn't "indulgent". Eating "lighter" isn't a virtue. Can this site take the stance that we all need to eat. and that eating is a pleasurable activity, so why not make cooking as pleasurable as well, without the guilt or drama or angst or self-righteousness?

I didn't read the same tone as FantasticMrFaux did in this article, but I do tire of the prevailing notion that December is stuff-your-face month and January is eat-light month. I'm a fan of balance, myself, and I try to eat whole grains, etc. year-round, interspersed with richer meals. So thanks for these recipes: I'll use them now and throughout the year. Even next December.

Emma, thanks so much for the list of lighter, yet still highly flavorful dishes. I'm bookmarking this for ideas in the next few weeks! Love this kind of feature from thekitchn.com!

I think some of our audience reads a judgmental tone into these lighter eating posts, but that is simply not our intention. We like to focus on lighter eating this time of year because that's what we (our team) wants to talk about. Realistically, we tend to eat more sweets and heavy foods over the holidays, and then at times we go looking for some lighter refreshment in January and February.

And lighter eating is only one part of it; if you look back at the post that introduced our theme this month, we're talking about refreshment in all its forms - whether that's through eating crunchy winter salads and restorative soups, through making hearty winter braises, or even through painting your kitchen.

So it's all about your own choices and how you like to get refreshed in the kitchen; we just would love to offer resources to help you feel refreshed this month, however you choose to cook and eat.

I love these kinds of posts, so thank you very much! I'm all for indulging in rich recipes, but I do like "lighter" recipes for my normal eating habits.

The bahn mi sandwich sounds crunchy and delicious and refreshing. I wonder if adding some sriracha to the mayonnaise would overpower the lemongrass flavor in the tofu. I always like to kick the spice level up a notch.

Thanks so much for the wonderful list of lighter dishes. They are inspiring and I for one, plan to try a few (quinoa stuff squash anyone?).

I made the hot and sour soup tonight and it was delicious. I added white pepper and chiankiang vinegar and some scrambled egg at the end, like egg drop soup. Thanks for the recipe!

Well heck, I do rather tend to stuff myself full during the the holidays and I crave lighter foods during the week as on the weekends if I am lucky during winter in Jan/Feb I tend to create some rich dishes on the weekends that indulgent and take a bit more time to make. I appreciate your writing about lighter foods over and over because it is helping me to constantly remind myself that i need to lose three pounds and it also doesn't feel like I am the only one out there right now.

faith - thank you for your response...I agree that for many people, the holidays are a time of at least a little indulgence that is often followed up by a period of lighter fare!

Geez, people, it's just food.

That hot and sour mushroom soup sounds amazing. I'll definitely be making it one day this week.