For tonight’s meal, make one of these cozy, low-carb dinner recipes. Each dish is full of tasty seasonal produce like butternut squash, mushrooms and Brussels sprouts while having no more than 15 grams of carbohydrates per serving. Plus, you only need one pot or pan to make these delicious dinners. Recipes like Vegan Butternut Squash Soup and Creamy Lemon-Basil Chicken are seasonal, healthy and perfect for weeknight dinners.
Vegan Butternut Squash Soup
Thai spices and creamy coconut milk distinguish this version from traditional butternut squash soup. Curry paste is a convenient way to add complex flavor, but if you want to make sure this soup is vegan or if you are allergic to shellfish, check the ingredient list carefully–some brands contain shellfish.
Creamy Lemon-Basil Chicken
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn
This ultra-quick creamy lemon-basil chicken is bright and refreshing. Using whole lemon slices in the sauce gathers the essential oils from the rind plus the acidic punch from the flesh and adds more depth of flavor than juice and zest alone.
Wild Mushroom Soup
This creamless—but creamy—mushroom soup recipe showcases the savory flavor of fresh morel mushrooms. If you can’t find fresh or dried morels, try other dried mushrooms, such as dried shitakes or creminis, but be sure to use at least one ounce dried mushrooms to keep the luscious flavor in this healthy soup. Serve with crusty garlic bread.
Skillet Pork Chops with Peas, Carrots & Pearl Onions
This superfast one-dish dinner is full of classic flavor and is such a crowd pleaser that you’ll want to work it into your regular weeknight dinner rotation. We call for bone-in pork chops to maximize flavor, but boneless pork chops are a fine substitution. To round out this meal a little more, serve with rice or mashed potatoes.
One-Pan Chicken with Basil-Anchovy Butter & Shishito Peppers
Don’t skip the anchovies in this healthy chicken thigh recipe. Their fishiness blends in, adding salty, umami flavor, so that even skeptics of the salty little fish won’t protest. And this healthy skillet dinner is cooked in one pan and takes just 20 minutes to prep–in case you need more selling points for this recipe.
Garlic Roasted Salmon & Brussels Sprouts
Roasting salmon on top of Brussels sprouts and garlic, flavored with wine and fresh oregano, is simple enough for a weeknight meal yet sophisticated enough to serve to company. Serve with whole-wheat couscous.
One-Skillet Chicken Paprikash with Mushrooms & Onions
Try this quick and easy one-skillet version of the Hungarian classic chicken paprikash. Serve the chicken cutlets, mushrooms and creamy sauce over egg noodles with a green salad on the side.
Chicken Stew with Turnips & Mushrooms
In this healthy chicken stew recipe, we save prep time by using pre-sliced mushrooms and pre-chopped kale (found near packaged fresh greens). If you don’t like turnips, potatoes are an easy substitution.
Green Shakshuka with Spinach, Chard & Feta
The inspiration for this green shakshuka recipe comes from HaBasta, a popular restaurant on the edge of Carmel Market in Tel Aviv, where the shakshuka is packed with green chard and spinach and a little hot pepper provides just a touch of spice. Serve with pita or crusty bread to sop up the sauce for a quick dinner or for brunch.
Chicken Florentine
Classic chicken Florentine–creamy spinach served atop sautéed chicken cutlets–is a fast and easy meal. To keep calories lower, this recipe uses cornstarch to thicken the cream instead of cheese. This chicken recipe is simple enough for weekdays but also elegant enough for a dinner party.
Easy Cauliflower Fried Rice
This vegetarian faux fried rice uses riced cauliflower in place of white or brown rice to pack in extra veggies and cut down on carbs. Chile-garlic sauce pumps up the heat, and fresh ginger adds a bright, warm bite. If you don’t like the heat of the chile-garlic sauce, leave it out and add a bit more tamari or soy sauce for a rich, fermented tang.
Instant Pot Chicken Marsala
Enjoy classic chicken Marsala on a weeknight with this recipe that comes together fast thanks to the help of a multicooker, like the Instant Pot. Serve over cooked brown rice to sop up any of the extra sauce.
Pork Chops with Creamy Mushroom Sauce
These seared pork chops are topped with a rich and creamy mushroom sauce that gets flavored with fresh herbs.
Quick Chicken Braciole
In this healthy stuffed chicken recipe, pounded chicken breasts are stuffed with a flavorful chard, prosciutto and mozzarella filling and then simmered in store-bought marinara sauce. Serve over whole-wheat fettuccine tossed with parsley or on polenta.
Air-Fryer Salmon with Horseradish Rub
A crust of fresh horseradish, parsley and capers turns delicately crispy on this air-fried salmon. It’s an impressive dinner that’s also super simple to make. If you can’t find fresh horseradish, use a high-quality prepared product. Be sure to drain and squeeze it to remove as much moisture as possible.
Pork Chops with Balsamic Sweet Onions
Balsamic onions and raisins add a burst of sweet and savory flavor to pan-seared pork chops. Round out this healthy dinner recipe with sweet potatoes and green beans.
Skillet Eggs with Tomatillos & Spinach
This healthy skillet recipe features eggs cooked in a mixture of spinach, herbs and tomatillos. Garnish with a touch of harissa—a fiery chile paste—and dip some toasted whole-grain country bread into the jammy yolks.
Low-Carb Beef Stew
Turnips lend an earthy flavor and a texture that is similar to potatoes–but with fewer carbs–to this rich and flavorful beef stew.
Borscht with Beef
Even people who think they don’t like beets love this vibrantly colored, vegetable-packed borscht soup recipe, inspired by the legendary borscht soup served at New York’s Russian Tea Room. Plenty of mushrooms, cabbage and carrots along with a judicious amount of beef make this healthy borscht recipe special.
Pork Chops with Roasted Cauliflower and Onions
This quick one-skillet vegetable and pork main dish recipe makes a great weeknight dinner. Look for pre-cut cauliflower florets in the produce aisle of your grocery store to cut down on prep time, and your dinner will be on the table in just 30 minutes!
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