Healthy Recipes Cooking Methods Healthy Recipes for a Dutch Oven You Just Got a Dutch Oven—Here Are 15 Heart-Healthy Recipes to Make First By Dillon Evans Dillon Evans Dillon Evans fell in love with cooking at a very young age. He remembers the novel experiences of microwaving a bowl of oatmeal without his parents' permission and asking to make his mother's morning pot of coffee. These moments became catalysts for his interest in cooking and baking. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Published on December 25, 2023 Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Jessica Ball, M.S., RD, is nutrition editor for EatingWell. She is a registered dietitian with a master's in food, nutrition and sustainability. In addition to EatingWell, her work has appeared in Food & Wine, Real Simple, Parents, Better Homes and Gardens and MyRecipes. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Fred Hardy With its thick walls and heavy lid, the Dutch oven can be an invaluable tool in your home kitchen, helping you make some really delicious and nutritious food. This collection is packed with dishes that are as flavorful as they are healthy for your heart. Whether it’s soup, stew, chili or pasta, these comforting meals are each made with low amounts of sodium and saturated fats to seamlessly fit a heart-healthy eating pattern. Put your new Dutch oven to good use with recipes like our Chicken & Dumplings Soup and Whole-Grain Spaghetti with Italian Turkey Sausage, Arugula & Balsamic Tomato Sauce, and you’ll want to give your sturdy pot a permanent spot on the stovetop. 01 of 15 Chicken & Dumplings Soup Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer This hearty and warming chicken-and-dumplings soup features whole-wheat biscuits that offer a boost of fiber while maintaining a light texture. Thyme and parsley add freshness to the traditional flavors of this crowd-pleasing soup. View Recipe 02 of 15 One-Pot Pasta With Spinach & Tomatoes Caitlin Bensel This one-pot pasta dinner is simple, fresh, and healthy—what's not to love? Cooking the pasta right in the sauce saves time and cleanup while infusing the noodles with more flavor. This speedy recipe is also endlessly adaptable, and lends itself to plenty of easy ingredient swaps (make sure to check out the clever riffs below). Change up the spinach for any vegetables you have on hand such as sliced zucchini and mushrooms, or add leftover chicken or cooked and crumbled sausage. We've happily embraced whole-wheat spaghetti as a healthier alternative to white pasta; it works especially well in this one-pot application. View Recipe 03 of 15 Hearty Chicken Stew Perfect on cold winter nights, this hearty chicken stew recipe will warm you right up. Serve it with some homemade biscuits for a filling meal. View Recipe 04 of 15 Copycat Olive Garden's Chicken & Gnocchi Soup Photographer: Jennifer Causey, Food stylist: Ali Ramee, Prop stylist: Clairen Spollen This comforting copycat Olive Garden chicken and gnocchi soup is creamy, with chewy, pillowy gnocchi to satisfy your appetite. Enjoy with a green salad and breadsticks for dipping. View Recipe 05 of 15 Whole-Grain Spaghetti with Italian Turkey Sausage, Arugula & Balsamic Tomato Sauce Total happiness in a bowl: pasta, sausage, tomatoes and herbs. The tomatoes get sweet and tender and turn into sauce with the stock and the pasta. Without ever adding any butter, the spaghetti sauce is rich and silky. Adding the herbs at the end gives the dish a fresh pop of color and flavor. This is one healthy pasta recipe we can definitely get behind! View Recipe 06 of 15 Vegetable and Tofu Soup Tofu has a reputation for being bland, but when marinated in Italian seasoning for up to four hours, it's anything but in this veggie-packed soup. View Recipe 07 of 15 Pasta alla Norma Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle Pasta alla Norma is a Sicilian pasta dish traditionally made with eggplant, tomatoes and ricotta salata. While not traditional, our version includes a splash of balsamic vinegar and fennel seeds for sweetness and flavor. Ricotta salata is a firm, salty cheese that, along with basil, brings brightness to this easy vegetarian dish. View Recipe 08 of 15 Turkey Chili Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster In this healthy turkey chili recipe, we skip browning the turkey for two reasons—it helps save time, and the lean turkey stays tender as it gently simmers in the chili. Poblano peppers and chipotles in adobo add a nice spice and smokiness to the dish. Top with your favorite garnishes, like shredded cheese, yogurt, avocado or lime wedges. Turkey Chili 09 of 15 Chicken Soup with Recaito & Potatoes This hearty chicken soup builds flavor quickly, thanks to store-bought recaito, a cooking base made from culantro, onions, sweet peppers and garlic. Each bite is packed with veggies, including potatoes, carrots and red bell pepper. Lime juice finishes the dish to add brightness. View Recipe 10 of 15 Southwest Salmon Chowder Perfect for a cold day, this salmon chowder is an excellent source of high quality lean protein and omega-3 fatty acids. As an added bonus, this low-effort chowder can be prepared in less than an hour. View Recipe 11 of 15 Vegan Lentil Stew Fred Hardy This comforting vegan lentil stew is incredibly satisfying thanks to hearty lentils and sweet potato. The leeks provide a savory allium note while the tomato paste, miso and cumin add bold flavor. View Recipe 12 of 15 Sweet Potato Soup with Orange-Walnut Gremolata Photographer: Jen Causey, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen, Food Stylist: Ali Ramee This easy sweet potato soup comes together quickly with the use of refrigerated mashed sweet potatoes, which provide a creamy, smooth texture. The gremolata brings freshness and brightness to complement the soup. View Recipe 13 of 15 Grilled Salmon with Kale Sauté In this healthy dinner recipe, salmon fillets are seasoned with a zesty dry rub, grilled and served with a simple side--lemon-seasoned sautéed kale and shallots. Sometimes simple is best! View Recipe 14 of 15 Moyo de Poulet Fumé Photography / Jennifer Causey, Styling / Ruth Blackburn / Audrey Davis Combining smoke and heat, this dish is easy and quick to assemble. If you like fiery food, cut long slits in the peppers to release their juices. Four jalapeños, which are more readily available, may be substituted for the habaneros (also called Scotch bonnets), but the habaneros contribute a flavor all their own. Smoked chicken is available in specialty meat shops. Serve hot over rice. View Recipe 15 of 15 Split Pea Soup with Ham Bone Photographer: Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall Split pea soup gets its smokiness from a ham bone and a dash of smoked paprika. The split peas break down as they cook, picking up flavor and delivering a creamy texture to this rich and warming soup. View Recipe EatingWell.com, December 2023 Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit