Healthy Spice Recipes

Take advantage of healthy convenience foods, such as pureed vegetable soups, to make a healthy meal in minutes. We enhance the flavor of boxed butternut squash soup with curry powder, then top it with irresistible halloumi cheese. Serve with warm whole-grain pita bread.

You'll get a serious dose of plant-based protein with this meal! The curry-infused cauliflower and chickpeas taste hearty and satisfying, while quinoa adds an extra boost of protein.

Jazz up a can of soup by adding protein with chickpeas and flavor with curry powder. Stir in a little Greek yogurt to make it creamy.

One batch of dough does double duty as both the crust and streusel topping to make one of the easiest desserts around.

Make a big batch of this Turkish spice mix to have on hand when you need to whip up a quick vegetable dip or flavorful, easy salad dressing. Or try it as a rub for grilled or roasted meat or vegetables. The spice mix is also perfect to give as a hostess gift along with a recipe card for turning it into a dip or vinaigrette (see Tips, below). For the freshest, most economical spices, head to a store that has a large, well-stocked bulk spice department.

Inspired by Persian jeweled rice, we jazz up a packet of precooked rice with saffron-infused milk and other warming spices—cardamom, turmeric and cinnamon—then top with sweet and salty bites of raisins, pistachios and pomegranate arils.

Save time and maximize your efforts by mixing up two separate chicken marinades and cooking multiple recipes at once. This simple but flavorful meal-prep chicken dinner idea lets you cook ahead and not be bored with your choices by mid-week. Both recipes are roasted together on a baking sheet; a foil barrier keeps them separate. Make this base chicken recipe and use it to create the Meal-Prep Chili-Lime Chicken Bowls & Meal-Prep Curried Chicken Bowls (see associated recipes) for lunch or dinner this week.

This healthy red lentil curry recipe has a rich flavor and complexity that tastes like it takes hours to prepare. Butternut squash and coconut milk combine with the lentils to make a hearty vegetarian dish. Serve with brown rice or naan bread.

The bold flavors of the lemon-cumin dressing in this healthy bean salad recipe make it a wonderful side dish to grilled beef and lamb, yet it's also a stellar meatless main when served with whole-wheat couscous.

Studies on turmeric's health benefits, particularly for reducing inflammation, are preliminary but promising. Try this vegan turmeric latte made from steamed almond milk and sweetened with a touch of maple syrup.

Like most soups, this Moroccan lentil soup recipe gets better with time as the complex seasonings have time to develop. Make it a day ahead if you can--this easy slow cooker/crock pot recipe variation makes it a cinch to get the soup cooking while you do other things.

These healthy apple-cinnamon muffins will put you in an autumnal state of mind no matter the time of year. Sprinkling the muffins with sugar before baking gives them a crispy top, just like a coffee-shop muffin--but these are a whole lot more nutritious than your average coffee-shop muffin, thanks to wholesome ingredients like white whole-wheat flour. Serve them for breakfast or a grab-and-go snack.

For a twist on the classic coffeecake, try this diabetic-friendly peach and cranberry version.

The momentum behind functional foods and wellness elixirs is at an all-time high. Expensive products are touted as having the power to do everything from restoring gut health to boosting immunity and fighting inflammation, but their health claims are often backed by little solid science. So instead of pricy supplements, we're mixing up a more affordable antidote that's both healthy and homemade. A tonic, by definition, is a combination of ingredients that have the potential to enhance or restore health. While this tonic (or any tonic) is not a cure-all remedy, consuming more anti-inflammatory foods--like the ones found in this tonic--over time may only not only ease current symptoms (such as fatigue, joint pain and chronic bloating), but it may also reduce the risk of future diseases and slow aging. The combination of green tea, herbs, honey, apple-cider vinegar and spices also makes for a tasty and refreshing beverage!

Air-fried sweet potato fries are crispy, tender and delicately sweet. They're also made with less fat than traditional fries, so they're a healthier option when you're craving crunchy spuds. If the cinnamon-pepper spice is too intense, try thyme, oregano, paprika or garlic instead.

This cauliflower curry recipe also features red lentils, which turn yellow when cooked. Curry powder, onions, cumin and other seasonings give this vegetarian dinner tons of flavor. Serve over rice to complete the meal.

The paneer cheese in this fast and easy dinner doesn't melt when it cooks. It browns instead, giving a toothsome texture to this Indian classic packed with spinach and spices. Serve over brown basmati rice to round out this healthy meal.

This quick toasted oats recipe is a lower-sugar alternative to granola. Serve it on top of yogurt with sliced fresh or frozen berries. You can double the recipe easily--just be sure to use a large skillet.

Three ingredients you probably already have on hand--curry powder, yogurt and lemon juice--meld into a mouthwatering sauce that transforms simple grilled salmon. This healthy and easy dinner recipe comes together in just 20 minutes.

Layering the ingredients in this coffee cake recipe right into the pan lets you skip the steps of making the batter and the nut topping separately. To make this healthy one-bowl dessert so it can be served like pull-apart rolls, dollop 16 equal portions of batter over the nuts. If you don't want to fuss with that, dollop the batter on top however you like.

Carrots give carrot cake a health-halo effect--people think it's health food, but it's usually very high in fat and calories. But our version has about 40 percent less calories and 50 percent less fat than most. First, we use less oil in our batter. Then we skip the butter in the frosting (don't worry, it's still light and smooth). To ensure the cake is moist, we add nonfat buttermilk and crushed pineapple.

Yogurt combined with spices coats cauliflower and chicken thighs in this Indian-inspired curry. The longer you marinate the chicken and cauliflower, the richer the taste, but even 20 minutes of marinating time will give you great results. Smoked paprika adds a more complex flavor, but regular paprika works well too. Serve this saucy dish with brown rice to complete the meal.

Skip the greasy mess and bake these healthier churros rather than frying them in oil. The cinnamon-sugar-dusted classic Mexican dessert comes out of the oven crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside.

Here we take all the warm, delicious flavors of cinnamon buns and roll them into a cake smothered with a sweet cream cheese frosting. It's best enjoyed fresh out of the oven.