4 Healthy One-Pot Recipes in 2024

One-pot meals are great go-to-meals, especially on days you feel drained or just want a break from the normal hum-drum of life. When you still want to eat something healthy but don’t have much time to prepare, one-pot meals are the answer.

We have prepared four one-pot recipes that are not only healthy but are mouth-watering too. Believe us when we say it’s worth giving these a try this weekend!

1. One-pot spinach and sweet potato dhal

Dhal (also spelled dahl, daal, and dal) is an Indian food made from lentils. Lentils are high in protein so they are a great way to replace meat while keeping up the protein count in your food.

One-pot lentil dishes go well with curry, a condiment that provides a lot of flavors. For a healthier dhal, add some spinach and sweet potato to the lentils, spice with curry, then cook in a pot.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 finely chopped red onion
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• Thumb-sized peeled and finely chopped ginger
• 1 finely chopped red chill
• 1 ½ tsp ground turmeric
• 1 ½ tsp ground cumin
• 400g sweet potatoes, cut into chunks
• 250g red split lentils
• 600ml vegetable stock
• 80g bag of spinach
• 4 spring onions, sliced on the diagonal
• ½ small pack of Thai basil leaves

Directions:

1. Heat the sesame oil in a pan. Add the red onion and cook over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Add the garlic clove, ginger, and 1 finely chopped red chili. Cook for 1 minute, then add 1 ½ tsp ground turmeric and 1 ½ tsp ground cumin. Cook for another minute.
3. Adjust to medium heat, add the sweet potatoes and stir.
4. Add the red split lentils, vegetable stock, and some seasoning.
5. Allow to boil, then lower the heat. Cover for 20 minutes until the lentils, and the potato is cooked.
6. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Gently stir in the spinach. Top with spring onions and torn basil leaves to serve.

2. Pesto spring chicken in a pot

This chicken one-pot is packed with greens, herby pesto, and fresh potatoes. If you’re craving something light yet filling, this is the one-pot dish for you.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 pc. medium-sized onion, chopped
• 500g boneless and skinless chicken thigh
• 300g small new potatoes or baby potatoes
• 425ml low-salt vegetable stock
• Fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 350g broccoli, cut into bite-sized florets
• 350g shredded spring greens
• 140g petit pois or young green peas
• 1 bunch sliced spring onion
• 2 tbsp pesto

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a large pot. Gently fry the onions for 5 minutes.
2. Add the chicken, fry until lightly cooked.
3. Add the potatoes, stock, and freshly ground black pepper.
4. Cover the pot, then simmer for about 30 minutes or until the potatoes and the chicken are cooked.
5. Add the broccoli, spring greens, petit pois, and spring onions. Stir well and allow to boil again.
6. Cover, then cook for 5 minutes more. Stir in the pesto and heat through.

3. One-pot spicy rice

For people who cannot live without rice, this spicy rice dish is filled with raisins and cashews, plus a healthy yogurt drizzle is an answered prayer.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp sunflower oil or any healthy cooking oil
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tbsp medium curry paste (Tandoori masala and Madras curry powder are good to use)
• 250g basmati rice, rinsed
• 450ml vegetable stock
• 400g can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• A handful of raisins (or dried apricots)
• 175g spinach leaf
• A handful of cashew nuts
• Natural yogurt (optional)
• Lemon (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a pot. Fry the garlic and curry paste over medium heat for 1 minute.
2. Add the rice into the pot with the stock, chickpeas, and raisins and stir with a fork to allow the rice to cook evenly—season with salt and pepper.
3. Cover and let it boil. Adjust to medium heat. Cook for 12-15 minutes more.
4. Drain the excess water from the spinach. Put it into the pot, add 2 tbsp of hot water.
5. Fluff the rice with a fork, then mix the spinach with the rice.
6. Add the cashews.
7. Drizzle with natural yogurt and squeeze a bit of lemon for zest or add a chunk of mango chutney to the ingredients.

4. Fish and prawn one-pot

This healthy one-pot is loaded with vegetables, white fish fillets, prawns, and creamy tomato sauce to satisfy your hunger.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 2 diced carrots
• 2 diced celery sticks, diced
• 2 finely chopped garlic cloves
• 2 thinly sliced leeks
• 400g can chopped tomatoes
• 500ml hot fish stock
• 2 skinless pollock fillets (about 200g), thawed and cut into chunks
• 85g raw shelled king prawns

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the fennel seeds, carrots, celery, and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes.
2. Add the stock, tomatoes, and leeks. Simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Allow the vegetables to cook and the sauce to thicken.
3. Add the fish, top the prawns, and cook for 2 minutes more until lightly cooked. Serve with rustic bread on the side.

Quick and healthy meals

One-pot courses allow you to enjoy a hearty family meal without having to spend too much time in the kitchen. Whether you’re craving veggies, a delicious chicken or seafood dish, or a bowl of filling rice mix for dinner, there is a one-pot meal recipe to guide you.

All you need to do is put all your ingredients in a trusty Uno Casa pot, lay back, and wait while the magic unfolds.