The smell of apple cider, the taste of pumpkin spice, and the sights of trees changing color are a few of the joys that fall provides. In addition, the season of fall has to be top when it comes to delicious meals! Not sure what to make this season? Check out these 5 mouth-watering healthy fall recipes to help you embrace the season! 

Slow-Cooker Overnight Fall Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal 

Make your morning easier by preparing this seasonal apple cinnamon oatmeal the night before! Waking up to the warmth of this dish on a crisp autumn morning could be one of the best ways to start your day!

2 large organic apples, diced (any kind)

1 1/2 cups steel cut oats

4 1/2 cups whole milk

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

2 tbsp unsalted butter

3 tbsp pure maple syrup

pinch of salt

• Firstly, Rub butter on the inside of your slow cooker. Secondly, combine all of the ingredients into the slow cooker and give it a stir, ensuring the oats and apple pieces are covered by the milk. Finally, turn the crockpot to LOW and cook for 7-8 hours (overnight).

• Before serving, give the mixture a stir. Dish into bowls and top with additional cinnamon, maple syrup, or apple pieces. Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Soup

Fall season is squash season! And there’s nothing like curling up to eat a hot bowl of soup on a gloomy afternoon in October. Not only will this dish warm you up, but it also may be beneficial for your gut health. Butternut squash is loaded with prebiotic fibers that support the healthy bacteria in your gut.

1 medium butternut squash 3 ½ lbs (1.5 kg)

2 tablespoons ghee

1 medium/large onion

3 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon of ginger

1 can coconut milk, full-fat

3 cups vegetable broth

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons maple syrup

4 teaspoons lime juice

salt and pepper to taste

• Cut butternut squash in half lengthwise and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast it for about 1 hour at 400°F or until fork-tender. While the squash is baking, dice your onion and chop the garlic.

• Heat the ghee in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes or until soft and translucent. Add the garlic, cook for 30 seconds, stirring from time to time. Take the pot off the heat.

• When the butternut squash is done, scoop out the seeds using a spoon and discard them. 

• Scoop out the flesh and add it to the pot. You can discard the skin.

• Add the coconut milk, broth, cinnamon, ginger and cayenne. Bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes.

• Puree the soup in a blender until smooth (you can use a stand blender or a hand/immersion blender).

• Season the soup with salt, pepper, maple syrup, and lime juice.

• Enjoy this gut friendly healthy fall recipe!

Bone Broth

Chicken soup is known as Jewish penicillin and one of the many reasons for that is because of the nutrient-rich bone broth it contains! Bone broth is chock full of minerals in a form the body can absorb easily. Making bone broth is fairly simple and a perfect way to warm up on a crisp autumn day or evening. If you want to add some pizzazz to your sipping broth, be sure to add some butter, vegetables, herbs, spices or garlic to enhance the flavor.

Bones from a pasture-raised chicken carcass

Filtered water

Coarsely chopped vegetables (onion, celery, carrots)

Sea Salt (to taste)

1 tsp pepper

Splash of apple cider vinegar

Handful of fresh parsley

• Place bones in a large stock pot with filtered water.  

• Add vegetables, salt, pepper and apple cider vinegar.

• Bring broth to a boil then immediately reduce to a low simmer. 

• Let simmer anywhere from 8-24 hours. During the last 10 minutes add the handful of fresh parsley. 

• Strain broth and store in glass jars in the refrigerator or use immediately for drinking or meals. 

Pumpkin Hummus

Pumpkin is a staple during the fall season, so why not use it to make a popular Mediterranean appetizer? Amazingly, pumpkin is mineral rich (calcium, potassium, and magnesium) which can help support your hydration and electrolyte levels which in turn, support cardiovascular health and blood pressure.

15 oz chickpeas, 1 can, drained and 

1 cup pumpkin puree

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 clove of garlic, minced

salt, to taste

1 teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon fresh rosemary

¼ cup lemon juice

• Combine chickpeas, pumpkin, olive oil, garlic, salt, paprika, rosemary and lemon juice in a food processor or blender, and blend until smooth. 

• After that, add more olive oil or water as necessary to reach desired consistency.

• Enjoy this healthy pumpkin flavored fall recipe!

Turkey Chili

Turkey chili is a simple autumn inspired dinner dish! Ground turkey is an easy way to sneak in lots of protein and B vitamins! For this recipe, instead of using a processed brown sugar to sweeten it, a better alternative (that I have included in this recipe) is using a real organic maple syrup. This will sweeten the chili and add more nutrients to your dish compared to just plain sugar. 

1 pound ground turkey

1 small onion finely chopped

3 cloves garlic minced

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons paprika

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (to taste)

1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes or diced tomatoes

2 cups chicken bone broth

2 cans (15 ounces) dark red kidney beans rinsed and drained

1 tablespoon real maple syrup

salt and pepper to taste

• Brown the ground turkey in a stock pot over medium heat. When the ground turkey is about halfway browned add the onion and garlic. Continue cooking until soft; about 4-5 minutes.

• Then reduce the heat to medium low. Add the chili powder, cumin, oregano, paprika, onion powder, black pepper, and cayenne pepper; cook for 1 minute stirring constantly.

• Stir in the tomatoes, chicken broth, kidney beans and maple syrup.  
• Simmer for 35-45 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

• Add avocado, sour cream and/or tortilla chips for a topping!

Looking For More?

If you still find yourself looking for more healthy fall recipes, you can reach out to Vessel's nutritionists on live chat via the app to get real time recipe ideas! On top of that, you can even try out a wellness card to test your metrics like magnesium, sodium & more!