Looking for some easy fall bowl recipes to delight your family’s taste buds? Find seasonal inspiration for rice bowls, soups, and salads to eat this autumn.
As we head into fall and the weather turns crisp, what better way to warm your family’s hearts and bellies than with some hearty and delicious harvest bowl recipes? These one-dish meals combine the freshness of the fall harvest with the warmth and depth of flavor many people crave during cooler weather. Take a look at these bowl recipes for delicious meals all autumn long!
Rice bowl recipes may be the first thing you think of when considering food in a bowl, and for good reason. Rice bowls are among the most versatile one-dish meals of all, and depending on which ingredients you choose, rice can serve as the basis for many different healthy bowl recipes. To create a fall rice bowl, all you need is some rice, protein, vegetables, seasoning, and sauce. Many people already have all the needed ingredients at home. But there’s an art to building a well-composed rice bowl, regardless of which specific items you use.
No matter what else you add, the main ingredient in a rice bowl is, well, rice…of any type your family likes. Plan for about a cup and half of well-cooked rice per serving. Only use about half of the average serving of any toppings you add.
Remember, rice doesn't have a very strong natural flavor. You’ll need to up your seasoning game on every single topping. Choose warm fall flavors such as nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves, or point the dish in a specific culinary direction. For example, you could choose garlic and basil for an Italian bowl or turmeric and saffron for an Indian flair.
When choosing your toppings, remember to mix things up. Different ingredients add heat, freshness, acidity, or other components to the dish. Ultimately, you want to vary both the textures and the flavors to keep things exciting to the very last bite.
A well-crafted sauce will bring the entire rice bowl together. From tomato sauce to yogurt sauce, you’re limited only by your imagination. Focus on enhancing the flavors you already have. Whatever sauce you choose, be sure to add a thickener. Nobody wants a bowl of soggy rice!
Hearty dinner salads are another option for healthy bowl recipes. A good dinner salad requires just three ingredients (not including the dressing): greens, protein, and cheese. But to take it to the next level, consider adding various fruits and vegetables, and perhaps some type of nuts or other crunchy ingredients.
For the fall, you’ll want to choose seasonal ingredients. Veggie options include squash or pumpkin, along with dark leafy greens such as kale. Throw in your favorite protein, such as Buffalo chicken, hearty steak, or even seafood. Add some shredded or cubed cheese with a lot of natural flavor, from feta to cheddar. Toss in a handful of nuts or croutons. Then dress with a simple balsamic vinaigrette or even a warm bacon dressing.
As with rice bowls, balance is the key to a great dinner salad. Chop everything evenly into bite-sized pieces. Let the greens be the star, taking care not to overwhelm them. Use the dressing as a flavor enhancer rather than drowning the salad. And be sure to toss thoroughly until all the ingredients are evenly mixed.
After a long day out in the crisp fall air, is anything more satisfying than a hearty bowl of soup? Many people are nervous about making their own soup, but the truth is, it’s a simple way to use up whatever ingredients you already have on hand. All you need is a healthy fat, a liquid base, some kind of protein, a few veggies, and a bit of seasoning.
Aromatics are vegetables that give off delicious “cooking smells” and add flavor to the soup, such as garlic and onions. Sauté those at the bottom of your soup pot in a healthy fat, such as olive oil, along with any root vegetables you’re using, such as carrots or sweet potatoes.
Soup is a great way to use up leftover cooked meat. But if you’re starting with raw meat such as stew beef or hamburger, go ahead and cook it up in the soup pot.
Next, add your soup base to the pot (unless it’s a dairy base such as cream or milk). You can use any kind of stock, such as vegetable, beef, chicken, or fish (for best results, match it to your meat). Or you can select a tomato puree, or even combine two types of soup base together. Throw in any remaining ingredients, like previously cooked meat, beans, or even corn. Make sure everything is chopped into bite-sized pieces. Add seasoning to taste, keeping in mind the flavor profile you’re trying to build. Feel free to adjust as needed.
Bring the soup to a boil, stir, and then turn it down to simmer and leave it alone for one to two hours. Taste it and make any adjustments you feel it needs.
You can choose dairy as your soup base, or simply add a splash of cream to a finished soup to create a richer flavor. Either way, you’ll want to add it just before serving, and then heat the soup just until it’s hot through.
Fall bowl recipes don’t have to be overly complicated, and you don’t need to buy a long list of ingredients. Instead, just build your own bowl out of the things you have on hand, and don’t be afraid to experiment!
