In the depths of winter, we crave rich, warm soups and hearty stews. And perhaps we’d like to spend our time curled up with an enjoyable book or out on a walk in the snow. But we still need fuel, and one-pot meals are the answer.
One-pot meals are really one-pot wonders. They often take simple, even mundane, ingredients and transform them into something sublime. Some come together quickly. Others can simmer away on the stove while we turn our attention to other pursuits. They all satisfy us when we come in from the cold. There’s a ton of reasons why one-pot meals are so great.
Think of your favourite stew. Using one pot to sauté onions or other aromatics and then to sear meat builds up a rich flavour base that is released and incorporated into the dish by adding tomatoes or liquids, like wine, stock, or coconut milk. Gentle simmering allows the flavours to meld into something truly special.
And most of the time, the stove is doing the work. That stove is working less hard than it would be with four burners and the oven going with five separate dishes. So, you’re saving on energy costs as well.
From a nutritional standpoint, one-pot meals provide an excellent opportunity to increase the nutritional content of what you eat, especially by adding vegetables. It’s easy to rev up a soup with a handful of grains, some veg from the fridge, or beans from the cupboard.
One-pot meals are delicious and—bonus!—they lend themselves to batch cooking. What a fantastic way to make dinner for now and next week. Typically, meals like this freeze well or are easily reheated the next day. In fact, sometimes, they are even better the next day.
These dishes also offer you the flexibility to organize your time as you wish. If it suits you to cook dinner on Saturday morning and have a free run at the day―one-pot meals are your best friend.
Read on to explore these six one-pot wonders that have what it takes to nourish you on chilly winter days and nights. They’re quick and easy, and they bring together simple ingredients, magnifying their flavours, all while keeping the dishwashing to a minimum.
With a couple of Italian sausages, a little onion, a few mushrooms, and a head of broccoli, you’re well on your way to a nourishing soup. This hearty combination of simple ingredients is the perfect thing to warm up a winter’s afternoon or evening. Select an Italian sausage with plenty of fennel to flavour this soup.
This spicy curry soup is packed with aromatics like onion, garlic, and ginger and scented with makrut lime leaves. Thinner than a standard curry that you’d serve with rice, this soup is chock full of protein with hearty rockfish and mussels as well as vegetables, like sweet potato and spinach. Lime juice provides a dash of acid to balance the rich flavour of coconut milk. Serve with lots of cut limes to squeeze over soup bowl before eating.
These “fancy” beans on toast provide a quick and easy dinner that comes together in minutes, all in one pan. Toast your favourite crusty loaf, pile it high with this moreish mixture, and you’re all set with a nourishing and tasty dinner or lunch. A base of leeks, shallot, and garlic is heightened with the zingy flavour of miso and mustard before adding beans and kale and a bit of vegetable stock.
A classic winter soup, this version has deep flavour and layers of spice that proffer subtle heat. A few spoonfuls of store-bought harissa are the secret to subtle warmth tempered by warm cinnamon and cumin. A finishing touch of lime yogurt gives a fresh and zingy flavour that will have you coming back for more.
This soup is inspired by Spain’s spinach and garbanzos, a thick stew of chickpeas and spinach. In this version, we’ve used healthful collard greens in lieu of spinach. Spanish smoked paprika is the key to the rich, smoky tomato broth that brings a ton of flavour to a set of simple ingredients. The layers of flavour develop with each addition of ingredients, and the result is a robust soup that’s sure to warm up any frosty winter day.
Meet one of paella’s lesser-known cousins: delicious rice, studded with clams and green peas in a rich broth of tomato, smoked paprika, and saffron. Cooked in a similar fashion to a risotto, but with a soupier result, this dish makes a wonderful evening meal that feels both simple and sophisticated. Have it at home with the family or make it the star of a dinner party. Serve with crusty bread.
