24 Anti-Inflammatory Dinners You'll Want to Make This Fall

butternut squash soup with apple grilled cheese sandwiches

Eating anti-inflammatory foods can give you a healthy boost when it comes to getting a good night's sleep, controlling your blood pressure and more. These dinners combine some of the best anti-inflammatory foods, like salmon, dark leafy greens, ginger and spices, with fall flavors and produce. Recipes like our Sheet-Pan Maple-Mustard Pork Chops & Carrots and Butternut Squash Soup with Apple Grilled Cheese Sandwiches are tasty dinners you'll want to make again and again.

01 of 24

Sweet Potato & Cauliflower Rice Bowl

How to Make Cuban Cauliflower

In this riff on a healthy grain bowl recipe, we use cauliflower rice instead of another whole grain like brown rice to cut back on carbs and load up on veggie servings. A simple citrusy drizzle, inspired by Cuban mojo sauce, finishes these vegan rice bowls, perfect for lunch or dinner.

02 of 24

Butternut Squash Soup with Apple Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

butternut squash soup with apple grilled cheese sandwiches

Layering apple slices into grilled cheese sandwiches adds a little crunch to a favorite soup dipper. And creamy butternut squash soup with ginger, cumin and turmeric is a nice change of pace from grilled cheese's usual tomato soup partner. Serve the duo for a comforting and easy weeknight dinner for the family. The soup keeps well in the fridge, so save leftovers for lunch or dinner later in the week.

03 of 24

Honey-Mustard Pork with Spinach & Smashed White Beans

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Drizzle the quick honey-mustard pan sauce over the pork and beans in this 30-minute dinner for a comforting, healthy weeknight meal.

04 of 24

Scallion-Ginger Beef & Broccoli

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Whip up a chef-quality stir-fry recipe at home. This beef and broccoli stir-fry packs in more vegetables and nearly halves the calories of what you would find in a restaurant. And this healthy dinner takes just 30 minutes to prep, so it's about as quick as takeout too. Ginger, which adds a lively kick to this stir-fry, has long been touted for its power to settle stomachs. But that's not its only superpower: preliminary research suggests it may improve blood sugar and inflammation too.

05 of 24

Sheet-Pan Maple-Mustard Pork Chops & Carrots

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You need just one pan for this satisfying weeknight dinner. A sweet and savory maple-mustard glaze livens up baked pork chops, while the carrots are jazzed up with flavor-boosting and anti-inflammatory garlic, ginger and turmeric. Rainbow carrots add colorful pizazz, but regular orange carrots are a just-as-tasty substitute. Pork dries out easily--using an instant-read thermometer ensures meat is cooked safely, but still moist.

06 of 24

Golden Vegetable Soup

Golden Vegetable Soup
Greg DuPree

In this vegan golden vegetable soup, butternut squash adds color, while ginger, serrano pepper and spices add depth and earthy flavors.

07 of 24

Ginger-Tahini Oven-Baked Salmon & Vegetables

sheet pan of salmon and vegetables on blue background

The tahini sauce does double duty in this healthy salmon recipe, serving as a glaze for the fish and also as a drizzle for the entire dish at the end of cooking. The green beans are cooked just slightly in this recipe, to still be crisp. If you like your green beans tenderer, look for thinner beans or haricot verts in the grocery store; they'll cook more quickly. This sheet-pan dinner recipe is not only delicious--it also comes together with just 25 minutes of active prep time, and there's only one pan to clean up afterwards!

08 of 24

Apple-Cranberry Spinach Salad with Goat Cheese

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The tangy-sweet dressing in this spinach salad beautifully amplifies the apples and cranberries--and the creamy goat cheese transforms it into the perfect salad. Tasters raved about this easy fall salad. If you can't find Pink Lady apples, any sweet, crisp apple is a worthy substitute. Want to make this salad a main meal? Top with some rotisserie chicken, chickpeas or tofu.

09 of 24

Vegan Pumpkin Soup

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This vegan pumpkin soup, filled with spices and creamy cashews, can make an easy weeknight dinner or be elevated to a vegan main dish worthy of a holiday dinner by serving it in a hollowed-out freshly roasted pumpkin.

10 of 24

Delicata Squash & Tofu Curry

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This easy tofu curry, made with pretty delicata squash and hearty greens, cooks up in one skillet. To speed up the prep, use bagged chopped kale. Delicata squash's thin skin is tender when it's cooked, so there's no need to peel--another time saver. Serve with quinoa or brown rice.

11 of 24

Ginger Beef Stir-Fry with Peppers

Ginger Beef Stir-Fry with Peppers
Jacob Fox

This vibrant, colorful dish is great for those who love a little heat. Adjust the amount of chile-garlic sauce according to your preferred heat level. To smash ginger, use the side of a chef's knife or the flat bottom of a sturdy mug. Serve with rice, if desired.

12 of 24

Tinola (Filipino Ginger-Garlic Chicken Soup)

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Lisa Cassell-Arms

Tinola, a comforting chicken soup seasoned with plenty of ginger and garlic, has countless variations throughout the Philippines. The soup calls for malunggay leaves (aka moringa), which can be found fresh or frozen at Asian markets. Bok choy is a good substitute. Feel free to increase the amounts of garlic and fish sauce for an even more flavorful soup. Serve this easy and healthy chicken soup on its own or with jasmine rice, quinoa or wild rice.

13 of 24

Mixed Greens with Lentils & Sliced Apple

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This salad with lentils, feta and apple is a satisfying vegetarian entree to whip together for lunch. To save time, swap in drained canned lentils--just make sure to look for low-sodium and give them a rinse before adding them to the salad.

14 of 24

Lamb & Beef Balti

lamb and beef balti

Balti, a stew created by Pakistani chefs in Birmingham, England, is named after the metal pot it's cooked in. We found a large skillet works too. Topping with a dollop of yogurt adds a hint of creaminess. Serve with a side of sautéed spinach for a satisfying dinner.

15 of 24

Curried Parsnip & Apple Soup

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This creamy parsnip and apple soup recipe has amazing flavor from the combination of curry powder, coriander, cumin and ginger. Be sure to use fresh curry powder when making this soup. Not sure if yours is fresh? Open the jar: the aroma should meet your nose immediately. Serve with flatbread or whole-wheat rolls.

16 of 24

Loaded Mediterranean Chicken-Quinoa Salad

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Turn simple precooked ingredients into a delicious one-dish meal, high in fiber and with plenty of protein to keep you feeling satisfied.

17 of 24

Roasted Carrot Soup

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This satisfying and healthy roasted carrot soup gets a flavor boost from roasted vegetables, including the carrots, as well as garlic, onions and ginger.

18 of 24

Chinese Ginger Beef Stir-Fry with Baby Bok Choy

Chinese Ginger Beef Stir-Fry with Baby Bok Choy

All of the ingredients for this easy beef stir-fry recipe are cooked in one wok (or skillet), so not only is the meal-prep fast for this healthy dinner, cleanup is quick too. Look for Lee Kum Kee Premium oyster-flavored sauce in the Asian-foods aisle of your grocery store. It has the most concentrated oyster flavor.

19 of 24

Arugula Salad with Roasted Pork Tenderloin, Pears & Blue Cheese

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Toasted walnuts and roasted pork tenderloin make this elegant salad worthy of company, yet it's easy enough to prepare on a weeknight!

20 of 24

Ginger Roasted Salmon & Broccoli

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This quick Asian salmon recipe uses the sauce for both glazing the salmon and tossing with the broccoli. Serve over rice noodles or brown rice tossed with sesame oil and scallions.

21 of 24

Vegan Carrot-Ginger Soup

Vegan Carrot-Ginger Soup
Caitlin Bensel

In this vegan carrot soup, harissa adds a hint of heat, which is beautifully balanced by the sweetness of the carrots and the floral notes from the lime. Chopped almonds and cilantro top the soup, adding a nutty finish.

22 of 24

Sheet-Pan Sesame Chicken & Broccoli with Scallion-Ginger Sauce

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In this healthy sheet-pan chicken recipe, meaty bone-in chicken thighs and broccoli florets are tossed with sesame oil and roasted on the same pan for a delicious and easy dinner with minimal cleanup. While the chicken and broccoli cook, whip together the simple scallion-ginger sauce. The sauce would also be wonderful spooned over salmon, tofu or grain bowls; it is easily doubled or tripled!

23 of 24

Pumpkin Curry Soup

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This easy soup recipe mixes in allspice, curry powder, spicy chiles and ginger to give this pumpkin curry soup a Jamaican feel. While habanero is traditional, jalapeños provide a mellower kick.

24 of 24

Cauliflower & Kale Frittata

Cauliflower & Kale Frittata

Inspired by traditional Spanish tortillas made with potatoes, this healthy frittata recipe swaps potatoes for low-carb cauliflower. Serve it along with kale (or your favorite greens) for brunch or an easy breakfast-for-dinner.

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