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Healthy Vegetable Dip (High Protein)

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This Healthy Vegetable Dip is gluten-free, easy to make and delicious! And thanks to the two main ingredients of cottage cheese and Greek yogurt, this yogurt dip is also high in protein. It's a perfect healthy dip for veggies!

a small white bowl filled with white dip

Healthy yogurt dip is in the house!

And it's here for all your delicious dipping needs😉

If you're looking to get more veggies into your life and eat healthier overall, a healthy dip can be super helpful.

The problem with some dips is that they're so packed with calories and / or fat, they're not really doing you any favours.

That's where this Healthy Vegetable Dip recipe comes in super handy: it's high in protein, a source of calcium, gluten-free and tastes delicious😋

If you're trying to get more vegetables into your life, this dip can help you do just that.

Let's make it!

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📝Ingredients for healthy dip for veggies recipe

  • 1 cup 1% cottage cheese
  • ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 green onion, chopped
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • Fresh ground black pepper and Kosher salt to taste
a small white bowl filled with white dip
A high-protein veggie dip is a perfect afternoon snack😋

🥣Instructions

It's pretty easy to make this yogurt dip - just a few simple ingredients and you're off to the races.

Here's the high level steps:

Dip ingredients in the blender.
Put all of the ingredients except the green onions in the blender.
Dip setting on blender.
Blend on "dip" setting (or pulse for 20 seconds till smooth.)
Finished high protein veggie dip in a blender.
Remove with a spatula from the blender.
Finished veggie dip in a bowl ready for the fridge.
Put in fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving. Top with green onions.
  • In a food processor, blend the cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, onion powder and lemon juice until smooth or about 45 seconds on low speed
  • Place dip in a bowl in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (or up to 8 hours) before serving
  • Right before serving, remove from fridge and stir in chopped green onions and top with fresh black pepper
a small white bowl filled with white dip
Naturally gluten free, this veggie dip is super simple to make and tastes amazing.

🥡Storage and Leftovers

This healthy dip will be good in the fridge for about 3 days. Although the main ingredients would be good for much longer on their own (until their expiry date), the lemon juice can cause some spoilage faster. So if you do have leftover dip, keep it in an air-tight container in the fridge.

🏅Top Tip

For the best results with this healthy dip, go for plain Greek yogurt. Make sure when you pick it up from the store, it's not vanilla or some other flavour. If you wanted to plan around and make this dip sweet instead of more savoury, you could totally do that! I'd skip the garlic and onion powder and then use the flavoured yogurt and maybe blend in some fruit too.

✅What is the healthiest thing to dip veggies in?

The healthiest dip in my books is one that gives you something, like some nutrition! Whether it's protein, calcium, vitamins or minerals or even fibre, etc. The healthiest thing to dip veggies in are dips made with Greek yogurt or chickpeas and beans or avocado. If you're doing for healthiest options out there, avoid mayo-heavy dips or ones packed with fat and salt.

Here are some of my favourite, healthy dips:

And of course, it's gotta be delicious too😄

🥕What is healthy to dip carrots in?

The best dips to dip carrots in are:

  • Hummus - because it gives you some protein. and fibre
  • Tzatziki - because it's lower in calories than a lot of high-fat dips out there
  • A high-fibre bean dip - this recipe for healthy bean dip is easy to make and delicious
  • This recipe for high-protein vegetable dip! Because it's made with Greek yogurt, high in protein, delicious, and a very healthy dip for veggies
Healthy Vegetable Dip {High Protein} easy recipe

🥣What can I use instead of chips for dip?

When you're looking for something instead of chips to dip, there's so many healthier options out there. Here are some to check out:

  • Veggies are always a good idea: Cut broccolini, sliced cucumber, cherry tomatoes
  • Chips but elevated! Like Beanitos - a hit of protein and fibre but with a filling and mouthfeel worthy of a chip-like crowning
  • Gluten-free crackers like these Good Thins - yum!
  • Gluten-free pretzels like these ones from Synder's of Hanover
  • Sliced and baked sweet potatoes - so filling and delicious. Here's how you made them: thinly slice sweet potatoes and toss them in some olive oil and kosher salt. Bake at 425 degrees F for 20 minutes, flipping halfway😋
a small white bowl filled with white dip
This fresh, cooling veggie dip is a great snack to serve when you're trying to get more veggies in!

🏅What is the lowest calorie dip?

The lowest calorie dip are dips made with low fat or non-fat Greek yogurt and / or fat free sour cream. As a base for dips, non-fat Greek yogurt is hard to beat because it's lower in calories than say, mayonnaise or full-fat sour cream. Once you have the non-fat Greek yogurt as a base, adding veggies and spices or herbs will boost the flavour without increasing the calories. If you're shopping around, compare calories per serving for dips between brands and go for the lowest calorie option. Don't forget to check portion size!

❓Is dip good for weight loss?

Yes, dip is good for weight loss. Especially if you're using a lower calorie dip to get your veggies in. Dips can be a great way to keep you satisfied without loading you up on calories and fat. Which is pretty important when you're trying to lose weight! Don't forget: it matters what you dip into AND what you're dipping! So go for fresh cut veggies, gluten-free and high fibre crackers or even dried veggies like these baked green pea snacks from Harvest Snaps.

Hope you love this healthy dip for veggies recipe!

~April

Check out these other gluten-free and healthy recipes:

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📖 Recipe

a small white bowl filled with white dip

Healthy Vegetable Dip (High Protein)

This Healthy Vegetable Dip is simple to make, delicious, gluten free and high in protein thanks to the 2 main ingredients: cottage cheese and Greek yogurt. A perfect healthy dip for veggies!
4.10 from 11 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: dip, vegetable dip
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Author: April

Ingredients

  • 1 cup 1% cottage cheese
  • ½ cup Greek yogurt
  • ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • Fresh ground black pepper
  • 1 green onion chopped

Instructions

  • In a food processor, blend the cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, onion powder and lemon juice until smooth or about 45 seconds on low speed
  • Place dip in a bowl in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (or up to 8 hours) before serving.
  • Right before serving, remove from fridge and stir in chopped green onions and top with fresh ground pepper. Serve with veggies, bean chips or gluten-free crackers.

Notes

This recipe makes about 2 cups of dip.
The dip will be good in the fridge for about 3 days in an air-tight container.

Southwest Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe

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This homemade chicken and rice soup recipe is a gluten-free and delicious soup you'll make again and again. It's a set-it-and-forget-it healthy soup recipe! Made in the slow cooker with simple ingredients like boneless skinless chicken breasts, canned tomatoes, sweet corn, and brown rice, the whole family will love this warming and healthy soup.

Chicken and rice soup in a white bowl.

Chicken soup is in the house!

Chicken and rice soup that is.

There's something about rice in soup that is just so right. Don't you think??

If you love chicken and rice soup as much as as I do, then I think you'll love this recipe for Southwest Chicken and Rice Soup!

This is one of those "set-it-and-forget-it" recipes.

It's super easy to make.

You'll get a sear on your chicken breasts and then get them and all the other ingredients into the slow cooker and 4 hours later, you have a delicious soup.

Looking for more soup recipes?

Check out these easy chicken soup recipes that are also naturally gluten-free (and one with turkey🦃):

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Chicken and rice soup in a white bowl.
Top this chicken rice soup with shredded cheese, crushed chips or avocado chunks.

📝Ingredients for chicken and rice soup

Here's what you'll need to make this easy slow cooker chicken and soup recipe:

  • Olive oil
  • Boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
  • Salt and fresh ground black pepper
  • Onion
  • Green pepper
  • 1 jalapeno pepper
  • Minced garlic
  • Chili powder
  • Ground cumin
  • Low sodium chicken broth
  • Canned diced tomatoes
  • Frozen corn
  • Brown rice (uncooked)
  • Lime juice
  • Avocado, cilantro, sour cream, or tortilla chips for serving

See recipe card for quantities.

🔪Instructions

Here's the high level steps for this recipe:

Browning chicken in a skillet.

In a skillet, heat olive oil to medium-high heat and the brown chicken breast. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the garlic, onion and spices.

Add chicken, onion, green pepper, jalapeno, garlic, chili powder and cumin to the crock pot.

Add the rice, corn and tomatoes.

Then add canned diced tomatoes, corn, rice, and lime juice into the slow cooker.

Add broth, lime juice and stir.

Add broth and stir. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours. Spoon into bowls and garnish with avocado, cilantro, sour cream, or tortilla chips.

Hint: Searing the chicken helps to lock in moisture and flavour. It's a step worth keeping!

🔄Substitutions

  • This chicken and rice soup is naturally gluten-free and dairy-free.
  • You can sub-in cubed beef instead of chicken if you have it.
  • Leftover rotisserie chicken to use up? Instead of chicken breasts, add in shredded rotisserie chicken in the final 30 minutes of cooking.
  • To go totally vegetarian, skip the meat all together and use chickpeas or very firm cubes of tofu.
  • If you have leftover cooked rice, feel free to use that instead of the brown rice. Cooked wild rice works too. If using leftover cooked rice, add in the last 30 minutes of cooking.
Chicken and rice soup in a white bowl.
This healthy chicken rice soup has everything you need: protein, carbs and some veggies too!

💃What to serve with chicken and rice soup

This soup recipe is a meal all-in-one but if you're looking for something else to serve with it, here's a few ideas:

🔪Equipment

The main equipment you'll use for this chicken rice soup recipe is your slow cooker or crock pot. You can also use the slow cooker setting on an Instant Pot too.

And if you use your Instant Pot, you can sear the chicken breasts using the saute function on the Instant Pot and then just get everything in the pot. A pan saved from cleaning😄

🥡Storage and Freezing

Leftovers of this soup are good in the fridge for about 3 days.

Here's an important thing to know about rice in soup in general: the longer the rice stays in the broth, the more moisture (chicken broth) it soaks up.

So you'll notice, if you don't finish the soup the first night you make it, as it sits in the fridge, the rice will continue to swell up a bit.

So to use leftovers of this soup, simply re-heat with some extra chicken broth (or water.)

If I'm re-heating this soup portion by portion, I'll warm myself a bowl of it up with just about ¼ of water or so. Just enough to get the consistency I like.

You can freeze leftovers in an air-tight container for up to 3 months.

Chicken and rice soup in a white bowl.
Ready in 4 hours, this slow cooker soup is a healthy, weeknight winner of a meal.

🏅Top tips

Don't skip the step of searing the cubes of chicken! You'll seal in juices from the chicken and develop some delicious flavour.

And note that the brown rice is NOT cooked before it goes into the soup. ie, it goes raw (uncooked). It cooks perfectly in the 4 hours.

❓Should you cook rice before adding to soup?

You don't have to cook rice before adding it to soup. The rice will cook with the soup while everything cooks together. There's an exception though: if you have a quick cooking soup and the rice won't have time to be completely cooked. In that case, you can cook the rice separately, then add it to the soup as a last step.

🙋‍♀️What happens if you put rice in soup?

Rice absorbs water (or broth) as it cooks so if you put raw or uncooked rice in your soup, it'll take up some of the broth as it cooks. That's what makes the rice nice and soft😄

If you don't account for this absorption of moisture / broth / water by the rice, you'll end up getting something that more resembles a chili in terms of consistency, or like a very thick soup.

Whether you're following a recipe or improvising, keep in mind that raw (uncooked) rice will cause your soup to be LESS "soupy". You can account for this by adding more water, broth or even ingredients that bring a lot of moisture with them like canned diced tomatoes for example.

Chicken and rice soup in a white bowl.
This soup uses brown rice for some extra vitamins and minerals and a great texture from the rice.

👌What rice is best for soup?

The best types of rice for soups are short grain like basmati and jasmine rice. Brown rice is also a really nice rice to add into soup because it holds it's texture in soup. Wild rice can also be really tasty in soup, it just takes a little longer to be fully cooked.

😋What can I add to my chicken soup to give it flavour?

In a word: salt! Making sure you have enough (but not too much) salt in your chicken soup will help to make sure you get that delicious flavour. Be mindful if you use sodium-free versions of the chicken broth, canned tomatoes and other ingredients that you may have to add more salt than usual during the cooking process.

If you're using chicken broth, canned tomatoes and other ingredients that already contain sodium, you will likely need to add less salt in the cooking process. Taste as you're cooking so you don't go overboard. A little salt can do a great job but too much can be unpleasant.

Other salt-free ways to give chicken soup flavour is by developing flavour with other ingredients, like onions or shallots; dried herbs like oregano and basil with fresh ground pepper; and using chicken broth with a little sodium (salt) in it (see above point re: salt in general.)

Hope you love this Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe like we do❣️

If you try it, please consider leaving a star review and a helpful comment for others making this soup😄

~April

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📖 Recipe

Chicken and rice soup in a white bowl.

Southwest Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe

This homemade chicken and rice soup recipe is a gluten-free and delicious soup you'll make again and again. It's a set-it-and-forget-it healthy soup recipe! Made in the slow cooker with simple ingredients like boneless skinless chicken, tomatoes, corn and brown rice, the whole family will love this warming and healthy soup.
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chicken rice soup, healthy chicken soup
Prep Time: 12 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 4 hours 12 minutes
Servings: 6 adults
Author: April

Equipment

  • Slow cooker or crock pot

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast cubed, 2 medium chicken breasts
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • 1 shallot or small onion, diced
  • 1 green pepper, diced
  • 1 jalapeno seeded and diced
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 1 can diced tomatoes, 3.5 cups or 796ml (large can)
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • ¾ cup brown rice (uncooked)
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • Avocado chunks, cilantro, sour cream, or tortilla chips for serving

Instructions

  • In a skillet, heat olive oil to medium-high heat and brown chicken breast. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes or until browned on all sides.
  • Add chicken, onion, green pepper, jalapeno, garlic, chili powder, cumin, chicken broth, tomatoes, corn, rice, and lime juice into a 6qt slow cooker.
  • Cover and cook on high for 4 hours. Stir a couple times while cooking.
  • Spoon into bowls and garnish with avocado, cilantro, sour cream, or tortilla chips.

Notes

Makes about 8 cups of soup.
Appliances vary in power so use the 4 hours as a guide - cook a little longer if the rice isn't cooked to your liking.
Add extra chicken broth (or water) when re-heating leftovers if needed.
 

Slow Cooker Chicken and Potatoes with Green Beans

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This Slow Cooker Chicken and Potatoes recipe is a healthy and gluten-free one pot meal you'll come back to again and again. It's super easy to make with wholesome ingredients like chicken breasts, mini potatoes and green beans slow cooked in a delicious and herb-forward sauce. Getting a healthy and balanced meal on the table has never been so easy!

Chicken recipes popular in your house? Crock pot chicken recipes are SO frequent around my place, that just yesterday, the 10 year old exclaimed:

"Chicken, AGAIN?! We always have chicken!"

Very dramatic, this one.

Slow cooked chicken on a white plate with potatoes and green beans.
Seared chicken breasts stay juicy in the slow cooker with the potatoes!

Ok, I admit, recipes with boneless skinless chicken are my go-to recipes these days.

And slow cooker chicken recipes?? Hello! What a dream.

Plus, what's not to like to about chicken breasts!?

They're naturally gluten-free, healthy and can be made into so many delicious recipes.

Here are some other fantastic chicken breast recipes on my site:

Definitely check them out and bookmark them for later.

In the meantime, this slow cooker chicken and potatoes recipes is one you'll want to make again and again.

Slow cooked chicken on a white plate with potatoes and green beans.
Slow cooker potatoes go perfectly with the chicken and green beans. Use diced Yukon gold potatoes instead of the mini ones if you need to.

Simple ingredients and all-in-one pot for a healthy, gluten-free meal that the whole family will love❣️

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📝Ingredients for slow cooker chicken and potatoes

Here's what you'll need for this recipe:

  • Boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • Fresh green beans
  • Halved baby potatoes (yellow, purple or red potatoes work)
  • Lemon for lemon juice
  • Olive oil
  • Italian seasoning
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Onion powder
  • Minced garlic

See recipe card for quantities.

🔪Instructions

Here's how you'll make this recipe:

Searing the chicken breast in a pan.

In a large skillet over medium heat, sear the boneless skinless chicken breasts 2 minutes per side.

Chicken breasts in a slow cooker.

Place seared chicken breast in the bottom of the slow cooker. Top with potatoes.

In a small bowl, whisk the lemon juice, olive oil, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic together.

A small bowl marinade getting poured over potatoes in a slow cooker.

Pour over chicken and potatoes. Cover with lid and cook on high for 3 hours. Add the green beans and cook for another 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Hint: Leaving the green beans out till the last 30 minutes helps to prevent them from getting too soft.

🔄Substitutions

  • 🐔Chicken breasts - you can sub in boneless, skinless chicken thighs for this recipe. You'll get a deeper flavour from the dark meat
  • 🥔Mini potatoes - if you don't have the mini potatoes the Yukon gold potatoes would work well
  • 🍋Lemon - lime juice works instead of lemon

💃Variations

Change this recipe up a little with these tweaks:

  • 🔥Spicy - add some harissa paste into the olive oil instead of the Italian seasoning, sprinkle some red chili flakes on top or add a finely diced jalapeno
  • 🧀Say cheese - parmesan cheese and chicken with herbs go together like peas and carrots so if you have some, after plating this dish, added some fresh parmesan cheese over top
Slow cooked chicken on a white plate with potatoes and green beans.
No Italian seasoning? Use a Greek blend or your own - use oregano, basil, onion powder and garlic powder.

🥣Equipment

The main equipment you'll use for this chicken and rice soup recipe is your slow cooker or crock pot. You can also use the slow cooker setting on an Instant Pot too.

And if you use your Instant Pot, you can sear the chicken breasts using the saute function on the Instant Pot and then just get everything in the pot. A pan saved from cleaning😄

🥡Storage and Leftovers

This chicken and potatoes recipes makes fantastic leftovers.

Just keep in the fridge in a sealed container. It's great for meal prep too!

After cooking this chicken dinner, it doesn't freeze well so eat it up within 3 days.

🏅Top tip

Searing the chicken breasts first help to develop flavour and give a nice colour to the chicken BUT if you don't have time, you can skip this step.

Slow cooked chicken on a white plate with potatoes and green beans.
Cooking on high for 4 hours gives the potatoes a lovely browned-skinned crunch.

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Hope you love this delicious and super easy dinner recipe like we do❣️

If you try it, please consider leaving a star rating and a comment for others.

Thank you ox

~April

📖 Recipe

Slow cooked chicken on a white plate with potatoes and green beans.

Slow Cooker Chicken, Potatoes, and Green Beans

This Slow Cooker Chicken and Potatoes recipe is a healthy and gluten-free one pot meal you'll come back to again and again. It's super easy to make with wholesome ingredients like chicken breasts, mini potatoes and green beans slow cooked in a delicious and herb-forward sauce.
No ratings yet
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: baked chicken, slow cooker chicken
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Author: April

Equipment

  • 1 Slow cooker

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast 3-4 breasts
  • ½ lb fresh green beans, trimmed about 4 cups
  • 1 ½ lbs halved baby potatoes red or gold, about 4 cups
  • ⅓ cup lemon juice, fresh
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon onion powder
  • 2 cloves minced garlic

Instructions

  • Sear chicken breasts in a non-stick pan with a little olive oil on the stove for just 2 minutes per side.
  • Place seared chicken breast in the bottom of the slow cooker.
  • Add potatoes on top.
  • In a small bowl, whisk the lemon juice, olive oil, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic together.
  • Pour mixture over the chicken and potatoes.
  • Cover with lid and cook on high for 3 hours. Add the green beans.
  • Cook for another 30 minutes.
  • Remove the lid, season to taste, and serve.

Kale Salad with Cranberries

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This Kale Salad with Cranberries is a delicious way to get your greens in this winter! This easy to make kale salad is so perfect to serve to family and friends this holiday season. This simple salad is made with leafy kale, baby spinach, a quick homemade pickled red onion, toasted almonds, dried cranberries and a simple homemade kale salad dressing. Yum!

Kale salad with dried cranberries on a white plate.

Can I get a capital "K" for KALE!🥬

This easy to make and delicious kale salad was created for a Christmas party we went to recently. And it was a HIT.

Kale salad recipes are everywhere are in the Internet but I'm so glad you found this one.

I think you're gonna love it! With the crunch from the roasted almonds, the slight chew on the dried cranberries and tangy hit from the picked red onions, it's a flavour symphony in your mouth.

This kale salad with cranberries would go well with really anything else you're making - for supper or as a part of a holiday spread or party.

Here are a few main dish ideas to serve with kale salad:

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Winter Kale Salad with Cranberries and pickled red onions.
Kale salads are a wonderful way to get some nutrition into you and keep things delicious😋

📝Ingredients for kale salad with cranberries

Here's what you'll need to make this kale salad:

For the pickled red onion:

  • Red onion
  • Sugar
  • Red wine vinegar
  • Salt
  • Water

For the salad:

  • Kale, large leaves
  • Baby spinach
  • Roasted almonds 
  • Dried cranberries

For the dressing:

  • Olive oil
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • Liquid honey
  • Dijon mustard
  • Salt
  • Fresh ground pepper

See recipe card for quantities.

Kale salad with dried cranberries on a white plate.
The fresh lemon juice in this kale salad adds a hit of brightness and tang🍋

🔪Instructions

Here's how you'll make this kale salad. You can make the pickled red onion up to 2 days in advance!

Jar of red onions in pickling liquid.

Thinly slice ½ of a large red onion. In a small mason jar, add apple cider vinegar, water, sugar and salt. Stir to combine until the sugar is combined. Add the onion to the mason jar and put the lid on tightly. Place in the fridge for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days before.

Kale leaves in a large bowl.

Massage some olive oil onto washed and torn kale leaves. Let them sit.

Homemade salad dressing in a silver bowl.

In a large bowl, make the dressing. Adding the olive oil at the end in a steady stream while you whisk helps it to combine completely.

Kale salad with dried cranberries on a white plate.

Add massaged kale, spinach, pickled red onion, dried cranberries and chopped almonds to the same large bowl that you made the dressing in. Toss to combine everything with the dressing.

Winter Kale Salad with Cranberries and pickled red onions.
Naturally gluten-free, this salad will please a crowd of hungry friends or family!

🔄Substitutions and Add-ins

Here's some swaps if you need them:

  • Instead of red wine vinegar - when you're making that quick pickled red onion, almost any type of vinegar will do the trick. Feel free to use apple cider vinegar as your pickling agent instead of the red wine vinegar
  • No dried cranberries? Almost any other dried fruit can be used in place of the dried cranberries here. Try chopped dried apricots, dried cherries or even dried plums
  • Say CHEESE🧀 - if you want, add in some feta, goat cheese or parmesan cheese to this salad
  • Add apples - want some more crunch in this kale salad? Add in some diced green or red apples🍎
  • Instead of the roasted almonds - the nuts in this recipe give it some great texture but it doesn't have to come from almonds. Try walnuts, cashews or even pistachios. Go for the roasted variety (or roast them yourself to up that awesome crunch factor)
  • Wanna go sweet? If you like kale salad dressing that's a little sweeter, add in some pure maple syrup to the dressing to bump up the sweet factor
Two plates of kale salad on a white tabletop.
This kale salad recipe is a real crowd pleaser! Gluten-free and vegan too.

🥡Storage

This kale salad will be good for up to 8 hours after you combine everything so eat it up😋

The pickled red onions are good for much longer - a week or more in the fridge in that mason jar with a lid. Add them to other simple salads, wraps or even eggs in the morning!

🏅Two Top Tips

Make ahead: make the pickled red onion the night before (see instructions below.) Once you get everything into the jar, place in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight. Since it's a "quick pickle", you decide how "pickled" you want the onion: the longer the red onion is in the pickling liquid the softer it'll be.

Save time: buy pre-roasted and / or salted almonds so you don't have to roast them yourself!

Hope you love this kale salad recipe like we do❣️

~April

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📖 Recipe

Winter Kale Salad with Cranberries and pickled red onions.

Kale Salad with Cranberries

This Kale Salad with Cranberries is a delicious way to get your greens in this winter! This simple salad is made with leafy kale, baby spinach, a quick homemade pickled red onion, toasted almonds, dried cranberries and a simple homemade kale salad dressing. Yum!
No ratings yet
Print Pin Rate
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Keyword: kale salad
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Pickling time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 6
Author: April

Ingredients

Pickled Red Onion

  • ½ cup red onion, thinly sliced
  • ½ cup warm water
  • ½ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon sugar

Salad

  • 4 cups kale leaves, washed and torn
  • 4 cups baby spinach
  • ⅓ cup roasted almonds roughly chopped
  • ⅓ cup dried cranberries

Kale Salad Dressing

  • 2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoon honey
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup olive oil

Instructions

Make the pickled red onions

  • Thinly slice ½ of a large red onion. In a small mason jar, add ½ cup of warm water, ½ cup apple cider vinegar and 1 tablespoon sugar. Stir to combine until the sugar is dissolved. Add the onion to the mason jar and put the lid on tightly. Give it a little shake. Place in the fridge for at least 1-2 hours or overnight.
  • Wash the large kale leaves and dry them. Rip them into smaller pieces, off the tough stem. Place in a large bowl and drizzle some olive oil over them. Massage the kale leaves with your hands until coated with the olive oil. Let sit for about 10 minutes while you do the rest of the salad.

Make the salad dressing

  • Combine dijon mustard, honey, lemon juice and salt in a large bowl with a whisk until combined. Then slowly pour the olive in as a steady stream, whisking quickly to combine.
  • Add massaged kale, spinach, pickled red onion, dried cranberries and chopped almonds to the same large bowl that you made the dressing in.
  • Toss everything together to combine well.
  • Serve immediately.

Notes

Best if eaten the same day.
Make ahead tip: make the simple pickled red onion the night before.

Is Baklava Gluten Free?

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Baklava is a delicious dessert that is enjoyed by so many. However, some people wonder if baklava is gluten-free. In this blog post, I'll answer that question and provide everything you need to know about baklava and how it can fit in your gluten-free diet. Keep reading to learn more!

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🤷‍♀️What is Baklava?

Baklava is a popular Middle Eastern dessert made with layers of filo dough and filled with nuts, spices, and sweet syrup.

While traditional baklava is not gluten-free, there are many gluten-free variations of this dessert that you can try.

Pieces of baklava on a black plate.

🙅‍♀️Is Baklava Gluten-Free?

Unfortunately, traditional baklava is not gluten-free, as it's typically made with wheat flour and other gluten-containing ingredients. However, there are many gluten-free versions of this dessert that you can try if you follow a gluten-free diet.

These versions often use nut flour or coconut flour instead of wheat flour, or simply leave out the gluten-containing ingredients altogether.

To find gluten-free baklava, you can look for recipes online or try your hand at making your own. It is also important to check the ingredients of store-bought baklava carefully, as many varieties may contain hidden sources of gluten.

Just getting started with gluten-free eating? Cut out these foods STAT. Grab the cheat sheet here.

If you enjoy baklava and follow a gluten-free diet, try experimenting with some of the gluten-free recipes and variations out there.

You may find that you love this sweet, indulgent treat just as much, even without the gluten!

📝What ingredients are in Baklava?

The flaky, filo pastry dough is the most common source of gluten in baklava.

The other ingredients in baklava can vary depending on the recipe, but some common ones include nuts (such as walnuts or pistachios), butter, honey, and spices like cinnamon and cardamom.

To determine if baklava is gluten-free, it's important to carefully read the ingredient list and check for any wheat or gluten-containing ingredients.

Some common gluten-containing ingredients to look out for include wheat flour, rye, spelt flour, and barley. If the baklava is made with these ingredients or any other gluten-containing ingredient, it's not safe for those on a gluten-free diet.

Pieces of baklava on a black background.

💃How to make your own gluten-free Baklava

There are many different recipes for making gluten-free baklava, and the methods can vary depending on the recipe. Some common ingredients that may be used in a gluten-free baklava recipe include nut flours (such as almond flour or coconut flour), nuts (such as walnuts or pistachios), honey, cinnamon, and cardamom.

Overall, if you are following a gluten-free diet, it is important to check any recipes or ingredients carefully before consuming baklava.

While some traditional versions of this dessert may contain gluten-containing ingredients, there are many delicious and easy-to-make gluten-free variations that you can try instead.

Whether you make your own gluten-free baklava at home or purchase it from a bakery, the key is to always be informed and vigilant about what's in your food.

Just getting started with gluten-free eating? Cut out these foods STAT. Grab the cheat sheet here.

✅What are some other varieties of Baklava?

There are many other variations of baklava that you can try, depending on your preferences and dietary needs. Some popular alternatives include vegan baklava made with coconut milk instead of butter, low-carb baklava made with low-carb sweeteners such as maple syrup or stevia, and paleo baklava made with coconut oil and nuts instead of wheat flour.

Additionally, you can also try hybrid versions that incorporate elements from more than one type of baklava, such as vegan-paleo baklava or low-carb-nut-free baklava. Whatever variety you choose, just be sure to always check the ingredients carefully to ensure that it is gluten-free.

Pieces of baklava on white background.

🥡How to store gluten-free Baklava?

Once you have baked your gluten-free baklava, it is important to properly store it to ensure that it stays fresh and delicious.

One thing to keep in mind is that many traditional versions of baklava contain butter, which means that they may need to be refrigerated if not eaten right away.

However, there are also many gluten-free versions of baklava that do not contain butter and can therefore be stored at room temperature.

In general, it's best to store any baked goods in an airtight container or tightly wrapped plastic wrap to help prevent them from drying out or getting stale.

Additionally, you may also want to consider storing your baklava in the freezer if you know that you won't be eating it right away.

Whether you store your baklava at room temperature or in the fridge/freezer, just be sure to keep it in a cool, dry place and consume it within 1-2 weeks for best results.

🏅What is a simple gluten-free Baklava recipe?

Although certainly not a traditional recipe, here's my spin on a baklava-inspired treat that also happens to be gluten free😄

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup almond flour
  • 2 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
  • ¼ cup honey
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, stir together the almond flour, coconut oil, honey, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt until well combined.

2. Grease a 9x9-inch baking dish with coconut oil or cooking spray. Spoon the almond flour mixture into the dish and press it down evenly using your hands or the back of a spoon.

3. Bake the baklava at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the edges are crisp.

4. Remove the baklava from the oven and let it cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy your delicious gluten-free baklava with a cup of tea or coffee!

😄Bottom Line

If you are following a gluten-free diet, baklava is definitely a dessert worth exploring.

Whether you make your own gluten-free baklava at home or purchase it from a bakery, the key is to always ask about what is in the food you're buying.

There are many different varieties of baklava that you can try, including vegan, low-carb, paleo, and hybrid variations.

To store your baked baklava properly and keep it fresh, be sure to either refrigerate or freeze it in an airtight container or tightly wrapped plastic wrap.

And for a simple gluten-free baklava recipe that is both tasty and easy to make, try the recipe above using almond flour, coconut oil, honey, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt.

Whether you are a baklava expert or simply love this delicious treat, the possibilities are endless when it comes to gluten-free baking!

~April

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Broccoli Chickpea Salad with Feta

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This Broccoli Chickpea Salad with Feta is super fresh, healthy and delicious! Broccoli and chickpeas combine with brown rice, feta and red onion for a super satisfying salad - perfect for meal prep, lunches or to serve with weeknight suppers. With only 5 ingredients and a simple homemade dressing, this is a broccoli salad to get excited about.

This Broccoli and Chickpea salad is here to brighten your day, friend!☀️

A salad packed with nutritious and simple ingredients is such awesome way to enjoy healthy and naturally gluten-free food.

The broccoli and chickpeas give you a ton of fibre and protein - both keeping your energy high.

But don't you find sometimes that salads can leave you wanting more?

Like more oomph! More filling ingredients than just lettuce and some sad looking veggies (boooo.)

That's what so great about this broccoli chickpea salad - it's chock full of fibre and protein so you won't be hungry 2 seconds after eating it.

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Going gluten-free isn't always easy but here at Eats by April, it's always delicious😋

Check out these other naturally gluten-free salads too:

Close up of a white dish filled with Brown Rice, Broccoli and Feta Salad
This salad with brown rice, broccoli and chickpeas hits all the marks with the fresh, green hit of broccoli and the delightful bite of red onion.

📝Ingredients for broccoli chickpea salad

  • Cooked brown rice
  • Broccoli
  • 1 can of chickpeas
  • Purple onion
  • Feta cheese
  • 1 lemon
  • Olive oil
  • White wine vinegar
  • Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

See recipe card below for quantities and instructions.

Have leftover rice? Make this broccoli chickpea salad.

Have a ginormous head of broccoli that you don't know what to do with? Make this broccoli chickpea salad.

And if you have even more leftover rice?

Try this Moroccan-Spiced Black Bean Salad with Brown Rice.

Lemony Brown Rice, Broccoli and Feta Salad in a white dish with a gold fork beside
The flavours in this salad get better the next day - the lemon and fresh ground black pepper soften the broccoli and chickpeas with a super fresh and bright taste.

🥣How to make broccoli chickpea salad

Broccoli chickpea salad ingredients in a large bowl.
Add all the prepped ingredients to a large bowl.
A mason jar with dressing for a broccoli salad.
Whisk up the dressing and toss the salad to combine everything together.

🔄Substitutions

You can make a few swaps or additions to this broccoli chickpea salad if you need:

  • Brown rice - if you don't have brown rice, you can totally sub in another whole grain rice like basmati rice or even jasmine rice for that matter
  • Cheese - don't have feta? No problem! A goat cheese or even shredded cheddar cheese will do the trick
  • Add apple - looking for more crunch and a hint of sweetness? Add chopped green apple to this salad
  • Add leafy greens - if you want to bulk it up, feel free to add in some leafy greens like baby kale or spinach
  • Go nuts - if you're looking for some more crunch, feel free to throw some nuts in here like toasted pine nuts or walnuts
  • Need vegan? Skip the cheese and replace with a vegan substitute or leave out altogether

🥡Storage and Leftovers

This broccoli and rice salad keeps pretty fresh for up to 3 days in the fridge.

There's no risk of things getting soggy as you've got ingredients that can hold their own for a few days - the meaty chickpeas, the firm broccoli and the crunchy red onion.

Everything stays pretty firm and delicious😋

Don't be freezing this salad though (ew and, why?)

⏲️Made Ahead Tips

If you want to serve this salad as part of a meal or at a picnic, BBQ or other get together, the day before serving you can do a few things to make it easier the day of.

Prep all the ingredients

  • Wash and chop the broccoli and dice the red onion the day before
  • You can also open the can of chickpeas and rinse and drain them
Brown Rice, Broccoli and Feta Salad in a white dish with a gold fork beside
The earthy brown rice and salty feta in this salad pair so well together.
  • Break up the feta - Using your hands or a couple forks, break up the feta cheese so it's nice and crumbly, getting rid of any large chunks.
  • Make the rice - the day before is a perfect time to make the rice too.

Either make in according to the package instructions on the stovetop or make it in the Instant Pot. I usually make my rice in the Instant Pot using 3 cups of broth (or water) to every 2 cups of rice.

I select the "Rice" button and once it's done, let it stay on the "Keep Warm" setting for about 10 minutes, then shut the Instant Pot and let it naturally release the pressure.

Make the dressing

You can also whisk up the super simple dressing the day before as well.

Keep it in the fridge in a container with a lid that fits tight. Right before you need to use it the next day, whisk it up one more time.

A large white dish filled with Brown Rice, Broccoli and Feta Salad
The broccoli, rice and onion won't get soggy in this healthy and delicious salad!

🏅Two Top Tips

Meal Prep Tip: If you're making the salad for meal prep for the week ahead, say for lunches, include a lemon wedge into the meal prep container along with the salad. When you're ready to dig in, squeeze some of that fresh lemon juice on there to brighten things up even more!

Tastes better the next day: If you're making this salad to serve as part of a meal or at a picnic, BBQ or other get together, I recommend making it a day in advance. Make up the whole salad as per the recipe and add the dressing over top. Keep in a large container with a lid that seals tightly shut. As the rice, broccoli, feta and lemon dressing sit together in the fridge, the flavours will continue to improve. When you're ready for it the next day, give it a stir and an extra squirt of lemon juice just before serving.

I hope you love it❣️

~April

If you like this recipe, you may also want to check out these gluten-free recipes too:

~April

A dish of chopped broccoli, chickpeas and rice on a white dish with a gold fork

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This post was first published on February 28th, 2021. Post copy updated and re-published on Dec 6th, 2022.

📖 Recipe

Broccoli Chickpea Salad with Feta Salad

This Broccoli Chickpea Salad with Feta is super fresh, healthy and delicious. Broccoli and chickpeas combine with brown rice, feta and red onion for super satisfying salad - perfect for meal prep, lunches or make a batch to serve with weeknight suppers.
4.75 from 4 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: broccoli and feta salad, broccoli salad, gluten free
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 6 cups
Author: April

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups cooked brown rice
  • 3 cups broccoli (raw) chopped into small florets
  • 2 cups chickpeas, drained and rinsed 1 x 540ml can of chickpeas
  • ½ medium purple onion finely chopped
  • 1 cup crumbled feta cheese

Dressing

  • 1 lemon, zest and juice
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • If you don't have any cooked rice in the fridge, cook the rice according to package directions and transfer to a large bowl to cool.
  • Add the cooked rice, chopped broccoli florets, chickpeas, purple onion, and feta to a large bowl.
  • Toss everything together.
  • To make dressing, whisk together the olive oil, white wine vinegar and juice of 1 lemon. Pour dressing over salad. Stir to combine.
  • Top with lemon zest to taste (I like a lot!) Add fresh ground pepper all over to taste.
  • Serve immediately or keep in the fridge till you need it. Keeps for up to 3 days.

Notes

Keeps for up to 4 days in the fridge.
You can use apple cider vinegar in place of the white wine vinegar.
Leftover rice you have in the fridge works great for this.
Or, if you don't have any kicking around, cook the rice according to package directions and transfer to a large bowl to cool.
If I'm making this for a meal-prep Sunday for our lunches, I'll put a quarter chunk of fresh lemon in the trays. This salad is so good with a hit of fresh lemon juice squeezed overtop.

Easy Butter Lettuce Salad with Pomegranates and Pistachios

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This Butter Lettuce Salad is a perfect side dish for any meal. The beautifully smooth butter lettuce pairs so well with a satisfying crunch and gorgeous, bright colours - thanks to the pistachios and pomegranate seeds. Fresh cucumbers and a simple homemade dressing round out this a salad that you'll want to make and make again!

A white plate filled Butter Lettuce and Pomegranate Salad
Butter lettuce (or bibb lettuce) is so fresh and has a lovely mouthfeel. A perfect pairing with pomegranates and pistachios.

Who doesn't love a healthy salad that has interesting and different ingredients?! This butter lettuce salad hits alllll the right notes.

It's simple enough to make on weeknight when you're pressed for time but at the same time, it's "fancy" enough to make for a dinner party or get together with friends and family🥗

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This boston bibb salad has enough personality to hold it's own AND goes with almost any protein for a complete meal.

Serve this butter lettuce salad alongside one of these delicious mains:

Inspired by my love for the tender butter lettuce leaves, this salad will be one you can go back to again and again and AGAIN.

Simple salads can be a fantastic way to get some vitamins, antioxidants and fibre into you.

Plus, salads are such a great way to help you stick with your gluten-free diet.

Bloated and in pain after eating gluten? Grab my list of symptoms (PDF) to see if you might have Gluten Intolerance

📝Ingredients for butter lettuce salad recipe

The soft butter lettuce leafs - also called Boston or bibb lettuce - gets a lovely texture from the crunch of pomegranate seeds and pistachios!

🔪Instructions

  • Chop the pistachios, dice the cucumber and de-seed the pomegranate
  • Whisk salad dressing ingredients together
  • Wash and hand tear the butter lettuce into a large bowl
  • Add pistachios, diced cucumber and pomegranate seeds. Toss with the salad dressing and serve
Chopped pistachios on a cutting board.
Dice up the pistachios so they're in rough chunks.
A small mason jar with oil, apple cider vinegar and garlic.
Whisk up the dressing in a small bowl or mason jar.
A white plate filled with Butter Lettuce and Pomegranate Salad on a blue tablecloth
Once you have all the ingredients in a bowl, add the homemade dressing and toss to combine.

💃Variations

The thing about salad recipes is that they're super fun - and simple - to change up.

You never know what kind of delicious flavour combinations you'll discover😄

Here are some other ingredients that go well with bib lettuce:

  • Apples - like a chopped green apple🍏
  • Avocado
  • Basil🍃
  • Blue berries
  • Blue Cheese
  • Chives
  • Fresh peaches🍑
  • Feta
  • Grapefruit
  • Grapes
  • Lemon juice
  • Lime juice
  • Oranges
  • Parsley
  • Parmesan cheese
  • Radishes

Here are a few combination of butter lettuce+fruit / veg that would work well together:

  • Butter lettuce with grapes and feta - this I NEED to try next. Yum😋
  • Butter lettuce with avocado and chunks of fresh apple
  • Butter lettuce with grapefruit sections and pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

🔄Substitutions

  • If you don't have the butter lettuce on hand, you can easily sub-in other varieties of lettuce, such as:
  • Leaf lettuce
  • Bibb lettuce (essentially the same thing as butter lettuce)
  • Ice berg lettuce - brings a lovely and fresh crunch
  • Instead of the pomegranates, sub-in any other crunchy fruit like grapes or apple chunks. See above for other fruit, cheese and veggies to try - really endless possibilities with this one.
  • For the dressing, instead of a vinaigrette-style, you can try a creamier one too. A creamy dressing mimics the "creamy" leaves of the butter lettuce leaves.

Try whisking together some mayonnaise or Greek yogurt with lemon juice to thin it out. Add some fine herbs (like dill and chives) and you've got yourself a creamy dressing, perfect for bibb lettuce.

Love Dijon mustard? Add a small amount into the dressing or check out this recipe for Kale Quinoa Salad with Apple and Spiced Nuts for a creamier dressing idea with Dijon.

🥬What do you eat butter lettuce with?

Butter lettuce leaves are the perfect thing to wrap up some deliciousness!

You can:

  • Fill them with shredded BBQ chicken
  • Use them like a "lettuce taco" and fill them with browned ground beef, cheese and salsa:
  • Try them filled with shrimp and sticky rice with some gluten-free soy sauce
  • Even try them stuffed with strawberries and a layer of cream cheese - yum!

Of course, in salads, butter lettuce is also wonderful - it's a non-bitter leaf that you can add to any salad you make.

And if you're making any kind of sandwich, a butter leaf or two adds some great texture and nutrition.

❓Why do they call butter lettuce butter lettuce?

Butter, bibb or Boston lettuce is a light, spring-like and has an almost creamy texture. Hence the name, butter lettuce. It doesn't have any fat, like butter does, and it doesn't pair particularly well with butter or other heavier foods.

Easy Butter Lettuce and Pomegranate Salad on a white plate and a blue tablecloth with a gold fork beside
Butter lettuce pairs well with many fruits, fine herbs and lemon. You don't need many ingredients for a delicious, simple salad!

🏅Is butter lettuce a Superfood?

Like most varieties of lettuce, butter lettuce brings nutrition to the plate! Packed with Vitamin A, folate iron, niacin, and potassium, this humble leaf delivers in the nutrition department.

And when you add more powerhouse ingredients into a salad made with this delicious lettuce like avocado, apples, lemon juice or olive oil for a dressing, you're upping the nutrition even more!

🙋‍♀️The best way to get the pomegranate seeds out of the pomegranate

Ok, I've heard some interesting ways to do this but lemme tell you my friend the best and easiest way to get the seeds outta there is this:

  1. Cut the pomegranate in half.
  2. Turn it upside down in your palm (so the cut-side is in the palm of your hand.)
  3. Whack the back of it with a wooden spoon.

The seeds just come out! If I'm really in a pinch, I'll just do it right over the dish I'm serving (no one ever minds a little pom juice splatter really). 

Or you can do it over a large bowl to catch the pomegranate seeds and the pretty juice splatter.

I hope you love this delicious butter lettuce salad like we do❣️

For even more simple salad recipes, check out all my gluten-free salads on the blog.

~April

Here's a some more easy and and gluten-free recipes:

Originally posted on January 6th, 2021 this recipe post was updated and re-published on Dec 5th, 2022.

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📖 Recipe

A white plate filled with lettuce and Pomegranates with a gold fork beside

Butter Lettuce Salad with Pomegranates and Pistachios

A delicious winter salad with smooth butter lettuce, bright pomegranate seeds and crunchy pistachios.
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Keyword: butter lettuce salad recipe, easy salad
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4 adults
Author: April

Ingredients

  • 1 large head of butter lettuce or 2 small (about 8 cups)
  • ½ cucumber diced
  • 1 pomegranate seeded or ⅓ cup seeds
  • ¼ cup shelled pistachios chopped

Dressing

  • 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic, minced

Instructions

  • Wash and spin or pat dry the butter lettuce leaves. Hand tear the butter lettuce into a large salad bowl.
  • Chopped the pistachios, cucumbers and de-seed the pomegranate. Whisk salad dressing ingredients together.
  • Add the pistachios, cucumber and pomegranate seeds to the bowl with the butter lettuce. Toss with the salad dressing. Serve.

Notes

Makes side salads for 4 people. Double the recipe to feed 4 people large salads.
Frozen pomegranate seeds will work here. Just de-frost them in the microwave and drain any excess water before using them.
I won't douse the salad in the dressing and often have some leftover.
You can use the salad dressing again if you keep what you don't use in the fridge in a container with the with the lid on. I use a small mason jar. It'll keep for up to 1 week.

Healthy Breakfast Bars {gluten-free}

· 9 Comments

These Healthy Breakfast Bars are made with nutritious ingredients like rolled oats, ground flaxseed, Greek Yogurt and eggs. They're soft-baked, mouth-wateringly delicious and will keep you going all morning long. And did I mention chocolate?? These breakfast bars have the perfect hint of sweetness too. Bake a batch today!

Healthy Breakfast Bars come to the morning rescue!

These soft-baked healthy breakfast bars are the near-perfect bite to start your morning.

Gluten-Free Oatmeal Breakfast Bars with Chocolate in a plastic container on a wood cutting board.

When you find a breakfast bar that isn't shellacked in sugar like so many other granola bars out there, it's truly a cause for celebration.

These oatmeal bars are filled with healthy carbs, a hit of protein and a taste of chocolate to boot.

When you first go gluten-free, it can be hard to get your head around what to eat in the morning.

Two square of gluten-Free Oatmeal Breakfast Bars with Chocolate on a wood cutting board.
These breakfast bar will rise a bit during baking and aren’t hard and crunchy like typical store bought granola bars.

Combine that with the fact that you've got like all of 5 minutes to eat something, you need a breakfast that's gluten-free, healthy and easy.

If you have some time on the weekend, make a batch of these breakfast bars and you'll always have something nutritious to eat.

Check out these healthy and gluten-free muffins and breads that could totally fuel your morning too:

📝Ingredients for healthy oatmeal breakfast bars

  • Gluten Free Oats - my go-to brand is Only Oats
  • Gluten Free Flour Blend - I use Bob Red Mill's
  • Ground flax seed
  • Brown sugar
  • Unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 banana, mashed
  • Eggs
  • Greek Yogurt
  • Vanilla extract (optional)
  • Cinnamon
  • Baking soda
  • Salt
  • Chocolate chips - I love a semi-sweet mini chocolate chip for this recipe like these ones but you can really use any kind you have in the house
Gluten-Free Oatmeal Breakfast Bars with Chocolate on a grey napkin
The fibre from the oatmeal and ground flaxseed in these bars make them healthy and with a some protein boost from the Greek yogurt and eggs, they'll keep you satisfied for hours.

🥣How to make healthy breakfast bars

Here's the high-level steps to make these healthy breakfast bars:

A mixing bowl with a whisk creaming applesauce and brown sugar together.
1.
Mixing bowl with bananas, eggs, and greek yogurt.
2.
  1. Pre-heat your oven and mix together the applesauce and the brown sugar.

2. Add bananas, eggs, yogurt and vanilla.

A mixing bowl filled with flour, ground flaxseed, cinnamon, salt, baking soda.
3.
A mixing bowl filled with the batter for Gluten-Free Oatmeal Breakfast Bars with Chocolate.

3. In a separate large bowl, combine flour, ground flax seed, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.

4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Add chocolate chips and oats and stir.

A large baking pan filled with Gluten-Free Oatmeal Breakfast Bars with Chocolate ready for oven.
5.
A large baking pan filled with Gluten-Free Oatmeal Breakfast Bars with Chocolate just out of the oven.
6.

5. Spread the mixture into a prepared 13x9" pan.

6. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 22-25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

💃Variations

Here's a couple swaps to make if you're looking to change it up:

  • Flours - you can substitutes about ½ of the 1:1 Gluten-Free flour for oat flour. Your breakfast bars will be slightly chewier as a result. If you want to use coconut flour in this recipe, for goodness sakes, proceed with caution. Just replace about ⅓ of the 1:1 flour with coconut flour. Coconut flour soaks up moisture like crazy so you have to watch it when you put it in baked goods
  • Dried fruit - instead of chocolate chips, you could throw some dried fruit in the batter, like dried cranberries
  • Applesauce - this recipe calls for unsweetened, plain applesauce but if you have another flavour of applesauce (also unsweetened) give it a try. I've used a peach flavour before and it worked great
  • Frozen bananas - I've made these granola bars so many times and they're a great way to use up those frozen bananas in your freezer. Just defrost the frozen bananas in the microwave and drain any excess water that comes off them after defrosting. Then use in the granola bars as per the instructions.

🔪Equipment

All you need for this healthy granola bar recipe is a 13x9" baking pan, a couple of mixing bowls, measuring cups and measuring spoons, and a whisk and / or large spoon for mixing the ingredients.

Close-up of Gluten-Free Oatmeal Breakfast Bars with Chocolate with parchment paper.
These are soft, chewy and filling healthy breakfast bars. The mini chocolate chips work great for a hint of sweetness too!

🥡Storage and Freezing

These healthy breakfast bars freeze beautifully.

After bringing the pan out of the oven, let them cool. Then cut the bars into approximately 24. Wrap the bars in parchment paper and freeze either in an air-tight container or in a Ziplock bag.

Freeze for up to 3 months. Take out of the freezer the night before you want to enjoy them and thaw on the counter at room temperature.

Hope you love these healthy oatmeal breakfast bars like we do❣️

~April

PS. Looking for more healthy and yummy snack recipes?

Check these recipes out:

This post was originally published on February 20th, 2020. Updated copy and re-published on December 2nd, 2022.

Gluten-Free Oatmeal Breakfast Bars with Chocolate

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Two Gluten-Free Oatmeal Breakfast Bars with Chocolate on a wood cutting board

Healthy Breakfast Bars (gluten-free)

These Healthy Breakfast Bars are made with nutritious ingredients like rolled oats, ground flaxseed, Greek Yogurt and eggs. They're soft-baked, mouth-wateringly delicious and will keep you going all morning long.
5 from 3 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: breakfast, gluten free, granola bar, snack
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Cooling time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 24 bars
Calories: 145kcal
Author: April Saunders

Ingredients

  • ½ cup brown sugar, packed
  • ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
  • ½ cup mashed banana (1 medium)
  • 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1.5 cups gluten-free flour like Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour
  • ¼ cup ground flax seed
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 cups gluten-free rolled oats
  • ½ cup chocolate chips optional

Instructions

  • Heat oven to 350º F (180º C) and line a 13x9" (33 cm x 23 cm) baking pan with parchment paper.
  • Combine brown sugar and applesauce together by hand until in a medium bowl.
  • Add banana, yogurt, eggs and vanilla. Whisk by hand to combine.
  • In a separate large bowl, combine flour, ground flax seed, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
  • Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
  • Stir in oats and chocolate chips.
  • Spread dough onto the prepared 13 x 19 inch (33 cm x 48 cm) baking pan.
  • Bake in the pre-heated oven for 22-25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
  • Cool on a rack in the pan for about 15 minutes. Once cooled, cut into 24 bars.

Notes

This recipe makes a lot!
These bars freezer well for up to 1 month.
I usually freeze ½ the recipe - wrapped in parchment paper, in an air-tight container.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 145kcal

Ground Turkey Soup {Easy and Healthy}

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This Ground Turkey Soup is a super healthy, easy soup that you can make on a weeknight when you don't have a lot of time to cook supper. The ground turkey goes so well with the wholesome ingredients you probably already have on hand like sweet corn, delicious canned seasoned tomatoes, and a few dried herbs. This Ground Turkey Soup recipe will be your new favourite go-to soup recipe!

This recipe Ground Turkey Soup is perfect to make on those weeknights when you're barely finishing up work on time and need to get something that could pass as "supper" on the table.

A recipe like this ground turkey soup one comes together soooo easily and it's healthy, delicious, and naturally gluten-free.

Bottom line: it's a super yummy soup recipe that the whole family can dig into😋

A small pot and a small white bowl of Ground Turkey Soup on a baking sheet
The tomatoes and tomato paste cook down in this ground turkey recipe to give a rich, delicious flavour.

I used to think making soup was a hard and / or complicated thing to do but lemme tell you: it's not!

This easy recipe for ground turkey soup is a perfect example of how you can get a healthy meal on the table that's gluten-free for the whole family.

If you're into gluten-free and easy soups, definitely bookmark these recipe for later too:

Alright now let's get making this recipe for ground turkey soup!

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📝Ingredients for ground turkey soup

  • Shallot
  • Celery
  • Ground turkey, about 0.5 kg or 1 lb
  • Seasoned, stewed tomatoes
  • Tomato paste
  • Frozen corn
  • Dried oregano
  • Dried basil
  • Chicken broth
  • Salt and pepper

See recipe card below for quantities and the substitutions list too.

A small pot of Ground Turkey Soup on a baking sheet

🔪How to make ground turkey soup

Pot with onions cooking in it.
Chopped celery on cooking ground turkey.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large pot over medium heat. Saute onion, stirring frequently until soft about 1 min.

Add ground turkey and cook until no pink remains. Then add celery and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.

Pot full of ground turkey soup ingredients.
Easy Weeknight Ground Turkey Soup_before simmer.

Then add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, frozen corn, oregano, basil and a pinch of salt and some pepper. Stir to combine.

Then add the chicken stalk and put the lid on the pot. Bring to a simmer on medium heat for about 10-15 minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.

🔄Substitutions

This is a pretty forgiving recipe so here's a few swaps you can make if you don't have everything on the ingredient list:

  • Shallots - if you don't have shallots you can use a sweet onion or even a cooking onion
  • Frozen corn - if you don't have frozen corn, canned corn will work just fine. Be sure to drain it if you use canned corn
  • Canned tomatoes - in general, but especially for this soup recipe, I love the San Marzano canned tomatoes. But if you don't have them or can't find them, just use what you have - canned diced tomatoes can do the job
  • Add rice - love rice in ground turkey soup (or soup in general?) ME TOO. Swap out the corn and add some cooked rice into the soup
A small soup pot of ground turkey soup with corn and tomatoes
After simmering for about 15 minutes, this ground turkey soup is perfected. Don't forget to taste it before you finish is case you need a little more seasoning.

💃Using your Instant Pot or Slow Cooker

I'll make this turkey soup with vegetables on the stovetop in a large pot but if you want, you can easily make it in the Instant Pot or Slow Cooker.

  • Instant Pot version - to make this soup in the Instant Pot, first use the "Saute" function to cook the onion and ground turkey. Then follow the rest of the instructions, adding all the ingredients into the Instant Pot. Then, put the lid securely on the Instant Pot and change the setting to "Soup". Once the timer goes, carefully let the steam out by releasing the pressure valve. And once safe to do so, open the lid, stir and serve.
  • Slow Cooker version - to make this soup in the slow cooker, first cook the ground turkey, onion and celery on a non-stick pan (or saucepan) on the stovetop. Once the meat is cooked through and the onion and celery is soft, add this to the slow cooker. Then add all other ingredients. Set the slow cooker on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours. Stir occasionally and taste before serving.

🥡Storage and Freezing

This ground turkey soup will be good in the fridge for up to 4 days. Simply re-heat on the stove or in the microwave.

You can freeze this ground turkey soup too. Simply let it cool down and then put it in an air-tight container. You can freeze it for up to 3 months. Bring it out of the freezer the night before you want to eat it and then re-heat on the stovetop.

🏅Top Tips

No need to measure (ie, weigh) your ground turkey. This recipe is pretty forgiving so if it's a little more (or less) than what the recipe is calling for, no biggie. And unless it's a MASSIVE package of ground turkey, just use up all the ground turkey in the soup. No fun wrapping up a tiny bit of meat!

Season your ground turkey - and the soup - as you go. If your canned tomatoes and / or chicken broth do NOT have sodium added, you'll need to add it in. I like to add some to the ground turkey when it's cooking; after I add the broth and then again after tasting how the soup is coming along after it simmers for a bit.

I hope you enjoy this ground turkey soup!

If you do try it please, rate and comment below. I love hearing from you❣️

~April

👀Looking for a few more weeknight meals?

Check these easy and healthy ones out:

This post was originally posted on August 30th, 2020. Process shots and helpful copy was added and re-published on November 25th, 2022.

A small pot of turkey soup with corn and tomatoes on a baking sheet

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📖 Recipe

A small pot of ground turkey soup on a baking sheet with a small white bowl in the background

Easy Weeknight Ground Turkey Soup

This Ground Turkey Soup is a perfect healthy and easy soup that you can make on a weeknight. With wholesome ingredients you probably already have like sweet corn, delicious canned seasoned tomatoes and a few dried herbs. This Ground Turkey Soup recipe will be your new favourite go-to soup recipe!
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: American
Keyword: easy soup, turkey soup
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6 adults
Calories: 327kcal
Author: April

Ingredients

  • 2 shallots or 1 small sweet onion, diced
  • 3 stalks celery, diced
  • 1 pkg ground turkey meat about 0.5kg or 500 grams
  • 3.5 cups seasoned, stewed tomatoes, large pieces  1 large can, 28 oz
  • ½ cup tomato paste 1 small can, 5.5 oz
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon dried basil
  • 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • Kosher salt to taste

Instructions

  • Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large pot over medium heat. Saute onion, stirring frequently until soft about 1 min.
  • Add ground turkey and cook until no pink remains, breaking up as you go, with a wooden spoon.
  • Add celery and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
  • Then add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, frozen corn, oregano, basil and a pinch of salt and some pepper. Stir to combine and break up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon.
  • Then add the chicken stalk and put the lid on the pot. Bring to a gentle boil and then turn down heat and simmer on low-medium heat for about 15 minutes.
  • Taste halfway through and add salt and pepper to taste if needed. Serve hot.

Notes

Makes about 12 cups of soup.
Nutrition information is approximate and based on 2 cups of soup.

Nutrition

Calories: 327kcal

Sheet Pan Chicken, Broccoli and Potatoes {Healthy Recipe}

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This healthy sheet pan meal of chicken, broccoli and potatoes is made with simple ingredients and brimming with delicious maple + Dijon flavour! Lean chicken breast, fresh broccoli and creamy potatoes come together in a one-pan dish that makes getting supper on the table a breeze. Healthy, gluten-free eating has never been so fabulous.

Calling everybody who LOVES recipes that are healthy, easy to make and naturally gluten-free!

This sheet pan chicken, broccoli and potatoes recipe is sweet and tangy - thanks to the combo maple syrup and dijon mustard.

Sheet Pan Maple Dijon Chicken and Broccoli Bake

This sheet pan meal of chicken, broccoli and potatoes will be RIGHT up your alley.

I mean, what's not to like?

You get a bunch of ingredients you probably already have in your cupboard or fridge and with the help of some dijon mustard and maple syrup, make a yummy sauce, bake it in the oven and you're off to the races.

In fact, chicken, broccoli and potatoes are some of my favourite ingredients to cook with because they're sooooo versatile and healthy.

Here's some other recipes featuring these same ingredients:

Sheet Pan with broccoli, chicken and potatoes with a wooden spoon in it
The potatoes get a head start in the oven in this recipe so you don't have to pre-boil them.
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📝 Ingredients for this Chicken, Broccoli and Potatoes recipe

  • Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • Baby potatoes
  • Broccoli
  • Maple syrup
  • Whole grain Dijon mustard
  • Olive oil
  • Kosher Salt

And that's all you'll need!

Sheet Pan with chicken, broccoli and potatoes

🔪Instructions

Here's the high level steps, with more details below:

  • First, pre-heat the oven, whisk up the sauce ingredients and prep the broccoli
  • Then, get the potatoes into the oven on ⅓ of the sheet pan to start cooking
  • Add chicken and broccoli to the pan. Coat everything with the sauce and stir to combine.
  • Finishing baking in the oven until the chicken is done and potatoes are soft

🥣Equipment

For this recipe, I use my "baker's half sheet". This pan is about 26 x 18 inches, like it's BIG.

If you don't have a baking sheet this size, you can use 2 standard-sized cookie or baking sheets and just spread the ingredients over the 2 baking sheets.

Cut pieces of chicken, broccoli and potatoes on a baking sheet
I like the grainy dijon mustard in this sheet pan recipe but you can use regular dijon if you don't have the grainy kind.

🔄Substitutions

  • Chicken - if you don't have boneless, skinless chicken breasts boneless thighs will also work just fine too
  • Broccoli - if you don't have broccoli, you could easily swap in another vegetable that's delicious roasted like green beans, cauliflower, or brussel sprouts
  • Baby potatoes - regular potatoes will work in place of the baby or mini potatoes. Just be sure to cut them up into small enough pieces so they finish cooking in about the same time. You could also sub in sweet potatoes too

🥡Storage and leftovers

You can store leftovers of this chicken and potatoes sheet pan meal in the fridge for up to 3 days. To store it, let it cool down first, then divide it into containers and store in fridge.

This recipe makes fantastic leftovers and it's great for meal prep too.

The only problem you'll find with making this for a meal prep is that you'll wanna EAT IT right after making it!

I don't blame ya - I'm the same🙋‍♀️

Close up of potatoes, broccoli and chicken on a baking sheet
Baked chicken, broccoli and potatoes is a near perfect meal.

🥘What to serve with this sheet pan chicken

Since this recipe has chicken, broccoli and potatoes, you've got a complete meal all in one!

But if you want something on the side, why not boost the nutritional-punch of the meal but making a salad while everything bakes in the oven.

Try this Simple Romaine Salad with Radish and Parmesan or this Kale Quinoa Salad with Apple and Spiced Nuts.

Since you have a hot oven, you could also make a healthy dessert to have after you've eaten. Try a spin on a classic one like this Gluten-Free Apple Crisp (healthy recipe) or this Cherry and Peach Crisp with Oat Crumble (Gluten-Free, Healthy)😋

🏅2 Top Tips

#1: When you're pouring the maple sauce over everything, it might seem like it's not enough but trust me: you've got enough to cover everything. Your chicken and veggies won't be drenched and the broccoli will still stay slightly firm and not go soggy.

#2: If you won't be using the mini potatoes, be sure to dice the larger potatoes into smaller pieces. This way, everything will still get cooked around the same time.

This is one meal that really makes gluten-free eating super easy. It's healthy and deeeelicious too😋

Hope enjoy this Sheet Pan Chicken, Broccoli, and Potatoes recipe!

~April

If you love the sound of this recipe, check out these other easy and gluten-free recipes:

This recipe was originally published on April 26th, 2021. Added more copy and tips and re-posted on November 9th, 2022.

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📖 Recipe

Sheet Pan with broccoli, chicken and potatoes with a wooden spoon in it

Sheet Pan Chicken, Broccoli, and Potatoes

This healthy sheet pan meal of chicken, broccoli and potatoes is made with simple ingredients and brimming with delicious maple + Dijon flavour! Lean chicken breast, fresh broccoli and creamy potatoes come together in a one-pan dish that makes getting supper on the table a breeze. Healthy, gluten-free eating has never been so fabulous.
5 from 3 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: gluten free, meal prep, sheet pan, weeknight supper
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 6 adults
Author: April Saunders

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 1 kg; about 4 breasts
  • 1.5 lb baby potatoes about 5 cups
  • 2 medium heads of broccoli

Dressing

  • 2 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoon grainy dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon Kosher salt

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425. degrees F. Cover a large pan with parchment paper.
  • Whisk all sauce ingredients together and chop broccoli into bite-sized pieces.
  • Place the potatoes on ⅓ of the pan and drizzle with olive oil and some Kosher salt. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 15 minutes.
  • While the potatoes bake, cut the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces.
  • When the baby potatoes have been in the oven for ~15 minutes, remove the pan from the oven. Stir potatoes. And the chicken chicken and cut broccoli onto the baking sheet.
  • Drizzle the maple sauce over everything. Gently toss the chicken, broccoli and potatoes to coat in the pan. Add some fresh ground pepper over everything here too.
  • Bake in the oven at 425F for 15 minutes or until meat thermometer in the chicken reads 165F and the potatoes are cooked through. Serve.

How to Boil Broccoli {the RIGHT way}

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Knowing how to boil broccoli the right way is so important to cooking this nutritious veg to keep it, well - nutritious! I'll show you how to boil broccoli so that you KEEP the most possible nutrition plus show you a few other ways to cook broccoli like steaming, roasting, stir-frying, and even cooking it in the microwave from frozen!

I think we've all been at that family get together and there's a vegetable on the table that is just sad.

I'm talking that almost brownish, limp and soggy-sad broccoli.

Ok, EW.

Nothing against those who choose to cook broccoli like this - hey, a lifetime of habits can be hard to break.

I totally get it.

But if you're looking for a way to boil broccoli that doesn't result in a mushy mess, read on.

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Even better still, I hope I can introduce you to a few different ways to cook broccoli that are also easy and keep the broccoli bright and nutritious🥦

And since we're talking all things brocc, here's a few recipes you might want to bookmark for later that feature this fabulous green veg:

🥦How to Boil Broccoli

Alright, so how DO you boil broccoli? Let's get clear on a couple things: for boiling, I'm referring to plunging the broccoli florets into a pot of boiling water for a certain period of time.

Pretty straightforward.

But, it's not necessarily the best way to cook broccoli.

Here's the main problems with boiling broccoli:

  • It's SO easy to overcook the broccoli. Unless you need mushy broccoli for some reason, boiling broccoli by putting it straight into the boiling water is the fastest way to overcook it. In a matter of minutes, you'll have mushy, limp broccoli which is just no bueno🙅‍♀️
  • You lose so much of the nutrition. When you submerge the broccoli into the boiling water, so much of the nutrition leaches out into the water. It's tough to keep the nutrition of the broccoli intact in most cooking methods but plunging into the boiling water is probably the number way to lose as much nutrition as fast as possible

So what to do?

If you want to boil broccoli and lose the LEAST amount of nutrition, you've gotta keep the time in the boiling water to a minimum.

⏲️How long to boil broccoli:

If you're putting the fresh broccoli florets straight into the boiling water, cook for 3 minutes maximum.

After 3 minutes, drain the boiled broccoli. If you're serving it warm with a supper for example, just serve right away.

Draining boiled broccoli right away helps to stop the cooking process.

If you're making the broccoli for a meal prep - like this one: Chicken, Rice and Broccoli Meal Prep or a salad like this Lemony Brown Rice, Broccoli and Feta Salad - you can plunge the broccoli into a bowl of cold water or run it under cold water for a minute or 2.

This optional step of getting the boiled broccoli pieces into a bowl of cold water will stop them from continuing to cook even more. After a few minutes in the cold water, drain the broccoli very well and then use as you need.

How long to boil frozen broccoli:

To boil frozen broccoli, you'll do the same as fresh:

  • Fill a pot up with water about ¾ of the way full and bring to a boil
  • Add broccoli to the boiling water
  • Because the broccoli is frozen, it'll cool off the water and it'll stop boiling so you can put a lid on the pot to keep the heat in
  • Boil for about 3 minutes only
A small pot of water filled with frozen broccoli florets.
Boiling frozen broccoli takes about the same time as fresh - only about 3 minutes so it stays firm and not mushy.

After 3 minutes, the stems of the broccoli should be still firm when you pierce it with a fork.

After boiling, drain the broccoli and serve.

🥦How to Steam Broccoli

Steaming broccoli is, I think, a better way to cook broccoli than just straight boiling.

That's because the broccoli itself doesn't sit right in the water - it's in a basket or steamer of some sort that's sitting on top of the boiling water.

Steaming fresh broccoli in a steamer.
This is what my steamer looks like - sits on top of my large pot (and then I put the lid on to steam the broccoli).

The hot and wet steam is what does the "cooking" of the broccoli in this case.

Here's what you'll do to steam the broccoli:

  • Get a pot with a lid and a steamer. Fill the pot ¾ of the way with water and set the temperature to high on the stove. Make sure that whatever steamer you'll be using fits on top of the pot (ie, where the lid usually would go.)
  • Get your broccoli cut up and place it in the steamer
  • Then, once the water is boiling, remove the lid (carefully!), place the steamer where the lid was and then put the lid back on top

Turn the heat down to medium-high.

Now steaming broccoli, although a better way than straight boiling, can STILL result in the same issues as above: over-cooked broccoli and major nutrition loss.

So to avoid both of those things, the main thing you gotta watch is TIME.

How long to steam broccoli:

Once you have your broccoli in the steamer and overtop of the boiling water, set a timer for 7 minutes.

After 7 minutes, carefully take off the lid and pierce the broccoli with a fork. Is the stem of the broccoli firm but still lets the fork in?

Or is more like raw and too firm?

Also, what is the colour - it should start to become a brighter, vibrant green colour.

If it's still too firm, place the lid back on and set the timer for another 2 minutes to check again.

Once the broccoli is done - firm but not hard and NOT mushy, turn off the heat and remove the broccoli from the heat so it stops cooking.

Serve warm or set aside to cool if using in other dishes (ie, salads.)

How long to steam frozen broccoli:

Steaming frozen broccoli takes a little bit less time.

Because frozen broccoli is usually "cooked" and then it's flash frozen, it doesn't need as long when steaming.

Steam frozen broccoli florets for 5 minutes and then check them with a fork.

Take them off the heat when the stem is firm and before it gets too soft.

Roasted Broccoli with Parmesan Cheese on a white plate.
Love broccoli? Check out this recipe for Roasted Broccoli with Parmesan Cheese

🥦How to Roast Broccoli

Roasting broccoli is one of my favourite ways to cook this vegetable.

Roasting is easy to do and the results are delicious.

Broccoli also lends itself well to roasting with other vegetables like this recipe for Simple Roasted Broccoli and Potatoes (one pan), this Sheet Pan Chicken, Broccoli and Potatoes {Healthy Recipe}, and this one for Roasted Broccoli with Parmesan Cheese.

To roast broccoli, get a large pan and cover it in parchment paper. Spread out the cut florets on the pan and drizzle with some olive oil and Kosher salt.

Cut broccoli on a cookie sheet.
Roasting broccoli is a hands-off way to get a delicious side dish for supper.

How long to roast broccoli:

I recommend roasting broccoli at a high temperature: 425 degrees F for about 15 minutes.

Roasting is a "dry heat" cooking method. Unlike boiling and steaming which are "wet heat" methods.

So you'll notice that the water that's in the broccoli will be dried out and you'll be left with some delicious roasted broccoli, with little crispy bits on top.

Very important for roasting broccoli: be sure to get some olive oil and Kosher salt onto the broccoli so that you get some delicious flavour infused into the broccoli.

Once the broccoli is done roasting, you can serve it right away or use it in meal prep for the week ahead.

Four containers of chicken, rice and broccoli meal prep.
Use boiled, steamed or roasted broccoli in your meal prep for the week ahead! Check out this recipe for Chicken, Rice and Broccoli Meal Prep!

🥦How to roast frozen broccoli

Here's the thing about roasting frozen broccoli: it won't turn out exactly like fresh broccoli that you roast but it'll be pretty close.

Generally, it just takes longer to roast frozen broccoli than fresh.

Frozen broccoli florets can be easily roasted - they'll just take longer than fresh.

Because it has more water in it (from being frozen), you need the heat of the oven to dry it out more.

If you like those little brown bits that you get from roasting like I do, here's how you can get that with roasting frozen broccoli:

  • Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F
  • Get a baking sheet covered with parchment paper, add the frozen broccoli florets
  • Add a little olive oil and Kosher salt over the broccoli
  • Roast for 25 minutes, stirring the broccoli halfway

You'll get a few of those nicely browned tips when you roast frozen broccoli this way.

This is frozen broccoli after 25 minutes of roasting at 425 degrees F.

🥘How to Stir-Fry Broccoli

Stir-frying broccoli is a great way to side-step all the downsides of boiling broccoli.

It's a "dry heat" way to cook the broccoli so you don't have to worry about the nutrition leaching out in a pot of boiling water.

To stir-fry broccoli, cut the heads of broccoli into bite-sized pieces. You want to have the pieces of broccoli small enough so that when they hit the hot pan or skillet during stir-frying, they cook fairly evenly.

Not like you have to break out the measuring tape but you get it: just don't have a big ol' chunk of broccoli and expect to get a nice cook on it with stir-frying😅

For equipment for this stir-fry, if you have a wok, then definitely use that (lucky duck).

But if you're like me and only have a large non-stick pan, that will work too.

Get some olive oil in the pan and heat over medium-high heat. Add the broccoli pieces and stir frequently so that the pieces of broccoli get cooked on all sides.

You can also use a cast iron pan for stir-frying the broccoli too! I love cooking with cast iron and if you're just getting started with cast iron pan cooking, definitely check out these recipes:

How long to stir-fry broccoli:

Stir-frying broccoli doesn't take too long. After 4-6 minutes of stir-frying the broccoli, you'll start to see some browning on the florets.

It'll also turn bright green in colour. Then you know it's time to remove it from the heat.

Stir-fried broccoli in a small pan.
Stir-frying broccoli is so easy and fool-proof.

You can serve the broccoli along side something else you're making like Cast Iron Skillet Boneless Pork Chops with Homemade Spice Rub or add it to a salad or meal prep you're making.

🥦How to Cook Broccoli in the Microwave

Cooking broccoli in the microwave has saved me so many times from having a supper with NO VEGETABLES (gasp!)

The best of us can forget the veg at supper and having frozen broccoli in the freezer can be one of the quickest and easiest ways to get a nutritious vegetable onto the supper table in a pinch.

Bag of frozen broccoli florets.
Frozen broccoli florets are always in my freezer. Good to have on hand when you need veggies STAT.

Here's how to cook broccoli in the microwave from frozen:

  • Get a microwave safe bowl
  • Add the amount of frozen broccoli you need for the meal
  • Add about 2 tablespoon of water per cup of frozen broccoli
  • Place in the microwave to cook on high for about 3-5 minutes, depending on how much frozen broccoli you're cooking
A bowl of frozen broccoli florets.
Two cups of frozen broccoli florets, before cooking in the microwave.

This way, you're really "steaming" the broccoli: the water starts to heat up, produces steam and this thaws out and then heats up the broccoli florets.

My microwave has a "frozen vegetable" setting where you just hit it and the microwave figures out how long to cook it. I find this GREATLY overcooks the frozen broccoli (or any vegetable for that matter) so I find it better to do this way - the "manual way"😄

How long to cook broccoli in the microwave:

For each cup of frozen broccoli, it will take about 1-2 minutes on high to cook through.

I find it's helpful to stir it halfway too so that you can help it cook evenly and check on the broccoli so it doesn't get overcooked.

Frozen broccoli florets after microwave cooking.
Can you spot the water? This is my 2 cups of broccoli, after cooking. I added about ¼ cup of water in the bowl before microwaving on high for 3 minutes. See that vibrant green colour? That's what you're going for.

Alrighty, I hope this helps you figure out not only how to boil broccoli but also maybe inspired you to try some other ways to cook this fantastic vegetable too🥦

~April

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Cast Iron Skillet Whole Roasted Chicken

· 2 Comments

This Cast Iron Skillet Roasted Whole Chicken Recipe will help you get a delicious dinner on the table with only 1 pan to clean after! Roasting the whole chicken in a cast iron pan is so easy to do - plus you'll roast veggies in the same pan. This chicken turns out juicy, tender, and full of flavour - a naturally gluten-free supper the whole family will love.

A cooked chicken in a cast iron skillet with green beans.

You know when you see other people making recipes, like roasting whole chickens, and you're thinking: there's no way I could do that, or that's way to much work, or maybe ewww, I gotta touch that thing?! or a combination of all that?

I was 100% the same, always being intimidated with the thought of roasting a whole freakin' bird?!

Plus, my roasting pan is bulky and waaaaay up on my top shelf in my pantry. ie, not so convenient.

BUT, and this is a big chicken butt🐔, I have finally conquered this "me-no-roasty-chicken-thing" with the help of my amazing cast iron skillet!

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That's the secret to WHY this roasted chicken recipe is so easy: because you'll roast the chicken in the cast iron pan.

I learned this was even possible after I checked out this Bon Appetit video and post on roasting a whole chicken.

After making this whole roasted chicken recipe once, you'll be amazed at how easy it is to have juicy, delicious chicken - without a ton of prep or creating a bunch of dirty dishes.

Side note: if you're just getting into your cast iron pan and love how flippin' amazing it is, join me because I'm lovin' it too!

Here's some of the most popular recipes on the site and all of these use the trusty cast iron pan:

📝Ingredients for whole roasted chicken

  • 1 whole chicken - about 1.5 kg or 3 lbs. Sometimes called a "fryer chicken"
  • Kosher salt
  • Pepper
  • Paprika
  • Dried basil
  • Dried oregano
  • Onion powder
  • Garlic powder
  • 1 lemon - this you'll put inside the chicken when it's roasting
  • 3 yellow skinned potatoes - for roasting in the cast iron pan with the chicken
  • Green beans - same as above, for roasting with the chicken in the skillet. Could also use carrots (see below for other veggie options)

See recipe block below for quantities.

Note: this recipe serves about 4-6 people, depending on what else you're serving.

And this recipe works only for this smaller chicken - around 3 lbs or 1.5 kg. Anything much larger and you'll risk getting a dried out bird (eww.)

A whole chicken cooked in a cast iron pan with green beans.

🔪Instructions

The best part about this cast iron whole roasted whole chicken recipe is that it's EASY.

Here's the high level steps:

Whole chicken before roasting.

Dry the little chicken with paper towels to get a crispier skin.

Small bowl of dried herbs and spices for chicken.

Sprinkle the entire bird with Kosher salt. Mix up spice blend.

Whole chicken in cast iron pan with potatoes and green beans.

Rub spice blend into the skin of the bird. Add lemon wedges inside cavity and drizzle olive oil overtop. Place chicken into the cast iron pan, on top of prepared veggies.

A cooked chicken in a cast iron skillet with green beans.

Roast for approximately 55 minutes but check with an instant read thermometer and take out at about 165 degrees F. Let chicken rest before serving.

See more TIPS below to set you up for success.

All the details are in the recipe card below.

💃Variations

Love garlic lots? Add some whole garlic cloves to the vegetables before roasting or stuff them right inside the bird.

Change up the spice - I do love this classic spice blend for this recipe but I want to change it up too. Next time, I'm going to use try the simple seasoning I use on this Cast Iron Skillet Chicken Breast or the spicer one on this Cast Iron Skillet Boneless Pork Chops with Homemade Spice Rub.

For the veggies - roasting the vegetables in the same pan as the chicken is such a great way to get an all-in-one pan meal. My favourite veggies to roast with this chicken recipe are potatoes and green beans. But I've roasted brussel sprouts, carrots, broccoli and sweet potatoes too! Almost veggie you have on hand will work with the chicken.

A roasted whole chicken with lemon.

🥘Equipment

Since this is a cast iron pan recipe, that's what I recommend using.

If you want to dig out your roasting pan, by all means, go for it. You could also use any other oven safe pan or baking dish large enough to hold the chicken and the vegetables.

⏲️Make ahead tip

Working a day ahead? You can marinade the chicken the day before and keep it in the fridge. This way, you'll not only save some time the day you'll cook it but it also helps the dry spices get into and flavour the bird.

To make this chicken ahead of time, follow the recipe steps up to #4 - adding the dry rub marinade to the chicken.

Keep the chicken covered, in the fridge until you're ready to roast - up to overnight.

Then roast chicken as per instructions below - #5 and on.

The drumsticks of a chicken roasted.
Some lemon in the cavity helps the chicken stay juicy and tender while roasting.

🥡Storage and Leftovers

Leftover chicken is good for up to 3 days in the fridge.

Use the leftovers for lunches with the roasted vegetables - it's delicious the next day too!

🍽️What to serve with roasted chicken

If you add the potatoes and veggies to roast with the chicken, you'll have a complete meal all-in-one pan🏅

If you're looking for something else serve with the chicken, check out these side-dishes that go great with oven baked chicken:

Feeling festive? Really get into the holiday spirit by making this Sugar-Free Cranberry Pomegranate Sauce to serve with the chicken too😋

⏰How long to roast a chicken?

For roasting a whole chicken about 3 lbs or 1.5 kg, it will take about 1 hour to roast in an oven at 425 degrees F.

Personally, I prefer to use an instant read thermometer to check that the chicken has come to temperature.

A larger chicken will take longer and may dry out at the temperature for this recipe.

🏅Top tips

  • Salt is KEY - I'm as salt conscious as the next dietitian and we don't want to over do it but for this roasted chicken recipe, I don't want you to be shy with the salt k? When you're salting it, use 4-5 fingers grabs of Kosher salt (about 1.5 tablespoon total). The measurement of regular table salt will be a little different
  • Dry dry dry - patting down the whole chicken with paper towel before you add the salt and spices helps to get the skin as crisp as possible
  • Bring up to room temperature - if you think of it, take the whole chicken out of the fridge about 30 minutes before you want to roast it. Letting the chicken come to room temperature (or at least shake off the fridge chill) before roasting, makes it more likely you'll get an evenly cooked bird. Not a deal breaker at all but if you can, consider it
  • No extra olive oil for veggies - if you're roasting vegetables at the same time (and why not?!), you don't need any extra olive oil for them. The chicken will sit right on top of the potatoes and carrots. That way, they get a ton of delicious chicken drippings that keep them moist and flavourful through the roasting in the oven.
  • Don't baste!! Basting a small chicken like this will tend to make the skin soggy so resist the temptation
  • Let it rest, babe - this took me a while to get used to but it is worth it: once you take the chicken out of the oven, let it rest before cutting into it. This will allow the juices to go back into the meat (where they belong) giving you the juiciest, most delicious roasted whole chicken😋

Hope you love this recipe like we do❣️

Please leave a comment and rate and review this recipe if you tried it. I would be so grateful - thank you!

~April

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📖 Recipe

A cooked chicken in a cast iron skillet with green beans.

Cast Iron Skillet Whole Roasted Chicken

This Cast Iron Skillet Roasted Whole Chicken Recipe will help you get a delicious dinner on the table with only 1 pan to clean afterwards! Roasting the whole chicken in a cast iron pan is so easy to do - plus you'll roast veggies in the same pan. This chicken turns out juicy, tender, and full of flavour - a naturally gluten-free supper the whole family will love.
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: roasted chicken
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Resting Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 4
Author: April

Equipment

  • 1 Cast iron skillet

Ingredients

  • 1 whole roasting chicken about 3 lbs (1.3kg)
  • Kosher Salt about 1.5 tablespoon total
  • pepper
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 lemon
  • 3 yellow skinned potatoes
  • 4 carrots
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

  • Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F.
  • Pat chicken with a paper towel to remove any extra moisture.
  • Salt generously with Kosher salt. Do it everywhere! All over the chicken, inside the cavity, wings, thigh, up, down and sideways.
  • Mix up the spice blend. Rub into the chicken.
  • Add cut potatoes and carrots to the cast iron pan. Place chicken on top.
  • Drizzle 2 tablespoon of olive oil overtop of the chicken and rub all over. Place cut lemon wedges into the cavity of the chicken.
  • Place the cast iron pan filled with chicken and vegetables into the pre-heated oven. Roast for ~55 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees F. Stir the vegetables around in the cast iron pan halfway.
  • Let rest for about 10 minutes before serving. Carve away and serve with roasted vegetables.

Notes

A note on cooking time: you can check the temperature of your chicken after 35 minutes. The thigh will be approximately 150 - 155 degrees F.
Personally, I like to bring my whole chicken to about 165 degrees before bringing out of the oven.  It will come up in temperature a little bit but will still be juicy inside.

Healthy Cranberry Oatmeal Muffins

· 4 Comments

These Healthy Cranberry Oatmeal Muffins (gluten-free) are bursting with tangy cranberry flavour and pack a nutritional punch! Without any added sugar and filled with fibre-packed fruit and oats, you'll be making these all season long😄

Overhead shot of cranberry oatmeal muffins on a white countertop

Don't you just love cranberry season?

These cranberry muffins are a perfect way to use up those delicious, tart little fruits.

And really, a gluten-free muffin with any kind of fruit can be a real lifesaver when you first go gluten-free.

Think gluten might be a problem for you? Grab this checklist to see how many you check off

Having healthy and gluten-free muffin or bread recipes make it easy to have a breakfast that's a no brainer - or a snack too.

Bookmark these gluten-free baked good recipes for later:

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📝Ingredients for healthy cranberry muffins

  • Gluten Free Flour blend (I love Bob's Red Mill version)
  • Gluten Free Rolled Oats - my fave: Only Oats Gluten-Free Rolled Oats (not the quick ones for this recipe)
  • Baking powder
  • Salt
  • Cinnamon
  • A large orange (for the rind)
  • 2 small or 1 large very ripe bananas - or the thawed ones from your freezer work well
  • Milk - any kind will work - cow's milk or milk alternative like oat or almond
  • Olive oil
  • Unsweetened applesauce
  • Egg
  • Cranberries -  fresh or frozen **If you're buying fresh cranberries, why not pick up an extra bag of them and pop them in the freezer?

Full ingredient list below.

And maybe bookmark this recipe for Cranberry and Orange Oatmeal Scones because you'll use the oats and orange and a lot of the other ingredients.

What is it about the cranberry orange flavour combination? It's just so delicious🤤

And then you add the oats for the trifecta of cranberry orange oatmeal muffins?!

🥣Instructions

These cranberry muffins are so easy to make.

Here's how you make them:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line your muffin pan with silicone muffin cups or brush the muffin tins a little oil
  • Combine flour, oats, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and orange rind in a large bowl
  • In a medium bowl, combine mashed bananas, milk, oil, applesauce and egg with a wire whisk
Add dry ingredients to bowl.
  • Add the banana mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in cranberries
  • Divide batter between muffins cups
  • Bake for 25 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean

🔄Substitutions

  • Cranberries - If you don't have fresh and / or frozen cranberries, dried cranberries will work for this recipe just fine.

There's just one downside...

You don't get the exploding-cranberry-in-your-mouth-taste like you do with the fresh/frozen ones.

That's why you don't need to even cut the cranberries in half before throwing them into the muffin batter.

I typically will buy fresh bags of cranberries and just freeze them.

No need to thaw out the cranberries before using them either. Just throw them whole, right into the batter.

Plus this recipe for Cranberry Pomegranate Sauce is another one to check out.

The cranberry sauce is so good, you can spread it on toast (and yes, turkey!🦃)

cranberry muffins on a white countertop

💃Variations

These cranberry muffins are gluten-free and can easily be made dairy-free too. Just swap out the milk for your milk alternative of choice - oat, almond or even an almond / coconut blend would be totally fine.

🍌How to use frozen bananas in muffins

If you're using up the frozen bananas from deep in your freezer, aim for about ¾ cup of total banana for this recipe.

Much more banana than that and you'll have a very wet muffin that may not cook in the 25 minutes recommended.

To use frozen bananas, either take them out of the freezer the night before you'll be making these muffins or defrost them in the microwave until you can mush them up with a fork.

Drain any excess "banana-y water" before measuring the ¾ cup you'll need.

✅What makes these a healthy cranberry muffin?

There is no sugar in this recipe - white, brown, maple syrup or otherwise.

They DO have a slightly sweet taste from the applesauce and bananas though.

But they are NOT an overly sweet muffin🚫

So if you're used to very sweet baked goods, these healthy cranberry muffins might not be for you.

a cranberry oatmeal muffin cut in 2 on a white countertop

⏲️Baking Time Tip

With most baked goods, when the ratio of "dry" (flours, oats, baking powder or soda, salt, etc) to "wet" (egg, oil, applesauce, milk, etc) is off, a denser muffin is the result and that needs more time in the oven.

For this recipe, if the bananas you use are large, that can boost the moisture up and increase the baking time needed.

If after 25 minutes, the muffins aren't done, put back for intervals of 3 minutes until done, checking after each 3 minutes.

🥡Storage and Freezing

These cranberry muffins will stay fresh in an air-tight container for up to 4 days.

They freeze well - store in an air-tight container and freeze for up to 3 months.

If you make these muffins, be sure to rate and comment below. I love hearing from you.

*virtual* high five🖐️

~April

If you like the sound of these healthy cranberry muffins, here are some other gluten-free recipes to check out:

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This recipe was originally posted September 20th, 2020 and was updated on May 28th, 2022 with more details, notes and new photos.

📖 Recipe

cranberry muffins on a white countertop

Healthy Cranberry Oatmeal Muffins

These Healthy Cranberry Oatmeal Muffins (gluten-free) are bursting with tangy cranberry flavour and pack a nutritional punch. Without any added sugar and filled with fibre-packed fruit and oats, you'll be making these all season long.
5 from 4 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Keyword: gluten-free muffin, gluten-free snack, muffin
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 12 muffins
Calories: 152kcal
Author: April

Ingredients

  • 1 cup gluten-free all purpose baking flour
  • 1.5 cup gluten-free rolled oats *not instant or "quick cooking" oats
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • Fresh grated orange rind
  • 2 very ripe small bananas, mashed or thawed, previously frozen bananas; about ¾ cup total
  • ⅓ cup 1% milk
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • ½ cup applesauce
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line your muffin pan with silicone muffin cups or brush the muffin tins a little oil.
  • Combine flour, oats, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and orange rind in a large bowl.
  • In a medium bowl, combine mashed bananas, milk, oil, applesauce and egg with a wire whisk.
  • Add the banana mixture to the flour mixture and stir until combined. Fold in cranberries.
  • Fill each muffin cup to the top. About 2 tablespoon in each cup.
  • Bake for 25 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.
  • Let muffins cool out of the muffin tins completely. Store in an air-tight container.

Notes

Make double and freeze in an air-tight container for up to 3 months.
Dried cranberries will work in this recipe too. Use 1 cup of dried cranberries.
If your bananas are very large or you're using up the frozen bananas in your freezer, aim for ¾ cup of total banana for this recipe. Much more banana than that and you'll have a very wet muffin that may not cook in the 25 minutes recommended.
If you take the muffins out of the oven after 25 minutes and they're still wet inside, place back in the oven for 3 minute intervals until done, checking after each 3 minute interval.

Nutrition

Calories: 152kcal

Maple Glazed Salmon with Green Beans {one pan recipe}

· Leave a Comment

Easy Maple Glazed Salmon recipe with green beans is a perfect weeknight meal. A simple maple glaze made with real maple syrup and a couple dried herbs from your cupboard brings out THE BEST flavours in this healthy, omega-3 packed fillet of salmon. A healthy supper served in about 30 minutes. Yay!

Salmon on a baking tray with green beans.

Let's dig into this delicious maple glazed salmon!

This is one of my absolutely favourite ways to cook salmon fillets. It reminds me of a piece of salmon I had from the Keg a few years back. There's just something about the maple and the salmon combo that is truly a match made in taste heaven.

For my take on maple salmon, you know I'm keeping it on the healthier side with less butter / oil and sodium than other recipes out there but still loaded with delicious flavour.

The dried rosemary and oregano with the maple and salt is a delicious combo (who knew!?)

By the way, salmon recipes are some of THE most popular on my blog.

If you love salmon and want to know more ways to cook it up, you've gotta check these easy recipes out:

Alright, let's get you making maple salmon in the oven. Your next dinner is as good as served😅

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📝Ingredients for maple salmon

Here's the oh-so-simple list of ingredients you'll need to make this recipe:

  • 1 lb salmon or 4 salmon fillets, 4 oz each
  • Green beans
  • Butter, melted
  • Maple syrup
  • Dried oregano
  • Dried rosemary
  • Kosher salt
  • Fresh ground pepper
  • Olive oil

See recipe card for quantities.

Salmon on a baking tray with green beans.
You can marinate the salmon over night or just get it right into the oven - it works either way!

🔪Instructions

Here's how to make this maple and herbed salmon with green beans.

  • Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F. Pat salmon fillets dry with paper towel
Salmon fillet and green beans on a baking sheet.

Arrange green beans around salmon. Drizzle with some olive oil and sprinkle some Kosher salt overtop.

Melted butter with dried herbs whisked in.

Whisk together melted butter, maple syrup, rosemary, oregano, salt and pepper.

Pour glaze all over salmon and if it runs into the green beans, bonus😉

Salmon on a baking tray with green beans.

Bake in a pre-heated oven for 25 minutes or until salmon is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork. Serve warm

Hint: try not to over cook your salmon. The smaller the piece of salmon, the less cooking time you'll need. Check it after about 15 minutes for doneness.

🐟How to know when the salmon is done

To know when your salmon is done in the oven, you can either:

  • Check the internal temperature with a good instant read thermometer. The salmon is done when it reads 145 degrees F. This has to be in the thickest part of the fish
  • Or, you can test for doneness using the "fork method": when the salmon flakes easily with a fork, in the thickest part of the salmon, it's done
Salmon on a baking tray with green beans.

🔄Substitutions

This recipe is naturally gluten-free and dairy-free.

  • Instead of green beans, French green beans - also known as haricot verts would also be great with this maple salmon.
  • No maple syrup? You can replace with brown sugar. Just whisk the brown sugar into the melted butter until it dissolves and then pour that over the salmon fillets

🥣Equipment

I love baking this salmon on a good ol' baking sheet but you could totally use an oven safe pan, like my favourite - a cast iron pan - to cook this salmon.

If you're going to use a cast iron pan why not get that lovely cripsed-up salmon skin while you're at it?

Simply cook the salmon fillets, without the glaze, in a heated up cast iron pan, skin side down for about 3 minutes.

Then, remove from the heat, add the brown sugar and rosemary glaze overtop, arrange the green beans in the skillet and pop into the oven to finish cooking.

If you do it this way, the green beans might need a bit longer so you can put them on a different tray and into the oven before the salmon in the skillet or just steam them separately on the side.

You could also use a large glass baking dish too.

Salmon on a white plate with green beans.

🥡Leftover maple salmon

Leftover salmon will be good in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Simply re-heat and enjoy.

One of the best ways to eat leftover, cooked salmon? The next morning with scrambled eggs - yum!

If you love the idea of salmon+eggs like I do, check out this recipe for Smoked Salmon Potato Salad too.

🍽️What to serve with maple salmon

Make this a complete and balanced meal by making some basmati rice on the stove while the salmon cooks in the oven. Infuse a little more flavour by making your rice with broth instead of water👌

More ideas on what to serve with salmon here:

Top 10 Healthy Gluten-Free Side Dishes to Serve with Salmon!

🏅Top tip

Got more time than usual? Prep this a day ahead by marinating the salmon in the maple syrup and herbs for even more flavour!

Hope you love this recipe like we do.

If you try it, please rate and comment below. I love hearing from you🙋‍♀️

~April

📖 Recipe

Salmon on a baking tray with green beans.

Maple Glazed Salmon with Green Beans

Easy Maple Glazed Salmon recipe with green beans is a perfect weeknight meal. A simple maple glaze made with real maple syrup and a couple dried herbs from your cupboard brings out THE BEST flavours in this healthy, omega-3 packed fillet of salmon. A healthy supper served in about 30 minutes. Woo hoo!
No ratings yet
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: salmon
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 adults
Author: April

Ingredients

  • 1 lb salmon or 4 salmon fillets, 4 oz each
  • 3 cups green beans
  • 1 tablespoon butter, melted
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 2 teaspoon oregano
  • 2 teaspoon rosemary
  • ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
  • Fresh ground pepper
  • Olive oil

Instructions

  • Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F. Pat salmon fillets dry with paper towel.
  • Arrange salmon fillets on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper.
  • Whisk together melted butter, maple syrup, rosemary, oregano, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Pour glaze over salmon.
  • Arrange green beans around salmon. Drizzle with some olive oil and sprinkle some Kosher salt overtop.
  • Bake in a pre-heated oven for 25 minutes or until salmon is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork. Serve warm.

Notes

Leftovers are good in the fridge for up to 3 days. Gently re-heat and enjoy again.

Roasted Broccoli with Parmesan Cheese

· 2 Comments

Oven roasted broccoli has never been easier or more delicious! This roasted broccoli recipe uses fresh broccoli, garlic, salt, lemon and parmesan cheese. Baked broccoli has the best flavour with slightly charred florets and tender stems. It's a perfect side dish for any meal - on a weeknight or as part of your next holiday spread.

Roasted broccoli on a white plate.

Calling all broccoli lovers!🥦

One of THE BEST ways to prepare this highly nutritious vegetable is oven roasted.

Baked broccoli brings out the best flavour with slightly charred florets and tender stems.

In fact, roasting vegetables tends to bring out the best in a lot of them!

Check out these recipes if you love roasting veggies:

When you first go gluten-free, recipes like easy roasted vegetables are a life saver.

They're naturally gluten-free, simple to make, and fit into your busy schedule.

Just getting started with gluten-free eating? Cut out these foods STAT. Grab the cheat sheet here.
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📝Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make this oven roasted broccoli recipe:

  • Broccoli - fresh, not frozen
  • Olive oil
  • Garlic
  • Kosher salt
  • Lemon
  • Parmesan cheese

See recipe card for quantities.

Roasted broccoli on a white plate.

🔪How to make roasted broccoli

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking pan with parchment paper.
Cut broccoli florets.

Cut the broccoli florets into bite size pieces. Cut the stalk into ⅛-inch thick, round slices.

Putting olive oil on cut broccoli.

Place the broccoli into a mixing bowl and toss with the olive oil, garlic, Kosher salt and pepper.