Delicious all year round as comfort food, soul food is African-American ethnic cuisine closely associated with the south. But if you grew up with or love eating fried chicken, biscuits, dumplings and barbeque, you know it’s not exactly good for your heart—or your family’s waistlines.
These five recipes are healthier versions of classic soul food favorites, and are sure to please the pickiest eaters in your family.
1. BBQ Chicken Sandwich With Broccoli Slaw
An easy way to sneak veggies into dinner if your kids don’t like them, the broccoli slaw in this sandwich uses Greek yogurt as a probiotic-rich, low-fat substitute for mayonnaise, and features apples for sweetness. Shredding the chicken breasts instead of frying them and making your own BBQ sauce makes for a healthier alternative to pulled pork. Serves 4.
Ingredients:
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup full or low-fat Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 medium carrots, shredded
- 2 broccoli stems, julienned
- 2 green apples, julienned
- 4 whole wheat hamburger buns
- Agave syrup
Directions:
- In a medium saucepan, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. Add chicken breasts. Reduce heat to simmer and cook until the chicken is fully cooked, about 15 minutes. Remove chicken from liquid and let cool. Once the chicken is cool, use two forks to shred the meat. Place chicken breasts into a large bowl. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar and agave. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Pour the sauce into the bowl with the chicken and coat the chicken with the healthy barbeque sauce.
- In a separate medium bowl, mix together the Greek yogurt and red wine vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the carrots, julienned broccoli and apples to the yogurt mixture. Mix to coat the sauce with the vegetables.
- To assemble each sandwich, place a quarter of the chicken on the bottom of each bun. Place a quarter of the broccoli slaw on top of the barbecue chicken. Add the top bun to each sandwich and serve.
(Source: CookForYourLife)
2. One-Pot Jambalaya
A New Orleans classic, this rice-based dish is packed with flavor thanks to a combination of smoked andouille sausages and chicken thighs. This kid-friendly version keeps the creole flavor but isn’t as fattening or spicy, thanks to smoked turkey sausage, shrimp and less cayenne pepper. Feel free to omit the shrimp and use chicken if your family has any allergies. Serves 4.
Ingredients:
- 20-24 large shrimp, peeled and deveined, shells reserved
- 3 cups low sodium chicken broth or water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 ounces smoked turkey sausage, sliced into ¼ inch rounds
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 red or orange bell pepper, chopped
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tsp chopped, fresh thyme or ¾ teaspoon dried
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon Tabasco or other hot sauce, to taste
- 1 can (14.5 oz) diced fire roasted tomatoes
- 1 ¼ cups brown rice
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 4 scallions, sliced
Directions:
- If using shrimp: Make a shrimp stock by placing the shrimp shells in a medium saucepan with the chicken broth or water. Bring to a boil then lower the heat until the liquid is gently simmering. Simmer for 20 minutes then strain the liquid, reserving it. Discard the shrimp shells.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large Dutch or heavy-based pot. Add the sausage and brown on both sides, 3-4 minutes.
- Add the onion, peppers and celery and season them with salt and pepper. Cook for 5-6 minutes until they start to soften.
- Stir in the garlic and tomato paste. Cook for another two minutes, then add the bay leaf, thyme, oregano, cayenne and Tabasco.
- Stir in the tomatoes along with their juices and the rice.
- Pour the chicken broth into a measuring cup and if needed, adding enough water (or shrimp stock) so that you have three cups of liquid. Add the liquid to the pot and stir to combine all the ingredients well. Taste the liquid and season it with salt and pepper to taste.
- Bring the liquid to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Cover the pot and cook until rice is just cooked through, about 50-55 minutes.
- Stir in the shrimp, lemon juice and half the scallions. Cover the pot and cook for another 7-8 minutes until the shrimp are pink and cooked through.
- Uncover the pot and cook for another few minutes until any extra water has evaporated.
(Source: The Foodie Physician)
3. Old Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings
Whether you’ve eaten it at a Cracker Barrel or at your grandmother’s house, chicken and dumplings is a classic recipe with few ingredients and lots of flavor. It usually features biscuit-like dumplings in a creamy broth of butter and spices; this version uses nonfat buttermilk and incorporates carrots and peas for a healthier base. Serves 6; 1 ⅓ cups stew and 3 dumplings per serving.
Ingredients:
- 1 ¾ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 1 ½ inch pieces
- ⅔ cups all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
- 2 large carrots, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning, plus one additional teaspoon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 14 ounce cans reduced sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup water
- 1 ½ cups frozen peas, thawed
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup nonfat buttermilk
Directions:
- Toss chicken with 2/3 cup all-purpose flour in a medium bowl until coated.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Reserving the remaining flour, add the chicken to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
- Reduce heat to medium and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the pot. Stir in carrots, celery, onion, 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper.
- Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Sprinkle the reserved flour over the vegetables; stir to coat.
- Stir in broth, water, peas and the reserved chicken. Bring to a simmer, stirring often.
- Meanwhile, to prepare dumplings: Stir whole-wheat flour, 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning, baking soda and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Stir in buttermilk.
- Drop the dough, 1 tablespoon at a time, over the simmering chicken stew, making about 18 dumplings.
- Adjust heat to maintain a gentle simmer, cover and cook undisturbed until the dumplings are puffed, the vegetables are tender and the chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes.
(Source: Eating Well)
4. Baked Catfish and Hush Puppies
Found in rivers and freshwater lakes across the U.S., catfish is a cornerstone of African-American cooking. Enslaved people from West Africa ate it out of necessity and this cheap form of protein is still on the menu at every soul food restaurant. That’s because it is delicious when well prepared. When it’s baked and served with hush puppies instead of deep fried, it’s perfect for health conscious families and picky eaters. Serves 4-6.
Ingredients:
For the catfish:
- 1 pound catfish filets
- ½ cup cornmeal
- 1 tablespoon cajun seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ tsp salt
For the hush puppies:
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ cup onion, finely diced
- 2 eggs, beaten
- ⅔ cup milk
- 4 tablespoons canola oil
Directions:
For the catfish:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a shallow dish, mix together cornmeal, Cajun seasoning, garlic powder, and salt.
- Place a catfish fillet in the cornmeal dish. Coat completely. Remove to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat for remaining catfish.
- Bake at 400°F for 20-25 min, until the fish is cooked through, golden, and flaky.
For the hush puppies:
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Spray cups of mini muffin pans with nonstick vegetable spray.
- Blend cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and red pepper in a medium bowl.
- Stir in onion.
- Beat eggs, milk and oil in a small bowl.
- Add to cornmeal mixture and stir just until blended.
- Spoon batter into prepared muffin pan, filling cups 1/2 to 2/3 full.
- Bake until golden, about 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
(Source: TheGraciousWife, Food)
5. Red Beans and Rice
Another NOLA staple, red beans and rice makes a great side dish or a vegan main course. Serve this version with quinoa instead of rice for a protein boost; you could also add vegan or regular sausage for a heartier dinner. Serves 6
Ingredients:
- 4 15 oz cans of red kidney beans
- Drizzle of olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
- 4 stalks celery, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 ½ tsp smoked paprika
- 2 bay leaves
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- 5-6 cups vegetable broth
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (optional)
- Lime juice, salt and pepper to taste
- Quinoa or rice
Directions:
For beans:
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook onion, pepper, celery and garlic for 5 minutes, until onion is soft.
- Add chopped chipotle peppers (if using), thyme, oregano, bay leaves, smoked paprika and cayenne. Cook for a minute, stirring constantly.
- Add the beans and two cups vegetable broth (or enough to cover the beans), and stir well. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes, until the beans are flavorful. Stir occasionally and add more broth or water as needed. Remove bay leaves once beans are done cooking.
- Mash the beans with a spatula or side of fork to make them creamier.
- Season the beans with lime juice, salt and pepper.
- Cook quinoa or rice according to package directions, for desired number of servings.
(Source: CookingForPeanuts)
