Top 16 Lighter Recipes for January

If you enjoyed plenty of festive feasting recently but are looking to bring things back into balance, my Top 16 Lighter Recipes for January are just right for you.

I’ve selected my favourite lighter recipes from the blog and brought them together in one post.

I’m not a big fan of the word ‘healthy’. I think it’s your overall diet that’s important, not a particular dish, so wouldn’t label these recipes as such. But there’s no denying they’re perfect for whenever you want something lighter yet full of nutritious, good things.

Here you’ll find juices, soups, salads as well as larger meals.

Kale, Spinach, Apple, Celery & Lemon Juice

This is a great juice to get started on if you’re not used to the sometimes more challenging green juices. With green apples & lemon in the mix, the result isn’t bitter at all but rather sweet and tart with the leafy veg providing pleasant, grassy undertones.

Fennel, Apple, Orange, Lemon, Ginger & Mint Juice

This is a light, refreshing juice. You don’t often see fresh fennel in juices, but I love its mild aniseed flavour. Fennel is also very high in vitamin C as well as being a good source of potassium, calcium and iron so it’s a great addition to your diet.

Griddled avocado with balsamic-roasted tomatoes, chilli, coriander & mint salad

This is a wonderfully refreshing salad and a lighter, lower-carb alternative to the usual avocado toast. Lightly charring the cut sides of the avocado adds flavour and interest. Herbs, lime and chilli bring a fresh zing.

Cucumber, Avocado & Mint Gazpacho

Don’t just save gazpacho and other cold soups for Summer. This incredibly nutritious version of gazpacho omits the usual tomatoes and instead includes cucumber, yellow pepper and creamy avocado. Flavoured with perky lime, mint and chilli it’s sure to brighten the dullest day.

Simple Lentil Soup

This comforting soup is a fine example of the fact that good food doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. With split red lentils, onion, garlic, cumin and lemon, you can use this as a base for a range of nutritious, economical soups.

Roasted Vegetables with Feta Dressing, Walnuts, Pumpkin Seeds & Crispy Kale

This dish contains ALL of your daily recommended portions of fruit and veg. As well as beetroot and butternut squash, there’s roasted peppers, onions and broccoli, crunchy nuts and seeds as well as moreish crispy kale. Drizzled with a tangy feta and yogurt sauce with a few raw veggies on the side, there’s never been a tastier way to get your 5-a-day.

Vegetable Feta Flapjacks with Nuts & Seeds

I call these tasty squares, packed with vegetables, feta cheese, herbs, nuts and seeds, ‘flapjacks’. But they’re so much more than a savoury version of the popular oaty snack. Great hot or cold, I like to eat them as a vegetarian main course with lots of salad.

Chicken Chilli

I’ve made it my mission to introduce ‘white’ chilli, popular in the US, to Britain. I think it’s a lighter alternative to many traditional chillies, whether meat or veggie. Instead of a tomato base there’s sweetcorn and white beans as well as chunks of chicken. The spicy mix is finished with a little cream, coriander leaf and lime juice.

Vitamin Rich Salad with Tahini-Soy Dressing

What better way to give yourself a boost than with a crunchy, raw salad packed with vitamin rich vegetables? A generous drizzle of Tahini-Soy Dressing with its combination of earthy, tangy and umami flavours makes this salad one you’ll want to make again and again.

Roasted Beetroot Hummus

A great variation on the classic Middle Eastern dip, with beetroot introducing a sweet earthiness without overwhelming the chickpeas and tahini of the original. Roasting the beetroot and garlic adds depth of flavour. I love it topped with feta, pine nuts and mint.

Courgetti in avocado, cashew & basil sauce with roasted tomatoes

Tasty and super-quick, this is a plant-based bowl of goodness that’s much lighter than traditional pasta and sauce. With creamy avocado and cashews, the dressing goes excellently with lightly sauteed courgette strands or ‘courgetti’.

Roast Beef Salad with Horseradish Dressing

Made with perfectly pink roasted beef sirloin, roasted carrots, garlicky beans, crispy kale and an easy, creamy horseradish dressing, this salad is a nod to the traditional roast beef dinner but without the heaviness.

Miso, Ginger & Sesame Vegetable Salad

The sweet and tart, zingy dressing for this salad is made in about five minutes. All that’s left to do then is decide what crunchy, colourful veg you want to dress with it. I love carrot, red pepper, cucumber, onions, radish, greens and herbs.

Baked falafel, zhug chilli-herb sauce & tahini dressing

This recipe for falafel is foolproof. They’re baked rather than fried so it’s quicker, easier and less calorific. Instead of the usual pitta or flatbread, serve with a big bowl of raw veggies plus creamy tahini dressing and zhug based on chillies and herbs.

Green Bean, Tomato & Coconut Curry

Based on a classic Sri Lankan dish, this curry is full of spicy flavour. Creamy coconut milk in the sauce is balanced by tomatoes and a final squeeze of lime. Use fresh or frozen green beans of any kind in this easy, plant-based main meal.

Tahini Miso Vegetable Slaw with Crispy Chickpeas

This big, satisfying bowl has crunchy shredded vegetables in a dressing based on creamy tahini and umami-rich miso. A scattering of crispy, moreish roasted chickpeas tops it off.

If you make any of my Top 16 Lighter Recipes for January I’d love to hear what you think of them. Just leave a comment on the recipe’s page.