From plant-forward meals and vibrant salads to nourishing one-pot dishes and easy soups, this collection is filled with healthy dinner recipes that will become your go-to favorites all year long.
Quick Overview
Is eating healthy one of your goals for the New Year? I’m glad you’re here! In this roundup, I’m sharing my favorite healthy dinner recipes that let you enjoy nourishing meals without sacrificing flavor.
Inspired by everyday dishes I cook for my own family, these recipes focus on balanced nutrition, seasonal ingredients, and simple techniques that make wholesome weeknight dinners easy to prepare.
My Quick Tips for Healthy Dinners At Home
- Focus on balance, not restriction. A healthy Japanese meal is all about balance. Include a protein, vegetables, rice, and soup to create a satisfying, nutrient-rich dinner. Inspired by the Ichiju-Sansai (一汁三菜) formula, this approach ensures a good mix of flavors and nutrients without feeling deprived.
- Keep it simple and adaptable. Use everyday ingredients, and swap vegetables or proteins based on what’s in season or what your family enjoys.
- Make it colorful. Mix a variety of veggies keep your plate visually appealing while boosting nutrition.
- Prep ahead when possible. Chopping vegetables, cooking rice, or preparing proteins in advance can save time on busy weeknights and make healthy dinners feel effortless.
I hope you’ll discover new favorite healthy dinner staples from the recipes below!
Plant-Forward & Vegetable-Based Meals
Japanese Tofu Steak with Mushroom Ankake Sauce
Lightly pan-fried tofu is topped with a savory mushroom ankake sauce in this comforting Japanese home-style dish. High in plant protein and naturally gluten-free (with simple swaps), this healthy tofu steak comes together in just 30 minutes.
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Hot Tofu (Yudofu)
With just tofu and kombu stock, you can enjoy protein-rich and nourishing Hot Tofu (Yudofu) at home. This comforting tofu hot pot is possibly the easiest tofu dish that you can make! {Vegan/vegetarian adaptable}
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Vegan Poke Bowl
With savory pan-fried tofu, vibrant vegetables, and brown rice, this beautifully crafted Vegan Poke Bowl makes the perfect midweek meal. It's healthy, delicious, and super easy to make. Ready in 20 minutes!
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Creamy Miso Pasta with Tofu and Vegetables
This creamy miso pasta with tofu is a comforting, plant-based dinner you can enjoy any time of year. It’s wholesome, deeply flavorful, and ready in 20 minutes or less. Swap the asparagus with vegetables like broccoli, edamame, or peas depending on what you have on hand.
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Quick Salads & Vegetable Sides
Yamitsuki Cabbage
Yamitsuki Cabbage is an irresistible izakaya side dish made famous by the Japanese BBQ chain Gyukaku. The crisp cabbage tossed in sesame oil, garlic, salt, sesame seeds, and umami seasoning is so simple yet addictive. You'll keep going back for more!
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Spinach Ohitashi (Japanese Spinach Salad)
Steeped in a savory dashi broth, Japanese Spinach Salad uses a simple method called ohitashi to infuse the greens with subtle umami flavor. It‘s one of the classic Japanese cooking techniques used to prepare vegetable side dishes. {Vegan Adaptable}
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Carrot Ginger Dressing
If you enjoy the sweet-tangy salad dressing served at Japanese restaurants, this delicious Carrot Ginger Dressing recipe is for you. Seasoned with miso, rice vinegar, and sesame oil, it’s a light and refreshing dressing that will zest up any green salad.
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Japanese Roasted Kabocha Squash
This Japanese-style roasted kabocha squash is an easy, delicious way to enjoy this nutritious vegetable. Thinly sliced and oven-roasted until tender, it’s lightly seasoned to highlight kabocha’s natural sweetness.
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Nourishing Soups
Zosui (Japanese Rice Soup)
Zosui is a comforting Japanese rice soup I often make when I want something gentle and nourishing. Simmered in a savory dashi broth with vegetables, mushrooms, and softly cooked eggs—or made vegan with plant-based dashi. It’s a mild, soothing meal that helps refuel your energy.
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Instant Pot Tonjiru
Tonjiru (or Butajiru) is a hearty pork and vegetable Japanese miso soup. Pressure cooked for just 1 minute in the Instant Pot, tonjiru will be your ultimate, comfy soup for the fall and winter months!
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Miso Soups
Miso soup is my everyday comfort and the quiet backbone of Japanese home cooking. Naturally rich in probiotics and nourishing to the body, it’s something we enjoy year-round. With endless variations that follow the seasons, no two bowls are ever quite the same. And that’s what makes it so special!
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Japanese Egg Drop Soup (Kakitamajiru)
Japanese Egg Drop Soup, or Kakitamajiru, is a delicious and homey soup! Made with dashi broth and fluffy egg ribbons, it is everything you crave in a bowl of soup: delicate, flavorful, and restorative. Ready in 15 minutes!
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One-Pot and One-Bowl Rice Dishes
Ochazuke (Green Tea Over Rice)
Craving a dish that is light yet comforting? This easy, homemade Ochazuke with green tea or dashi, steamed rice, and simple savory toppings will hit the spot.
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Takikomi Gohan (Japanese Mixed Rice)
Takikomi Gohan is a wonderful and comforting Japanese mixed rice recipe made with seasonal ingredients. It‘s a savory bowl of flavorful rice that‘s perfect to serve with simple meals.
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Niratama Donburi (Stir-Fried Garlic Chives and Egg over Rice)
Made with four simple ingredients, Stir-Fried Garlic Chives and Egg over Rice (Niratama Donburi) is a comforting quick dish when you‘re short on time. Top it with your favorite chili crunch for a kick of umami and spice.
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Japanese Rice Porridge (Okayu)
Japanese Rice Porridge or Okayu is so simple and easy to make. All you need is water and rice to make this traditional healing food. Add your choice of toppings to this warm and comforting dish that soothes the body and restores energy.
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Healthy Fish Dinner Recipes
Japanese Salted Salmon (Shiojake/Shiozake)
In this easy Japanese Salted Salmon (Shiozake/Shiojake) recipe, I‘ll teach you how to cut, salt, and broil your own Japanese-style salmon fillets. Enjoy this flavorful fish with crispy skin as a filling for rice balls, in a bento lunchbox, or as the wholesome centerpiece of a traditional Japanese breakfast.
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Miso Salmon
This Miso Salmon is marinated in a sweet and savory miso sauce and broiled until the outside is beautifully crisp and the inside is perfectly moist. It‘s even better when you serve the fish with Japanese ginger rice. You‘ll make it a staple in no time.
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Salmon in Foil
Moist, tender, and full of flavor, quick and simple Salmon in Foil is the perfect weeknight dinner. This foolproof recipe is easy to cook on the stovetop or in the oven, and cleanup is a breeze. On the table in under 30 minutes!
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Miso Cod (Black Cod with Miso)
Miso Cod is an exquisite Japanese seafood recipe of succulent and buttery black cod that simply melts in your mouth! With just a handful of ingredients, you can recreate this restaurant-quality delicacy at home.Can't find sablefish (black cod)? You can use Alaskan black cod, sea bass, or salmon.
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Sanpeijiru (Japanese Salmon Soup)
A popular recipe from Hokkaido, Sanpeijiru is a wonderful salted salmon soup with a variety of hearty root vegetables cooked in a kombu dashi broth. You‘ll enjoy this delicate and tasty soup on a cold day!
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Healthy Chicken & Meat Dinners
Chicken Bok Choy Stir Fry
In my easy Chicken Bok Choy Stir Fry recipe, I'll share my tips for keeping the chicken breast tender and juicy. It's a fresh, lean, and tasty dish to make any night of the week.
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Nikujaga (Japanese Meat and Potato Stew)
Japanese Meat and Potato Stew (Nikujaga) is one of the most iconic home-cooked dishes in Japan. This comforting dish features thinly sliced beef and chunks of potatoes simmered in a savory and sweet broth. It's easy to make and tastes even better the next day!
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Oyakodon (Chicken and Egg Rice Bowl)
Oyakodon is a classic comfort food of Japanese home cooking. Tender pieces of chicken, onion, and eggs are simmered in an umami-rich, dashi-based sauce and then poured over a bowl of fluffy steamed rice. It's simple, delicious, and utterly comforting.
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Instant Pot Short Ribs (Pressure Cooker)
This Instant Pot Short Ribs recipe is my family‘s all-time favorite comfort meal. Seasoned in a savory Japanese sauce, the marbled boneless beef cooks to tender perfection in just 30 minutes under pressure. It‘s wholesome and so satisfying!
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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on January 7, 2020, and has been republished in January 2022.