Trust us, we know how real the struggle is to cook dinner after a long day at work. Pulling up our favorite food delivery app happens more than we’d like to admit.

If you’re tired of settling for fast food, need to save a little $$$, or are trying to prioritize your gut health via whole foods, here are three gut loving weeknight meals you’ll look forward to cooking almost as much as you look forward to devouring.

• Cuban Black Bean Soup
• Midweek Korean Bibimbap
• Green Goddess Slaw Topped with Seared Shrimp

Some Reasons These Recipes Are Good For Your Gut

• One word, FIBER.
• Variety of veggies. Tasting the rainbow isn’t just for candies.
• Fermented foods like kimchi make an appearance.
• We likely don’t need to tell you about the healing power of bone broth.
• Meal planning cuts down on stress, and your gut loves when you reduce the stress in your life.
  
  

Slow Cooker Cuban Black Bean Stew

Ingredients

• 2 15-ounce cans reduced-sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
• 32-ounce bone broth (we used chicken)
• 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1 smoked ham hock
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 1 medium red sweet pepper
• 1 medium fresh jalapeño pepper, seeded (if desired) and finely chopped
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 Tbsp cider vinegar
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano, crushed
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Top With

• Greek Yogurt or Sour Cream
• Green Onions
• Lime Wedge

Directions

1. In a small mixing bowl, mash one can of beans until nearly smooth. In a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine the mashed beans, whole beans, and the next 13 ingredients (through black pepper). Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours or on high 3 to 4 hours.
2. Remove ham hock. If desired, cut meat from bone and return meat to soup, discard bone.
3. Top with a dollop of yogurt/sour cream and chopped green onions. Serve each bowl with a lime wedge for additional acidity and brightness.
   
   

Midweek Bibimbap

Ingredients

• Meat
• 5 ounces minced protein of choice (we used beef)
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp coconut sugar
• 1/4 tsp minced garlic
• 1 cup seasoned spinach
• 3 cups fresh baby spinach
• Water to boil
• 1 tsp green onion, finely chopped
• ½ tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp roasted sesame seeds
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1 cup seasoned mung bean sprouts
• 1 cup mung bean sprouts
• Water to boil
• 1 tsp green onion, finely chopped
• ½ tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp roasted sesame seeds
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1 cup shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
• .5 cups carrots, julienned
• 1.5 cups of uncooked rice (we used jasmine rice)
• 4 eggs (or one egg for each serving)
• Oil to cook the meat, mushroom, carrots, and eggs (we used avocado)

Toppings

• Nori, sliced thinly to top each bowl
• Kimchi
• Sesame Seeds
• Bibimbap Sauce

Bibimbap Sauce

• 2 Tbsp gochujang
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp coconut sugar
• 1 Tbsp water
• 1 Tbsp roasted sesame seeds
• 1 tsp apple vinegar
• 1 tsp minced garlic

Directions

1. Mix your ground meat with 1 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp sesame oil, 1 tsp brown sugar, and 1/4 tsp minced garlic. Cover and set in the fridge to marinate for 30 mins.
2. Prep all your veggies and mix all the bibimbap sauce ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
3. Cook your rice following the directions on the package. While your rice is cooking, you will prepare the other components of the Bibimbap
4. Bring a pot of salted water to a rolling boil. This will be used to cook your spinach and bean sprouts.
5. Prepare your spinach
6. Once the water is boiling, cook the spinach in the water for 30 seconds. Immediately run cool water over the spinach to stop the cooking process. We used a metal strainer to make this easier.
7. Drain the spinach and press out any excess water.
8. Add the spinach to a bowl with 1 tsp finely chopped green onion, ½ tsp minced garlic, 1 tsp roasted sesame seeds, and 1 Tbsp sesame oil. Mix well and set aside
9. Prepare your bean sprouts
10. In the same water you blanched your spinach in, cook your bean sprouts for 1 min. Immediately run cool water over the sprouts to stop the cooking process. We used the same metal strainer to make this easier.
11. Add the sprouts to a bowl with 1 tsp finely chopped green onion, ½ tsp minced garlic, 1 tsp roasted sesame seeds, and 1 Tbsp sesame oil. Mix well and set aside
12. Add oil to a skillet and heat to medium high to high heat, add your ground meat, and brown (takes about 4 mins). Set aside while you prepare the other toppings.
13. In the same skillet, cook your carrots for 2-3 minutes, adding salt to taste. Set aside.
14. Next, in the same skillet, cook your mushrooms for 2-3 minutes, adding salt to taste. Set aside.
15. Finally, in that skillet, fry each egg over easy and set aside.
16. Construct Your Bibimbap
17. Put the rice into a bowl and add the meat, and assorted vegetables
18. Top with kimchi, seasoned seaweed, bibimbap sauce, and sesame seeds.
19. Finally, top each bowl with an egg and enjoy!
    
    

Green Goddess Slaw Topped with Seared Shrimp

Ingredients

• 1 avocado
• ¾ cup buttermilk
• ¼ cup yogurt or sour cream*
• ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 6 cups shredded cabbage
• 2 cups snow peas, thinly sliced
• 2 cups carrots, julienned
• 1 Tbsp Avocado oil
• 1-pound raw shrimp
• Salt & Pepper

Directions

1. Combine avocado, buttermilk, yogurt/sour cream, parsley, chives, lemon juice and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a blender. Blend on high until smooth.
2. In a large bowl combine cabbage, snow peas, carrots, and dressing. Mix until everything is evenly coated.
3. Heat oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Pat dry shrimp and cook until browned, 1 to 2 minutes per side.
4. Top the slaw with the shrimp, salt and pepper to taste, and enjoy!

Tip: If you would like to omit dairy, you can try utilizing a vegan sour cream in place of both the yogurt/sour cream and buttermilk. To do so, increase the amount of sour cream to ¾ cup. Then add 2 Tbsp of water and 1 Tbsp of lemon juice when you blend the green goddess dressing.