Embrace November’s bounty with warming, seasonal recipes
- Adam Bush
Published: November 2, 2026 at 12:42 PM
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Get inspired by November's best ingredients, from crunchy, nutty celeriac to sweet, chewy dates and rich, gamey duck
Want to know what’s in season in November? Looking for November recipe ideas? Use crunchy, nutty celeriac, rich and gamey duck, and sweet leeks from your local greengrocer to make these seasonal dishes and bakes. We’ve included plenty of tips for shopping for specific varieties, as well as prepping guides and recipes to showcase and make the most of the fruit or vegetable.
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After, check out our best October recipes, December recipes and January recipes and read our guide by nutritionist and chef Nicky Clinch explaining the power of eating seasonally and why it's better for all of us.
Pork
Pork was traditionally eaten in months ending in ‘r’ – in those months it is colder and, due to the lack of refrigeration, this stopped the meat from spoiling as quickly as in the hotter months.
Crackling roast pork loin with spiced apples
This joint cooks quickly, slices beautifully and can be doubled up easily for a crowd.
Pork belly with beans and pistou
Pistou is a French sauce made simply with garlic, fresh basil and olive oil. It's perfect for spooning over this dish of slow-cooked pork with silky cannellini beans.
Pumpkins
Pumpkins are a type of winter squash with a sweet, delicate flavour and pleasing yellow-orange flesh when you cut through the hardy orange or green skin. They are incredibly versatile – steam and purée to fold into cake batters, sweet pies and breads, or roast in chunks and stir through risottos, salads, soups and sandwiches. You can eat the seeds, too – roast the washed and dried seeds in olive oil until crisp and toasted, and use as a topping for salads and soups.
Pumpkin curry
Make the most of pumpkin season with this easy, warming one-pot.
Pumpkin spice muffins with cream cheese frosting
Make your own pumpkin purée to combine with warming autumnal spices for these seasonal pumpkin muffins. Top with cream cheese frosting for a stunning finish.
Kale
One of the most well-known and versatile cruciferous vegetables. It has flat or tightly curled leaves (called curly kale) around a thick stalk and comes in a few colours, including green and purple. Try to find whole-leaf kale so you can pull the leaf from the very tough stalk yourself. Pre-shredded kale comes with the stems still attached, which can be tough when eaten raw or after blanching. For a healthy snack, try roasting for 5-8 mins to create moreish crisps, similar to crispy seaweed.
Turmeric fried eggs and kale salad
This vibrant veggie bowl brings together turmeric-fried eggs, crisp kale and roasted chickpeas for a punchy, satisfying plate. A quick drizzle of tahini ties everything together. Ready in under 30 minutes, it’s a brilliant gluten-free option for a fresh, energising lunch or a savoury brunch.
Kale and gnocchi parmesan bake
Our veggie gnocchi bake is a clever way to transform shop-bought gnocchi. A simple, homemade tomato sauce is the base for this cheesy midweek dinner. Top your bake with mozzarella, kale, parmesan, and breadcrumbs, then put it in the oven until bubbling and browned.
Brussels sprouts
Brussels sprouts are part of the cabbage family. When buying, look for bright green outer leaves that are tightly wrapped around each other.
Roast sprout and turkey caesar salad
Grab that last bag of sprouts and roast until crisp, then serve with loads of lettuce, leftover turkey and a speedy dressing.
Brussels sprouts gratin
Even the staunchest Brussels sprouts sceptic will waver at this festive side. The key to the convert: cheese, bacon and lots of it. It’s rich, savoury and almost guaranteed to win over the table.
Brussels sprouts bhajis with raita
For a playful twist on classic onion bhajis, swap in seasonal Brussels sprouts. Shredded and lightly spiced, they fry to crisp little clusters that are brilliant for sharing. Pair them with a cool, minty dip and you’ve got a standout starter for a winter dinner party.
Clementines
A type of mandarin that is small and sweet, and is in season over the winter months. When buying, look for unblemished skin.
Clementine posset
These silky, zesty desserts only require 15 minutes of hands-on time but look really impressive – perfect if you're hosting a dinner party or planning a special meal.
Chocolate and clementine torte
Make the most of clementine season with this luxurious dinner party dessert. It’s hard to believe this elegant torte comes together with just seven ingredients. Serve with generous swirls of boozy Cointreau cream for a bright, citrusy finish.
Pears
There are thousands of pear varieties but the most commonly found ones are Conference, Comice, Red Williams and Concorde. When buying, look for pears that have a little give at the top or bottom – they ripen from the inside out – and avoid any that are bruised or mushy.
Pear, ginger and almond tart
Impress at your next dinner party with this frangipane tart, studded with juicy pears and flavoured with warming stem ginger.
Autumn fruit salad with pomegranate dressing
Who says autumn has to be dull? Brighten up your weekend brunch with this vibrant fruit salad, where juicy seasonal fruits meet creamy Greek yogurt and a sweet, tangy pomegranate dressing.
Celeriac
Derived from wild celery and similar in flavour, celeriac is a large, bulbous root with thick skin. It also sometimes comes with a bunch of wild celery still attached (you can use this as you would celery). Its crunchy, nutty, creamy and firm flesh makes it extremely versatile – use in curries, slaws, salads and soups. Buy it with the leaves on, if possible, as they are the best indication of freshness and quality.
Truffled celeriac and cavolo nero lasagne
Layers of celeriac béchamel swirled with a delicious cavolo nero pesto, plus a hint of very good truffle oil to add a note of luxury to things.
Curried celeriac
Celeriac works really well in this curry as the roasted cubes soak up the flavours of the spices. Serve with steamed rice for a warming vegan dinner.
Venison
Wild venison is a wonderfully lean meat and is incredibly versatile. With its slight gamey taste it can be paired with strong flavours and can be used similarly to beef. Sear steaks on a barbecue or griddle pan, and serve with mash for a wintery dish, or slice and serve with red fruits in a summery salad. It can be slow-cooked, roasted or stir-fried. It’s one of the most sustainable meats to eat, high in protein and low in cholesterol.
Venison pastitsio
Put a seasonal spin on classic Greek pastitsio by swapping beef for venison mince. Its rich, gamey flavour pairs beautifully with the warming spices in the sauce, creating a hearty, comforting dish with a sophisticated twist.
Venison steaks with caraway crushed swede
Pair venison steaks with buttery crushed swede in this winter warmer – it will be ready and on the table in less than an hour.
Duck
With a rich, gamey flavour, duck can handle being paired with strong, punchy flavours. It has a thick layer of fat covering it that needs to be rendered, but this makes for delicious meat. The breast is best eaten medium or blushing pink inside; the legs should be slow-cooked or confited, as they do in France.
Roast duck with plum sauce
You can make this recipe in an air fryer or regular oven. In either case, it’s best to start the duck off in a pan to render down the fat properly.
Duck ragu
How's this for a winter warmer? Get cosy with slow-cooked duck legs in a garlicky red wine sauce, tossed through pappardelle.
Dates
Dates are the fruit of date palms, which originate in the Middle East. The fruit grows in clusters at the top of the palms, more than 50 feet off the ground. They have an intense sweetness and mild fruitiness, making them great to use in both savoury and sweet dishes.
Date and ginger chocolate torte
This flourless chocolate is as delicious as it is spectacular. To finish, the cake is topped with a spiced whipped custard, chocolate shavings and candied hazelnuts.
Baklava-style stuffed dates
These are sweet, crunchy and filled with a baklava-style nut and spice mixture.
Date and walnut cake
If you’re after a bake that’ll earn you serious praise at a coffee morning, make this date and walnut cake. It’s wonderful sliced and toasted, then topped with a spoonful of seasonal stewed apple and a drizzle of custard. Some may say that’s a bit much for a mid-morning treat, but they’d be entirely wrong.
Winter Cabbage
Savoy is the most popular of the winter cabbages, with crinkly leaves and fairly dense, packed heads compared to the spring/ summer varieties such as spring greens. You can avoid any unpopular cabbage smells by roasting the leaves instead of boiling them, and they gain a smoky flavour by charring them first. You can also stir-fry, air-fry or barbecue cabbage to make the most of its flavour.
Charred winter cabbage with caesar dressing and bacon croutons
A comforting medley of charred cabbage (we suggest Savoy), chunky sourdough croutons, bacon bits and a quick yogurt and anchovy dressing.
Cabbage soup
Warm up with an aromatic bowl of cabbage soup, made punchy and colourful with dill, tomato and lemon.
Leeks
From the same family as onions and garlic but with a sweeter flavour. Choose small or medium leeks, as larger ones tend to be a bit woody. Leeks are incredibly versatile and can be used in place of onions in most recipes – just remember to cook them well, as they can be raw-tasting and stringy if undercooked.
Swede, leek and smoky bacon boulangère
Top this buttery root veg and streaky bacon boulangère with parmesan breadcrumbs – pure winter comfort.
Vegan leek and potato soup
Make a plant-based version of this classic soup that’s just as creamy as the original.
Swede
Also known as rutabaga or neeps, swede is a root vegetable that’s a cross between a cabbage and a turnip. It has a mild cabbage flavour, with a hint of spicy mustardy pepperiness. Traditionally mashed with potato (neeps and tatties) or with carrot, it can also be thinly sliced and layered with cream in a gratin, roasted in wedges with cheese, or simply mashed with butter. It’s also the traditional veg in a Cornish pasty. Make the swede the hero of your dish by roasting with spices and tossing through noodles or pasta.
Teriyaki swede bowls
Swede is a great carrier for strong flavours – the slightly sweet edge it takes on when roasted pairs well with teriyaki sauce.
Gochujang swede noodles
Roast cubes of swede in a sweet and salty gochujang dressing for a moreish, simple midweek noodle dish.
Mussels
These dark blue/black, shiny shelled bivalves are best eaten when the waters are cool, from October to March. Look for fresh, live mussels rather than pre-cooked, to ensure freshness. Discard any with chipped or broken shells, give them a sharp tap on a worksurface to make sure they close, and discard any that don’t. Remove their beards – the tuft of fibres sometimes attached to the mussel. This is where they’ve attached themselves to the seabed or rope, if rope-grown. Surprisingly quick and easy to cook, mussels can be an effortless yet impressive main. Simply steam and stir into rice or pasta dishes, or serve on their own with fries.
Cambodian-style aromatic mussels
Seasonal mussels get an aromatic Cambodian twist in Gurdeep Loyal's latest on-trend recipe.
Popcorn mussels
Serve these crispy breaded mussels as a pre-dinner snack or canapé at your next party, with sriracha mayo, hot honey vinegar and ranch dressing for dipping.
Mushrooms
Mushrooms truly come into their own during the autumn months, when wild varieties are in season. Their earthy, savoury notes make them a natural pairing with robust autumn produce such as squash, root vegetables, nuts, and herbs like sage and thyme. Mushrooms work beautifully in a wide range of dishes, from rich risottos and hearty pies to creamy sauces and comforting stews. For the best results, cook mushrooms gently to allow their natural juices to release and concentrate, enhancing their umami depth.
Wild mushroom pappardelle
Turn foraging for wild mushrooms into a fun date-night adventure, then toss them into this creamy pasta for two. Ready in just 30 minutes, it’s an easy and rewarding meal after your endeavours.
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Mushroom udon noodle traybake
Try serving the noodles in this veg-packed dinner with a jammy boiled egg for an extra hit of protein.
Authors
Adam BushDeputy food editor
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