35 Fresh Spring Recipes

These spring recipes highlight all the produce this season has to offer! Browse our fresh ideas for dishes with asparagus, peas, radishes, carrots, and more.

When spring rolls around, it’s all we can do not to jump into cooking everything asparagus, radishes, and carrots. Because after a long winter, there’s nothing better than the invigorating crunch of fresh spring produce! Once bright green chives start popping up in our garden, we start looking for the first signs of radishes and looking forward to our local farmer’s market jumping to life.

Here are some of our favorite spring recipes that use the produce of the season. Depending on where you’re located, the following produce may be in season in spring (per the USDA’s Seasonal Produce Guide). You’ll see this produce featured in the recipes below, or click each ingredient to find more recipes on how to use it. We can’t wait to hear what you try!

And now, our top fresh spring recipes!

Asparagus Pasta with Lemon

Here’s a great way to use those popular bright green spears: Asparagus Pasta with Lemon & Parmesan! This one pairs chewy tagliatelle noodles with lemony roasted asparagus, garlic, and Parmesan. Topped seasoned breadcrumbs and peppery basil leaves, the combination of flavors is unbelievably fresh and savory.

Simple Carrot Soup

Here’s a spring recipe that tastes like sunshine: carrot soup! This recipe is ideal for when you’ve got spring carrots on hand. Bold, bright flavor exudes from this orange puree, and it’s lusciously creamy with a hint of cream. It’s great as a first course, or for lunch with grilled cheese.

Easy Chicken and Rice

This glorious one pot chicken and rice meal really is the easy spring dinner you need in your life. It’s cozy and comforting, from the garlic and herb scented rice to the tender chicken thighs. The zingy parsley lemon gremolata makes the ideal fresh counterpoint to the cozy grains.

Salmon and Asparagus Sheet Pan Meal

Here's an easy spring dinner that pleases everyone: this baked salmon and asparagus recipe! It’s simple, it’s elegant, but it tastes like something you’d order at a restaurant. Roasting it up on a sheet pan with lemon slices and fresh herbs adds effortless flavor that feels fresh yet refined.

Carrot Cake Cookies

These soft and chewy cookies are here satisfy your cravings in a quick and easy way. Imagine all the best elements of carrot cake – the moist, spiced cake base, the vibrant flecks of carrot, the sweet crunch of walnuts or pecans – condensed into bite-sized perfection!

Vibrant Spring Soup

This green vegetable chowder has a bright green color and homey vibe. It’s full of spring vegetables: green peas, baby greens, chives, and mint. The soup has a cozy, hearty and almost meaty flavor from cumin, coriander, and garlic, set off by the fresh herbs. Add a squeeze of lemon to heighten the brightness, and top with a good sprinkling of mint.

Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

Here’s a meal that’s the equivalent of sunshine in a bowl: lemon chicken orzo soup! Zingy citrus always lifts our spirits, and this one is almost guaranteed to make your day brighter. We’ve packed this new soup recipe with tender shredded chicken and fluffy orzo, all in a zesty lemon broth seasoned with garlic, oregano and dill.

Peas with Lemon

What's more of a spring recipe than peas? Peas can taste amazing in 5 minutes. Yep, you can transform these green spheres into an easy side dish that everyone around the table will love. (Promise!) The secret? A little olive oil, butter, garlic and lemon.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Here’s a festive spring recipe: Carrot Cake Cupcakes! These little cakes are fun, easy to put together, and overwhelmingly satisfying. The moist, carrot-studded cakes have just the right warm spiced interior. Piled high with tangy cream cheese frosting, the flavor combination is out of this world good.

Pasta Primavera

Ready for a veggie-filled pasta that celebrates spring? Meet this pasta primavera. Pasta primavera is all about fresh, green spring veggies and a delicate, light flavor. It’s everything that a heavy mac and cheese or lasagna are not. So once the first sprouts of green start to come in the spring: we start to crave pasta primavera.

Glazed Lemon Bread

This glazed buttermilk lemon bread recipe is perfect for spring! We've created the moistest, fluffiest, zingiest lemon loaf possible, topped with a flavor-popping zingy citrus glaze! It's easy to whip up with just 10 ingredients and no mixer required.

Lemon Dill Salmon

This easy spring dinner idea has captured our heart: meet this lemon salmon! The salmon is roasted right on top of actual lemon slices and butter, which bakes into a sauce that you can spoon over the tender fish. Seasoned with a little dill and garlic powder, you can broil the top to get it lightly crisp after baking. It's so simple and one of our new favorite ways to cook up this tasty fish!

Asparagus Risotto

Creamy, savory, crunchy, and zingy: this spring recipe truly sublime: asparagus risotto! Roast up some asparagus with lemon at the same time that you’re stirring up a creamy risotto on the stovetop. Then throw the tender bright green asparagus into the risotto, right along with the lemon. You’ll wish the pot would never end.

Simple Carrot Salad

Serve this carrot salad to your friends and family, and they’ll be singing your praises! We know because when we make this at our house, it disappears within minutes. It’s simple and refreshing, featuring strings of carrots doused in a tangy Mediterranean-style vinaigrette.

Strawberry Mousse (3 Ingredients!)

Ripe berries, heavy cream, and a touch of sweetener take just minutes to whip up into a pile of fluffy, berry-scented goodness. If you’re like us, you can add a handful of crushed pretzels when serving for that nostalgic sweet and salty hit! It’s such a fun treat that everyone in our family adores.

Potato Leek Soup

Here’s a creamy spring soup recipe that stands above the rest: Potato Leek Soup! There’s just something about cupping your hands around a steaming bowl or mug that comforts the soul, isn’t there? This classic combines the sophisticated sweet essence of leeks with humble potatoes and rich cream for a truly luxurious dish.

Classic Asparagus Quiche

The buttery scent of this recipe in the oven may win you one or two marriage proposals…or at least it will have the neighbors wandering by to snatch up leftovers. Try this crowd-pleasing Asparagus Quiche! It’s packed with savory, cozy flavor, perfect for spring brunches or light dinners with a crisp glass of white wine.

Butter Lettuce Salad

There’s nothing lovelier than the bright chartreuse of young spring lettuce leaves. Here’s a simple way to make them into an impressive side dish: this Butter Lettuce Salad! These delicate lettuce leaves are irresistible coated in creamy, savory Parmesan Peppercorn dressing and topped with a few simple veggies and Parmesan shavings. A sprinkle of crunchy breadcrumbs seals the deal.

Roasted Radishes

Looking for a unique spring recipe? May we present…roasted radishes! Here’s one way to eat them most people haven’t thought of: roasted up in a hot oven! They’re unlike anything you’ve tasted before: tender, mild, and almost sweet.

Roasted Asparagus with Lemon

Need a side dish on the table fast? Try this roasted asparagus! It’s so simple: the asparagus is tossed with olive oil, salt, pepper, and lemon zest. The secret ingredient? Grated garlic, which infuses a delightful savory flavor. Throw that lemony garlic asparagus in the oven and roast for 10 to 15 minutes, until it’s tender.

Carrot Cake Muffins

Here’s the spring muffin recipe you need in your arsenal: carrot cake muffins! These are beautifully moist and spiced, with cozy spices interspersed with pecans and bright strands of carrots. Add a tangy cream cheese glaze to decorate the tops, and it takes them into rockstar territory! This recipe is perfect in the spring, but we like it anytime of year: it’s a hit with friends and family alike!

Simple Radish Salad

Try this Fresh Radish Salad! It’s a great way to use this crisp, peppery veggie for lunches and as an easy side dish. Throw together the radishes with crunchy cucumber, chickpeas, olive oil and vinegar it makes a delightfully zingy mix. This spring salad has just the right proportions to highlight the refreshing flavor of this veggie.

Carrot Cake Pancakes

Looking for tasty pancakes that are perfect for spring? Try these Carrot Cake Pancakes! They’re lightly sweetened with maple syrup, tender and moist from the carrots, and perfectly spiced with cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Even better, top them with maple Greek yogurt and the sweet tang is magic.

Asparagus Salad with Feta

Another spring salad recipe? Try this asparagus salad! It’s got savory sautéed asparagus, cooked up in a hot pan for a few minutes then spritzed with lemon. Add that to a bed of greens and sprinkle with peppery radishes and salty feta cheese. A Dijon mustard dressing tops it off, perfectly balanced with tangy and savory notes.

Strawberry Bread

Here’s a festive spring treat that’s nearly impossible to resist: Strawberry Bread! This sweet quick bread is sweet and moist, studded with ripe red berries and scented with vanilla. Each bite will have you coming back for more! It’s fantastic as is, but drizzle it with a quick lemon icing to finish with a pop of zingy sweet.

Crustless Quiche with Spinach

Looking for a spring brunch recipe to impress? Try a crustless quiche! This concept is our favorite for entertaining: it’s deliciously savory and hearty, with lots of protein to keep bellies full all morning. Even better: it’s so easy to whip up!

Honey Glazed Carrots

Here's a great spring side dish recipe: Honey Glazed Carrots! What’s better than a butter and honey glaze? This recipe comes together in just 15 minutes, and the flavor is out of this world: sweet, savory, and salty, with fruity and floral notes from the honey.

Spinach Rice with Feta

Here’s a fun way to turn spring spinach into a classy side dish: Spinach Rice! Take plain old white rice and cook up a pot with spinach and garlic, then flavor it with a pop of lemon and sprinkle of feta cheese. It’s an elegant side dish that you can serve for guests or just use to spice up weeknights.

Romaine Lettuce Salad with Green Goddess

Try this refreshing spring Romaine Salad! The electric green of the romaine leaves, pastel dressing and delicate pink radishes have a fresh monochrome effect tastes as good as it looks. The Green Goddess Dressing smothers it all in herbaceous creaminess. Take it over the top with a sprinkle of crunchy breadcrumbs, an ingenious alternative to croutons.

Classic Rhubarb Crisp

Here’s late spring's best treat, if you can find a bunch of those magical pinkish-green stalks: Rhubarb Crisp! This homey dessert is absolute summer nostalgia: each bite is a burst of gooey, sweet tart candy topped with a golden oat crumble. Top it with melty vanilla ice cream, and there’s nothing better than scooping up heaping mouthfuls.

Easy Deviled Eggs

Deviled eggs are everything spring, and these have got a twist: Greek yogurt in the filling along with the mayo. Along with both yellow and Dijon mustard, it adds the perfect flavoring to these eggs without being overly rich! Garnish with dried dill or smoked paprika, or a mix of the two to make it festive.

Strawberry Lemonade

Got fresh strawberries? Here’s one of the best ways to use them…a pitcher of homemade Strawberry Lemonade! This drink is bright and beautiful, citrusy with a hit of berry on the finish. It tastes infinitely better made at home: the flavors are brilliantly fresh.

Spinach Feta Frittata

Spring is ideal for a frittata! This light, Italian egg pie is often served for breakfast or brunch, but it works for dinner too. This one has just the right thickness and texture. The spinach feta filling is perfectly salted, savory and delicious. You can make it with lots of different fillings, but this one is a knock out.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Muffins

Here’s a spring recipe that’s even more delicious than it sounds…these insanely tasty Strawberry Cream Cheese Muffins! Imagine: a muffin with a tender crumb: just sweet enough and delightfully moist. Then add a strawberry cream cheese topping, that coats everything in sweet savory richness.

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

Spring is all about lemon, and these Lemon Ricotta Pancakes! are perfect for the season! They’re impossibly fluffy and light, with a pop citrus flavor on the finish. Even better: they’re packed with protein and made with half the flour of a normal pancake! Add more spring flair with Strawberry Compote or Rhubarb Compote.

35 Fresh Spring Recipes

★★★★★

5 from 1 review

Author: Sonja Overhiser
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 3 to 4

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Description

Celebrate spring with asparagus pasta! Lemony roasted asparagus pairs with fresh basil and Parmesan for an irresistible dinner recipe.

Ingredients

For the asparagus

1 pound thin asparagus spears, cut into 2” pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
1 lemon (zest from half, plus slices from the other half)

For the pasta

8 ounces tagliatelle or fettuccine
¼ cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, grated
½ teaspoon dried oregano
⅛ teaspoon chopped Calabrian chilis or ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
¼ cup Parmesan shavings
2 tablespoons Italian seasoned panko
¼ cup fresh basil leaves, for garnish

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Roast the asparagus: Cut off the tough bottom ends of the asparagus and cut it into 2” pieces. Add the stalks to a foil-lined baking sheet. Drizzle the asparagus with the olive oil, and add the kosher salt and a few grinds of black pepper.
Slice the lemon in half crosswise. Thinly slice 4 wheels from one half of the lemon, then add them to the baking sheet. Zest the other half of the lemon, sprinkle it onto the asparagus and mix with your hands to coat. Bake 10 to 15 minutes, until tender when pierced by a fork at the thickest part. The timing will depend on the thickness of the asparagus spears.
Cook the pasta: Meanwhile, bring a salted pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta to al dente (taste testing a minute or two before the package instructions indicate). Do not drain.
In the serving bowl, stir together the olive oil, oregano, grated garlic and chilis. When the pasta is done, use tongs to transfer the pasta from the boiling water into the bowl with the oil mixture without draining. Toss with the olive oil mixture until coated. Add the roasted asparagus and toss. (If desired, transfer to a serving platter or individual plates.)
Top with the Parmesan shavings and panko. Add basil leaves and serve immediately.

Category: Main dish
Method: Roasted
Cuisine: Spring
Diet: Vegetarian