All the Green Things Salad
This salad is absolutely chock-full of lovely green spring produce, with textures ranging from crunchy to creamy. You can make the zippy lemon dressing and blanch, drain, and chill the peas and asparagus up to 2 days ahead, but combine all the elements shortly before serving to preserve the color of the avocado and the crunch of the greens. Delicate pea tendrils or shoots would be spectacular here, but watercress makes a delicious peppery substitute. Though you may be tempted to use only one herb, we urge you to use both: The parsley adds a burst of freshness, and the mint contributes deep herbal goodness.
Herbed Ricotta, Asparagus, and Phyllo Tart
If working with phyllo dough fills you with fear, don’t worry—this recipe is beginner-friendly. There’s no crimping or folding the dough; you just lay flat sheets of dough on top of each other for a rustic, unfinished edge. Do make sure to thaw the phyllo according to package directions—preferably overnight in the fridge. Properly thawed dough won’t stick together and is relatively easy to work with. Skip past the big, fat asparagus spears you might see this time of year; you need thinner spears so that they’ll get done in the 20 minutes it takes to crisp the dough.
Eggs in a Garden Breakfast Tart
Thanks to ever-handy, store-bought puff pastry, this stunning savory tart is shockingly easy to make. The flakey puff pastry crust cradles 8 over easy eggs, surrounded with vibrant spring vegetables (thus, the recipe’s name). What you have here is an incredibly impressive option for your next brunch gathering. Serve with a side of roasted red potatoes or fresh fruit for a complete meal that’s sure to wow.
Arugula, Egg, and Charred Asparagus Salad
Just a hint of char on the asparagus adds fantastic complexity to this simple 5-ingredient spring salad. Look for medium stalks rather than pencil-thin ones—those would char and dry out too quickly. A soft-boiled egg adds protein and richness; let the slightly runny yolks mingle with the rest of the salad before enjoying. Whole-milk Greek yogurt has a lusciousness and milder tang than lower-fat yogurt. It’s the perfect binder for the lemony dressing. Serve with a slice of multigrain bread spread with goat cheese and a dash of cracked black pepper.
Braised Artichokes, Favas, and Carrots in Creamy Lemon Sauce with Fennel
The olive oil emulsifies with the braising liquid to create a silky sauce that deliciously coats the bright spring veggies. Thin lemon slices, charred and caramelized in a cast-iron pan, make a nice garnish.
Green Gazpacho with Corn and Radish Salad
Green (unripe) tomatoes have more vitamin C and calcium than the more popular ripe red ones, and they are rich in B vitamins, vitamin A, and vitamin K. They make a deliciously tart, tangy addition to a chilled gazpacho.
Vegetable Soup au Pistou
A traditional French pistou is a nut-free pesto, but the spinach pesto (or any refrigerated brand) is delicious here. Don't rinse the canned beans after draining; any remaining starches will help bring the soup together.
Spring Vegetable and Quinoa Salad with Bacon
Quinoa offers this dish a hearty base, while the spring veggies take over along with the bacon for a flavorful ode to spring.
Kale and Beet Salad with Salmon
White balsamic vinegar is slightly sweet; cider vinegar is tangier. Either will be delicious here.
Chicken Salad with Roasted Beets and Dandelion Greens
Dandelion greens can be quite bitter, but the olive oil, lemon, and salt in the dressing—and the sweet beets—mellow them so they give no more than a pleasant edge to the salad.
Spinach-and-Vidalia Dip
Sweet Vidalia onions add an unexpected twist to the creamy, crowd-pleasing spinach dip appetizer.
Spring Vegetable Pizza with Gremolata
Serve with Creamy Tomato Soup.
Balsamic Kale and Radicchio Sauté
Serve a delicious and healthy side dish made with kale, radicchio, and garlic.
Roasted Red Pepper and Ricotta Soup
To make your satisfying supper hit the table even faster, go ahead and prep this creamy soup through step 1 in the morning. Then, all that's left to do is heat the soup and throw together a salad.
Asparagus with Lemon-Parmesan Breadcrumbs
Breadcrumbs offer a crunchy texture to these asparagus stalks.
Spring Vegetable Soup
Use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock to make this a vegetarian dish.
Braised Mustard Greens with Spring Onions
Meltingly tender, these mustard greens get a little snap from a drizzle of cider vinegar and a good quantity of spring onions.
Crunchy Zucchini Chips
Ann's kids fell in love with these chips, and you will, too. Besides the savory seasoning, the crispy zucchini rounds have a secret whole-grain weapon: amaranth in the breading. It makes them amazingly crunchy without overpowering the vegetable. Serve them with burgers, sandwiches, or grilled chicken.
Snap Peas with Herb Butter
These gorgeous peas are lavishly tossed in a butter and herb mixture with dill, chives, and lemon juice.
Spring Beet and Pea Salad
Wilson suggests using your best olive oil to indulge both your veggies and your palate.
Beets, Snow Peas, and New Potatoes with Garlic-Parsley Skordalia
Skordalia is a traditional Greek garlicky puree enriched with potatoes, nuts, and bread. The skordalia base can be made up to 3 days ahead; stir in the yogurt just before serving. Skip bland crudités (baby carrots, celery sticks) and try earthy beets infused with cinnamon, red potato wedges, and crisp sautéed snow peas. In addition to a dip, you can use the skordalia as a spread for sandwiches or crostini.
Savory Carrot Ribbon Tart
With its tangle of bright carrot strips and bits of spicy chorizo, this beautiful tart makes an exciting appetizer or even a light main dish. An all-butter puff pastry, such as Dufour, gives especially flavorful and flaky results, but it's delicious made with any kind of puff pastry.
Spring Vegetable Soup
Use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock to make this a vegetarian dish.
Fresh Peas with Mint and Green Onions
The combination of fresh peas with mint yield a harmonious and nutrition side dish. Peas are in the legume family, and these vegetables are typically high in protein and fiber, yet low in fat and cholesterol. Because they're higher in protein than many other types of vegetables, they're a good source of protein in vegetarian diets.
Avocado-Tomatillo Dip with Cumin Pita Chips
Tart tomatillos keep this dip a bright green and prevent the avocado from discoloring, even after a day or two in the refrigerator. Look for tomatillos in the produce section of most large supermarkets.
Butter-Dipped Radishes
These simple spring radishes offer a punch to any dish. Save the greens for use in salads, smoothies, or pestos.
Chilled Sesame Asparagus
Cooked asparagus is quickly chilled and then tossed with a simple soy-sesame vinaigrette for a tangy side dish to serve at pot luck gatherings or with cold cuts and sandwiches.
Braised Mustard Greens with Spring Onions
Meltingly tender, these mustard greens get a little snap from a drizzle of cider vinegar and a good quantity of spring onions.
Fava, Sweet Pea, and Sugar Snap Salad
Minty Pea Soup with Parmesan Croutons
This pea soup gets a pop of flavor from sprigs of mint.
Spring Pea Salad with Creamy Curry Dressing
Wonderful flavor comes from Madras curry powder--it's bold but not too heavy. If you can only find regular curry powder, start with half the amount we call for.
Pea Shoot Salad
Pea shoots offer the crunch of a salad green with the springy sweetness of green peas. They take wonderfully to Asian seasonings like soy sauce, rice vinegar, and ginger. Grating garlic accentuates its pungency.
Spring Vegetable Penne with Lemon-Cream Sauce
If you can find them, use shelled fresh English peas instead of frozen.
Cobb Salad Pizza
Add quick-cooking chicken cutlets and refrigerated pizza dough to a mix of fresh vegetables for a light and lovely meal.
Cucumber Soup
This fresh first-course cucumber soup features the addition of avocado, which lends the soup a creamy touch as well as gorgeous color.
Mixed Greens and Nectarine Salad
This simple salad pairs juicy nectarines with a vinaigrette featuring walnut oil. For a delicious fall salad, substitute sliced pears or apples.
Farro Salad with Peas, Pancetta, and Radishes
Toss farro with a radish mixture, peas, pancetta, arugula, and more to make this salad.
Spring Herb and Goat Cheese Linguine
Now's the time to use spring herbs with abandon, adding them by the handful to salads, eggs, and pasta. This quick vegetarian main dish combines your choice of herbs with a little cream and some goat cheese, which melts in the heat of the pasta to lightly coat each strand. Crumble more cheese on top.
Edamame Succotash with Shrimp
Edamame stand in for lima beans in this one-dish meal. If you like your food spicy, use 2 jalapeño peppers.
Miso-Braised Mustard Greens
Miso greens lend a pop of intense color and flavor to any dish.
Baby Artichokes with Creamy Horseradish-Dill Dip
If there are any pink or purple leaves in the center of the artichoke, scoop them out with a spoon or cut them out with a knife; they'd be tough even after cooking. Soaking the artichokes in lemon water prevents them from browning. For tips to prepare artichokes for cooking, see "Reach the Heart of the Artichoke," page 22.
Spring Beet and Pea Salad
Wilson suggests using your best olive oil to indulge both your veggies and your palate.
Lemony Cucumber Salad
Don't forget that something fresh, vibrant, and crunchy is often missing from potluck gatherings; this easy salad will get gobbled up quickly because it satisfies on those levels.
Sauteed Sugar Snap Peas with Chile, Lemon, and Mint
Mint adds a fresh finish to this side dish, but fresh chopped thyme or oregano leaves will also pair well with the snap peas.
Triple Green Salad
Baby greens, green onions, and loads of parsley (it's even in the dressing) give this salad lots of fresh spring flavor.
Spinach-and-Romaine Salad with Cucumbers, Radishes, and Creamy Mint Dressing (Janie's Spinach Salad)
This salad is a tumble of great flavors and offers a wonderfully fresh and bright springtime feel thanks to the fresh mint.
Asparagus and Spring Greens Salad with Gorgonzola Vinaigrette
Serve this savory salad alongside a nice steak or a piece of flavorful fish, such as tuna or salmon.
Spring Polenta with Radishes and Garlic Scapes
This simple, luscious spring main uses chickpeas in place of a more traditional protein. The results are delicious.
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