43 Spring Dinner Ideas That Will Bring You Back to Life
What comes to mind when you think of spring dinner ideas? Maybe an appetizer of simple, fresh spring vegetables with bagna cauda? A spring pea pasta recipe with some glazed shallots and crusty bread for the main event? Carrot cake for dessert? Whatever you’re craving, whatever course, we imagine it leans on spring produce—because why wouldn’t it? It’s the best, especially after months and months of root vegetables.
The main dishes you’ll find below do what we all want them to, which is to say they feature fresh herbs, asparagus, snap peas, artichokes, leeks, spinach, watercress... It’s almost an embarrassment, the riches of green things that come with the season. Almost.
So pour a glass of white wine and ready yourself, because here are our favorite veggie-forward spring dinner ideas (and when you’re ready, head over to our best springtime desserts).
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Sean Dooley, Prop Styling by Beth Pakradooni2/43Papas con Rajas
Potatoes and poblano chiles are the stars—the combo is a great side dish or vegetarian taco stuffing—but garlic, jalapeños, and crema are important supporting characters in this spring recipe.
Photograph by Isa Zapata3/43Spring Orzotto
No one’s saying you can’t make your own pesto if you really want to, but the quick part of this quick, fresh take on risotto has store-bought pesto to thank.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Prop Styling by Nicole Louie4/43Spring-y Rice and Lentils with Coconut Yogurt
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Taneka Morris, Prop Styling by Dayna Seman5/43Spring Greens With Hot Bacon Vinaigrette
Hot fat from bacon drippings mixes with vinegar to dress kale, Swiss chard, and watercress in this vitamin-packed spring recipe. It would be great as an Easter side dish, but really, we like eating a big bowl of it for a cozy, casual dinner.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Christina Allen6/43Herby Salmon and Potato Salad
A sheet-pan dinner gets the salad treatment with help from lemon-dressed herbs, briny olives, sweet pickled peppers, and jarred artichokes—speaking of which, don’t throw out the marinade.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Beth Pakradooni7/43Potato and Pea Chowder
Heavy cream alone wouldn’t be enough to thicken this spring chowder, but we won’t ask you to make a roux. Simply mashing some of the potatoes in the pot does the job.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Thu Buser, prop styling by Gerri Williams8/43Black Pepper Beef Stew
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca9/43Chicken Primavera
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Nicole Louie10/43Broken Lasagna Pasta Salad
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Prop Styling by Nicole Louie11/43Crispy Tortilla Salad With Snap Peas and Avocado
Cilantro haters will say, “Thank you, next,” to this recipe, because...there’s a lot of it here. Its peppery bite is essential for balancing the tart lime juice, warming spices like cumin, cooling avocados, and hot jalapeños. We’re here for it.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Emilie Fosnocht, prop styling by Gerri Williams12/43Summer Roll Rice Noodles
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Prop Styling by Tim Ferro13/43Pad Thai
You can make this Thai dish as is, but keep in mind that it’s also a good vehicle for leftover proteins such as poached chicken breasts or baked tofu nuggets. Just toss them in with the noodles.
Alex Lau14/43Moussaka
If it’s still cold outside come Easter Sunday, this comforting Greek-style moussaka is a good place to turn. Speaking of Greek dishes, here’s a crunchy salad to serve with it.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Kat Boytsova, prop styling by Gerri Williams15/43Creamy Ricotta Gnocchi
Serve pillowy gnocchi with garlicky, buttery, pan-fried scallops on the side, and you’ll win over anyone. (In other words, this is a good spring dinner idea for when you need to apologize for something. Not saying you need to apologize for anything, just saying...)
Alex Lau16/43Fava Bean and Asparagus Salad
If this photo doesn’t say SPRING RECIPE, we don’t know what does. The salad contains a hit list of seasonal ingredients: fava beans, asparagus, watercress or arugula, mint, tarragon, and chive blossoms. This could easily be either a casual weeknight recipe or an Easter dinner. If you want something a little heartier, here’s a springy salad with quinoa.
Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Pearl Jones17/43Pea and Ricotta Potstickers With Homemade Dumpling Wrappers
Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Anyka Brown18/43Lemony Tortellini Soup With Spinach and Dill
Silky and comforting yet bright and lemony, this Greek-inspired tortellini and spinach soup is the perfect meal to help you transition from winter to spring.
Alex Lau19/43One-Skillet Chicken With Buttery Orzo
The following phrases are music to our ears: Fennel, orzo, and chicken thighs. One-pot spring dinner recipe. Good for busy weeknights. Yes, we’ll take it all.
Photograph by Allie Holloway, food styling by Taneka Mooris.21/43Herby Dutch Baby With Smoked Salmon
This verdant savory pancake, our favorite breakfast-for-dinner recipe, gets its striking color and flavor from the addition of herbs and baby spinach.
Photo by Stephen Kent Johnson, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski22/43Shaved Fennel Salad With Croutons and Walnuts
Assemble this salad—with toasted croutons, walnuts, and shards of Parmesan cheese—while roasting a chicken, and we’d say your Sunday supper is good to go.
Photograph by Alex Lau, food styling by Victoria Granof, prop styling by Sophie Strangio23/43Leek and Artichoke Fondue
How do you take the hit dish of the ’70s, bring it into the 21st century, and make it appropriate for spring instead of winter? This is how.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Heather Greene24/43Sumac-Rubbed Lamb With Minty Artichokes
If you want to do some reading up on trimming fresh artichokes, that’s your prerogative, but you could make hosting that dinner party easier on yourself by going with the canned version.
Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou, Prop Styling by Elizabeth Jaime25/43Pesto-ish Risotto
Photo by Chelsie Craig, food styling by Alison Attenborough26/43Saag Paneer, But With Feta
This riff on the classic Indian dish swaps out paneer for salty chunks of feta cheese. Mozzarella or even firm tofu cubes work, too, though. She’s flexible.
Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Pearl Jones27/43Bean Confit With Lemon, Saffron, and All the Alliums
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich28/43Ramp Fritters
Ramps are only available for a short window of time, and they go fast at the farmers market. Try to find them, but if you can’t, use scallions for this recipe.
Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Summer Moore29/43Charred Asparagus and Dates With Goat Cheese
It will take you 15 minutes to prepare this textural masterpiece: snappy asparagus, creamy goat cheese, crunchy radishes, and—the star of the show—chewy charred dates.
Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Sue Li30/43Spring Minestrone
With leeks, fennel, baby spinach, and fresh peas, this soup is a lighter take on the classic minestrone—and perfect for ushering in the spring season.
Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Pearl Jones31/43Crispy Miso-Butter Fish With Asparagus
Slather quick-cooking arctic char, sea bass, or salmon fillets in a deeply flavorful combination of miso, butter, and panko breadcrumbs, then broil them until you have an irresistibly crispy, golden crust.
Photo by Laura Murray, Food Styling by Susan Spungen32/43Triple-Threat Onion Galette
Not just a clever name, this savory tart combines three alliums: scallions, garlic, and onion. Because why not? We’d happily eat it for dinner, sure, but also for breakfast or lunch.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Sean Dooley, Prop Styling by Marina Bevilacqua33/43Lemony Zucchini With Sour Cream and Dill
Photo by Laura Murray, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich34/43Pork and Asparagus Stir-Fry
Roasted asparagus is great and all, but nothing beats a one-pan, stir-fry supper. Sear the spears in a hot pan for 4 minutes until each has a chance to blister, and you might be convinced, like one of our readers, to “always cook asparagus this way from now on.”
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Elizabeth Jaime35/43Asparagus Pasta With Lemon
Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou36/43White Bean and Spring Vegetable Stew
Some say you don’t have to soak dried beans overnight, but we recommend it. Not only does it cut down on cooking time by up to 25 percent, but it also helps the beans cook evenly without splitting.
37/43Spring Chicken Salad With Smashed Green Beans
Good (meaning not dry as a bone) poached chicken is a revelation. Add some crunchy veggies for a spring salad, or serve it with a spicy slaw in the summer.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Heather Greene38/43Brothy Meatballs With Peas, Fennel, and Tiny Pasta
Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott39/43Poached Salmon With Artichoke Confit
Don’t let the word “confit” confuse you: This dish is light and springy. Both the salmon and the artichokes are poached in spice- and herb-infused liquids, which add layers of subtle aromatic flavor.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Elizabeth Jaime40/43Rigatoni With Fennel and Anchovies
We’re not often at a loss for words, but something truly magical—something we can’t quite describe—happens when you caramelize fennel, garlic, and anchovies all together. You’ll just have to eat it to believe it.
41/43One-Skillet Steak and Spring Veg With Spicy Mustard
Cayenne pepper gives the Dijon sauce some zing. Love the idea of zingy mustard sauce for spring? Try smothering baked chicken breasts in shallots, garlic, turmeric, and cream.
Gentl & Hyers42/43Pappardelle With Chicken Ragù, Fennel, and Peas
You’ll still get the velvety consistency that makes ragù one of the greats—thanks, butter and Parmesan—but this lighter spring dinner recipe won’t take you all day to make.
Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boytsova43/43Crispy Green Rice Pilaf
It’s worth planning ahead for this spring dinner idea because day-old rice gets crispier than the fresh stuff. Toss it with feta, pistachios, snap peas, and jammy golden raisins, and you’ve got a healthy, filling, and, yes, crispy meal.
