Vegetables 20 Spring Dinner Recipes to Keep in Your Back Pocket Let seasonal ingredients shine, from fava beans to fennel, in braised chicken, a broccoli rabe salad, and crispy lamb pitas. By Food & Wine Editors Updated on January 4, 2023 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Victor Protasio One of the best parts of spring is seasonal ingredients — e.g. peas, asparagus, leeks, and radishes — and we love incorporating them in our dinners. Think garganelli with speck, peas, and scallion cream; broccoli rabe and avocado salad; and crispy chicken thighs with spice-roasted radishes. Some are light and refreshing; others, hearty enough to keep you warm through the season's temperamental weather. Read on to find out how to make some of our favorites. 01 of 20 Chicken, Potatoes, and Leeks with Pine Nut Gremolata Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Thom Driver For the crispiest skin and most flavorful meat, roast bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and legs over a bed of leeks and potatoes, where they render fat and absorb flavor. A quick turn under the broiler imparts a golden finish to the chicken before they're basted in pan juices and dressed with a zippy gremolata made from toasted pine nuts, garlic, and parsley. Get the Recipe 02 of 20 Garganelli with Speck, Peas, and Scallion Cream Victor Protasio Sweet spring peas and garlicky sauce flood tubular garganelli pasta in this recipe, making each bite a surprise. Substitute penne if you can't find garganelli, and don't skip the lemon and mint at the end, which bring balance to the dish. Get the Recipe 03 of 20 Roasted Honey-Dijon Salmon with Spring Vegetables Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop styling by Audrey Davis "Get the radishes, carrots, and shallots going while you work on the mustard glaze (which takes less than a minute!) and season the salmon, and then prep the asparagus and snap peas while the fish cooks," says cookbook author Susan Spungen. "If you’re not used to roasting radishes — get used to it! They take on an entirely different character when roasted, becoming juicy and soft, not at all sharp like they are when raw." Get the Recipe 04 of 20 Seared Lamb Chops with Seared Endive, Asparagus, and Tahini Dressing Antonis Achilleos Cookbook author Klancy Miller rounds out this springtime dish with more spring produce — seared endives and asparagus — and a fresh mint garnish. Get the Recipe 05 of 20 Spring Buckwheat Noodle Salad © John Kernick British cooks Jasmine and Melissa Hemsley dress this vegetable-packed noodle salad with a deeply flavorful and tangy sun-dried tomato and Brazil nut pesto. Get the Recipe 06 of 20 Braised Sausage and Fennel with Toasted Spices Greg DuPree With whole pink peppercorns and fennel seeds, this simple braise is gently perfumed and aromatic with fresh spring flavors inspired by the braised fennel at Red Hook Tavern in Brooklyn, from chef Allison Plumer. Use a fresh, spicy sausage here to complement the creamy bean puree and sweet fennel. Get the Recipe 07 of 20 Cod with Lemony Leeks, Snap Peas, and Herbs Victor Protasio Food writer Colu Henry gives cod the treatment it deserves in this recipe, paired with flavorful leeks cooked in white wine and chicken broth, and crunchy snap peas for the finishing touch. Get the Recipe 08 of 20 Pasta with Asparagus and Mushrooms Jennifer Causey Allowing the pasta dough to rise (just like a bread dough) before rolling and shaping gives the cecamariti in this dish its characteristic texture and flavor. Get the Recipe 09 of 20 Crispy Chicken Thighs with Spice-Roasted Radishes Victor Protasio Seasonal radishes shine in this recipe, roasted with chicken thighs and served over fresh arugula. The best part? There's only six ingredients, and the whole thing comes together in 45 minutes. Get the Recipe 10 of 20 Steak and Carrot Tacos Greg DuPree Here, small (not baby!) carrots are roasted with fragrant cumin seeds, then served in warm homemade tortillas with juicy, meaty skirt steak. For a vegetarian version, swap out the steak for roasted mixed mushrooms. Get the Recipe 11 of 20 Quinoa Egg Bowl with Pecorino © John Kernick Cookbook author Melissa Clark takes inspiration from Caesar salad in this quinoa bowl, which includes a soft runny egg and a lemony, cheese-spiked dressing. Greens, sugar snap peas, and sliced radishes add seasonal flavor — you can easily enjoy this dish for lunch or dinner. Get the Recipe 12 of 20 Palak "Paneer" with Pressed Fresh Ricotta Photo by Christopher Testani / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Kathleen Cook Varner A little extra hands-off pressing time firms up fresh ricotta into a block that can be cut into paneer-like cheese. Fried in ghee, the crispy, cheesy cubes transform into cheese croutons and are a perfect pair for the warm puree of chile and ginger-spiked spinach and cilantro. Get the Recipe 13 of 20 Chicken with Tarragon and Morels Alison Miksch Dried morels get a quick soak in hot water, which renders a super-flavorful broth that adds another layer of richness to the cream sauce. It's classic, comforting, and just as good, if not better, than a warm hug on a cold day. Get the Recipe 14 of 20 Mafaldine with Pea Shoot—Meyer Lemon Pesto Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Thom Driver Fresh pea shoots, parsley, and dill make a verdant pesto balanced with salty ricotta salata cheese and nutty roasted sunflower seed kernels. The bright sauce clings beautifully to ruffled mafaldine pasta, but any textured pasta shape will work well. Get the Recipe 15 of 20 Chicken Tagine with Artichoke Hearts and Peas © Tina Rupp A spiced broth adds layers of flavor in this tagine recipe from the late, legendary chef Joël Robuchon. Artichoke hearts bring a lovely spring element to the dish. Get the Recipe 16 of 20 Crispy Grilled Lamb Pitas with Radish-Watercress Salad Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop styling by Audrey Davis The robust, fatty lamb here needs a fresh, zippy counterpoint, so it's served with a salad featuring three types of radishes: watermelon radishes for their gorgeous magenta hue, green daikon for softer color but more pungent bite, and cherry radishes for their crisp, juicy texture. This trio gets tangled in a pile of also-peppery watercress and dressed with the simplest combo of lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Get the Recipe 17 of 20 Broccoli Rabe and Avocado Salad with Lemon Dressing and Herby Molten Eggs Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop styling by Audrey Davis "Spring is the season when warm and cold ingredients ought to mingle on one plate, and this salad brings all that to life," writes recipe developer Andrea Slonecker. "To serve, keep the soft-cooked eggs and the roasted rabe on the warm side, rather than cold, and compose the salad on plates with a bit of artistic flare. Then I would tell you to pour a glass of Chablis and enjoy this spring situation for lunch or dinner, whatever suits your fancy." Get the Recipe 18 of 20 Snapper Zarandeado with Cal-Mex Spring Salad © Con Poulos Guajillo chiles and soy sauce in the mayonnaise rub create a great spicy, extra-savory crust on this fish. Serve the snapper Cal-Mex-style with a grilled spring vegetable salad. Get the Recipe 19 of 20 Brothy Braised Chicken Thighs with Fennel and Pernod Antonis Achilleos Here, bone-in chicken thighs are browned then braised with fennel, leeks, and a bit of Pernod, which intensify the snappy licorice-ness of the fennel. After braising the chicken thighs, the whole dish is finished with a shower of fresh herbs and a squeeze of lemon for brightness. A hunk of good, crusty bread for sopping is all you need to round out this meal. Get the Recipe 20 of 20 Salt-Cured Duck Breasts with Fava Beans and Sweet Peas © Chris Court Chef Anne Quatrano has a simple trick for making these duck breasts juicy and flavorful: Just a few hours before pan-roasting, she rubs them with a fresh herb and salt mix, which lightly cures the meat. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit