10 Spring Recipes
Hello, friends! I know Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer – but since it’s technically spring until June 20, I thought I’d round up some of my favorite spring recipes!
This season is all about freshness for me. Winter is full of hearty comfort food, slow cooker soups, and warming flavors. But when this time of year rolls around, all I want is a spring meal with fresh vegetables and bright flavors! And can we sit outside while we eat, too?! EXCELLENT.
Of course all of these recipes would also be delicious in the summertime, but you certainly don’t have to wait until June to enjoy all of the strawberries, asparagus, tomatoes, zucchini, peas, blueberries, and more. So here are 10 of my favorite recipes to celebrate the season. I hope you love them as much as I do!
10 Spring Recipes
1. Strawberry and Arugula Salad
This strawberry and arugula salad has quickly become one of our go-to side salads and lunches every week. It is really easy to throw together and it’s also totally customizable. If you want it as an entree, grill some chicken to go with it! Want to add a creamy element? Crumble some goat cheese on top! My main tip is to keep the dressing separate and only dress the salad that you are going to eat right away. That way, any leftovers won’t get soggy.
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2. Cauliflower Gnocchi with Asparagus, Chicken Sausage, and Pesto
Are you always on the hunt for an easy one pan weeknight dinner that you can make quickly? Aren’t we ALL?! This Cauliflower Gnocchi recipe only requires a few ingredients, 1 pan, and about 30 minutes of your time. Feel free to change up the vegetables, too! Maybe you prefer green beans to asparagus… or you want both! Switch it up to include your favorite spring vegetables. And if you have the time, I highly recommend whipping up a few batches of my homemade pesto to use for this recipe, but also to keep in your freezer for more easy weeknight meals throughout the summer.
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3. Halloumi Chicken with Tomatoes and Mint Sauce
When we first fell in love with halloumi, Adam would often ask “is it halloumi season?” whenever we were trying to figure out what to do for dinner 😂While some stores stock halloumi at different times of the year, there really isn’t an on season or off season for this cheese – but it is especially delicious with sweet cherry tomatoes and fresh mint! This Halloumi Chicken recipe has became a staple in our home for that reason. It’s fresh, delicious, and easy. What more could you want?
Also, if you’re a halloumi fan, don’t miss this recipe for halloumi fries, too. SO GOOD.
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4. Spring Vegetable Risotto
It can be easy to think of risotto as more of a winter dish – it’s warm and creamy and comforting, right? Well, thanks to fresh asparagus, peas, herbs and lots of lemon juice, this Spring Vegetable Risotto is light and bright!
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5. Asparagus Naan Pizza
I actually haven’t made this asparagus naan pizza in a while, but I totally should! It is truly the easiest weeknight dinner ever. Just roast fresh asparagus with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Once they’re tender, place them on top of the naan and cook in the oven for about 5 minutes. Take it out and top it with sundried tomatoes and feta cheese. That’s it!
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6. Knockoff Portillo’s Chopped Salad
While nothing will ever compare to the original Portillo’s Chopped Salad, this recipe comes pretty darn close! It has everything you love about their classic salad – a variety of lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, ditalini pasta noodles, chickpeas, etc. Instead of bacon, I like to crisp up some prosciutto since that makes less of a mess. And then of course, I could never recreate their signature dressing, so I opt for a healthier homemade red wine vinaigrette instead. SO. FREAKING. GOOD.
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7. Blueberry Ice Cream Trifle
Even though it’s not peak season yet, blueberries have been really good recently – and you know what makes them even better? Adding them to a trifle with blueberry ice cream, pound cake, graham crackers, and walnuts. Mmmmmm! This trifle recipe is the perfect way to celebrate those warm spring nights.
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8. Pea Pesto with Roasted Tomatoes
So we all know about basil pesto… but what about pea pesto?! Spring peas have a great natural sweetness, as does roasted tomatoes. So I made this pesto a little spicy and cheesy to balance out those sweet flavors… and it is delicious.
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9. Zucchini Noodle Salad
Zucchini noodles can be a great pasta alternative… but we all know they don’t actually taste like pasta. So instead of only using zoodles in those kinds of dishes, why not make a salad with them? This zucchini noodle salad is fresh, flavorful, and SO easy to make. It makes a great lunch or even a side dish next to a piece of salmon or grilled chicken.
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10. Prosciutto Arugula Pizza
I first shared this prosciutto arugula pizza over 5 years ago – but it’s still such a good one! The combination of prosciutto and arugula on top of a pizza will always make me think of sunshine-y days on a patio. Maybe with a spritz in hand 😉
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What are your favorite spring recipe? Let me know in the comments!
April 24, 2016 @ 12:42 pm
SO exciting! CONGRATS! This is HUGE!
April 24, 2016 @ 1:34 pm
Can't wait to see your segment Lauren — well-earned!!
Xoxo,
Ashley || Sed Bona
April 24, 2016 @ 6:37 pm
Congrats Lauren! That's so exciting! I know you'll do great!
Good luck!
April 24, 2016 @ 9:58 pm
How exciting! Will be tuning in 😉
xo, Laura
http://brightandbeautifulblog.com
April 25, 2016 @ 1:35 am
Oh my gosh Lauren how exciting! I'm so thrilled for you and can't wait to watch!
April 24, 2016 @ 10:07 pm
Set the DVR! I just love your blog!
April 25, 2016 @ 2:35 pm
Oh my gosh this is so exciting! Wow! What an amazing opportunity!
http://www.maggiealamode.com
April 25, 2016 @ 3:09 pm
Lauren I am SO PROUD OF YOU! Eeee! I can't wait to see!! 🙂 xoxo
April 25, 2016 @ 9:23 pm
this is amazing! Can't wait to see you!
April 26, 2016 @ 12:10 am
Oh my gosh, that is so amazing! Good luck!!!
xo Kylie
http://www.dressinsparkles.com
April 26, 2016 @ 5:19 pm
This is soooo cool Lauren, I hope your Today Show went great!! I can't wait to hear more about it!! So proud of you girl!!
xo, Sarah