23 Healthy Dinners That Use Up Your Spring Produce
We've all felt the pressure to use fresh produce before it goes bad in our refrigerators. These dinner recipes are perfect to make when you need to make the most of your spring veggies like asparagus, broccoli, peas, carrots, kale and leafy greens. Recipes like our Green Goddess Farro Bowl and Old Bay Salmon with Lemony Mashed Peas are healthy dinners that highlight seasonal produce in the most delicious way.
Baked Feta & Tomato Portobellos
Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Julia Levy, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle
These easy feta-and-tomato-stuffed portobellos make for a delicious side. Baking the mushrooms stem-side down first allows any excess liquid to release from the mushrooms so it won’t muddy the flavors of your dish. If you don’t have Calabrian chiles, substitute 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper depending on your spice preference.
Grilled Salmon & Vegetables with Charred Lemon-Garlic Vinaigrette
This grilled salmon recipe paired with grilled vegetables and a charred lemon-garlic vinaigrette captures the flavor of summer with smoky flavor from the grill. Asparagus and zucchini are quick and easy to grill and pair nicely with the salmon.
Sheet-Pan Chicken Thighs with Sweet Potatoes & Broccolini
Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Lydia Pursell
Chicken thighs and sweet potato get crispy in the oven while broccolini roasts alongside in a foil packet for even cooking and easy cleanup. Pro tip: Place the chicken thighs in the corners of the baking sheet, where there is more air circulation, for crispy skin.
Thai Green Curry-Inspired Vegetable Soup
Green curry paste, fresh herbs and plenty of scallion all pack a bunch of flavor into this vibrant, refreshing soup. The light yet creamy broth is loaded with vegetables, with tofu stirred in at the end to make it filling. A small spoonful of chili crisp adds nice heat and crunch, but if you want to tame the spice, chopped cashews would work well in its place.
Use-All-the-Broccoli Stir-Fry
Spiralized broccoli stems transform into tender noodles in this lo mein-inspired vegetarian recipe. Serve on top of brown rice or buckwheat soba noodles.
Green Goddess Farro Bowl
Farro and vegetables with a thick green goddess dressing pack this grain bowl with plenty of flavor. Finish it off with chicken, or use white beans as a plant-based protein alternative. (To make this bowl completely vegetarian, omit the anchovy paste from the dressing.) If you can't find fava beans, try thawed frozen lima beans or edamame in their place.
Baked Kale Salad with Crispy Quinoa
Crisping the quinoa in the oven adds delicious texture to this bright and filling kale salad. The lemon-honey-garlic dressing complements the sweetness from the roasted vegetables. Topping the salad with feta and pepitas gives it a savory note.
Crispy Lemon-Garlic Chicken Thighs with Roasted Potatoes & Carrots
Panko breadcrumbs make this healthy lemon-garlic chicken super-crispy on the outside, while a bit of mayonnaise amps up the juiciness of the thighs. And everything--including fingerling potatoes and carrots--cooks on one sheet pan, so this healthy dinner is super-easy to prep and clean up after too. You can swap out the potatoes and carrots for other vegetables, such as broccoli and parsnips, but just be sure to adjust the cooking time accordingly.
Old Bay Salmon with Lemony Mashed Peas
Cooking butter until it browns adds a toasty, nutty flavor to this easy skillet salmon recipe. Here it gives Old Bay-rubbed salmon a chef-worthy finish—not bad for 20 minutes!
Whole-Grain Spaghetti with Italian Turkey Sausage, Arugula & Balsamic Tomato Sauce
Total happiness in a bowl: pasta, sausage, tomatoes and herbs. The tomatoes get sweet and tender and turn into sauce with the stock and the pasta. Without ever adding any butter, the spaghetti sauce is rich and silky. Adding the herbs at the end gives the dish a fresh pop of color and flavor. This is one healthy pasta recipe we can definitely get behind!
One-Pot Chicken Pesto Pasta with Asparagus
This healthy chicken pesto pasta recipe is easy to make thanks to convenience ingredients like rotisserie chicken and store-bought pesto. The addition of fresh asparagus brightens up the look and flavors of this easy one-pot dinner. Fresh basil, if you have it on hand, is a nice finishing touch.
Sheet-Pan Salmon with Sweet Potatoes & Broccoli
The vibrant combo of cheese, cilantro, chili, and lime—inspired by Mexican street corn—makes this salmon sheet-pan dinner burst with flavor.
Easy Salmon Cakes with Arugula Salad
After making the salmon cakes, we firm them up for 5 minutes in the freezer before cooking so they don't fall apart when they hit the hot oil. You can also make these salmon cakes with canned salmon to make them pantry- and budget-friendly.
Creamy Lemon Orzo with Spring Peas
This recipe is an irresistible bowl-scraper. It's fragrant and flavorful from the shallots, garlic, lemon and tarragon, and creamy from cream cheese. Plus, with the addition of low-sodium broth, the orzo cooks in the same pan as the rest of the ingredients—no extra pot or strainer necessary. You can have this easy, comforting spring dish on your table in about 30 minutes.
Garlic-Anchovy Pasta with Broccolini
Here, we sprinkle the final pasta dish with crumbled goat cheese for nice tangy bites throughout. But if you prefer a creamy sauce, stir the cheese into the pasta in Step 3 along with the reserved cooking water.
Chickpea Pasta with Mushrooms & Kale
Loading up your pasta with vegetables like the kale and mushrooms here is not only delicious, it also makes the meal more satisfying.
Pea Pesto Gnocchi with Burrata
Here we pan-fry gnocchi to get them crispy, then coat them with a pesto-like sauce made with sweet peas, spinach, basil and cashews.
One-Pot Chicken & Cabbage Soup
This simple, yet flavorful, chicken-cabbage soup is perfect for enjoying on a cold day. Sherry vinegar adds a touch of brightness and pairs well with the medley of vegetables. Serve with crusty bread.
Frittata with Asparagus, Leek & Ricotta
Serve this spring-vegetable-loaded frittata with an arugula salad and a hunk of crusty bread. Tip: This recipe cooks quickly, so be sure to have all your ingredients prepped and ready to go.
Egg Roll-Inspired Cabbage Rolls
Skip takeout and try these egg roll-inspired cabbage rolls! Savoy cabbage leaves are stuffed with egg roll filling and baked in a flavorful soy-hoisin tomato sauce.
Super Green Pasta
Pack in your veggies with this quick and easy green pasta. Plenty of kale and spinach transform into a vibrant green sauce once cooked and blended with basil, pine nuts and Parmesan cheese for a pesto-like flavor. Enjoy this easy vegetarian pasta as is, or add grilled chicken or white beans for a boost of protein.
Asparagus & Smoked Mozzarella Pizzettes
These cute mini pizzas are topped with asparagus, walnuts, mint, orange and smoked mozzarella cheese for what may sound like a crazy combination of pizza toppings, but try it for yourself. The mix puts a downright delicious spin on pizza night.
Kale & Quinoa Salad with Lemon Dressing
This kale-quinoa salad pops with different flavors and textures. Massaging the kale helps break down its fibrous nature, while add-ins like toasted almonds, feta and cucumber add crunch and saltiness.
Read the original article on Eating Well.
