70 Spring Dinner Ideas to Celebrate the Season
Dear soups, stews and casseroles: We’ve had a good run. But it’s springtime now, and that means we’re on to lighter and brighter meals—like strawberry soba noodle salad and creamy pea soup with mint. To whet your appetite, we’ve rounded up 70 spring dinner ideas, most of which take only 30 minutes to make. Don’t worry—we’ll see those hearty meals again next fall. In the meantime, we need to tend to some asparagus.
What fruits and vegetables are in season in spring?
Before you craft your ultimate spring dinner menu, here’s a quick primer on the produce that’s at its peak in spring. While most fruits won’t trickle into the farmers market until the warmer summer months, rhubarb, strawberries and pineapple are all jewels of the season. And there are plenty of bright, green veggies to help you bid adieu to winter (think artichokes, arugula, asparagus, fava beans, leeks, morels, peas, radishes and ramps, to name a few).
RELATED: 30 Spring Soups You Can Make in 30 Minutes
1. Seared Scallops with Green Peas, Mint and Shallots
Not only is it totally gorgeous, it’s also ready to eat in 20 minutes flat.
2. Spring Pea Soup with Mint
What better way to get your fill of fresh produce than in a creamy-yet-light soup?
3. Double Pea, Prosciutto and Burrata Platter
We were hooked at the first mention of burrata.
4. One-Pot, 15-Minute Pasta Limone
Skip the marinara—all you need is cheese and lemon.
RELATED: 36 Light Pasta Recipes That Are Full of Flavor
5. Mackerel Asparagus Salad with Sesame Vinaigrette
A little spring produce can transform tinned fish into a dinner-ready salad like magic.
6. Skillet Gnocchi with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe
Gnocchi, sausage and one-skillet meals: These are a few of our favorite things.
7. Instant Pot Spaghetti with Goat Cheese, Mint and Peas
If you thought your Instant Pot was only good for long-cooking cuts of meat, allow this spring pasta to change your mind.
8. Honey-Lime Chicken and Veggies in Foil
An easy upgrade for chicken night.
9. Shaved Spring Vegetable and Apple Salad with Ginger-Dijon Dressing
The homemade dressing has a secret: It all comes together in a blender—so simple.
10. Fresh Shiitake Spring Rolls
Filled with shiitake mushrooms and pink radicchio, they taste as good as they look.
11. Joanna Gaines’s Asparagus and Fontina Quiche
Bring on the flaky crust and gooey cheese.
12. Green Goddess Roasted Carrot Salad
What’s the complete opposite of a sad dinner salad? This recipe is what.
13. Wild Mushroom Chowder with Bacon and Leeks
If you ask us, soup season is a year-round state of mind.
14. Oven Risotto with Garlic Roasted Mushrooms and Arugula
What? No stirring? This is a dinnertime miracle.
15. Greens Mac and Cheese
This cheesy number gets its hue from leeks and broccolini, but might we suggest swapping in some ramps?
16. Sugar Snap Pea Salad with Chèvre Ranch
There’s something about the tanginess of goat cheese that always feels like spring.
17. Curry Noodles with Broccoli Rabe and Purple Cabbage
So much tastier than takeout.
18. Fish Taco Salad
Ahhh, tastes like (almost) summer.
19. Cacio e Pepe Pasta
Some classics never go out of style.
20. Shrimp Boil Skewers with Corn, Sausage and Potatoes
Low-maintenance, mess-free and totally delicious.
RELATED: 30 One-Pot, 30-Minute Dinner Recipes for Lazy Nights
21. Thai Beef Bowls with Rice Noodles
If only all salads were this beautiful (and filling).
22. Chicken Tinga Tacos
Just call these tacos a brilliant trick up your sleeve. Why? Because they start with rotisserie chicken.
23. Bibimbap Bowls
Spicy, crunchy and satisfying, they’re super easy to whip up on a whim.
24. Shrimp with Cauliflower “Grits” and Arugula
Is there anything our favorite vegetable can't do?
RELATED: The 50+ Best Cauliflower Recipes of All Time
25. Buddha Bowl with Kale, Avocado, Orange and Wild Rice
Filled to the brim with the freshest ingredients.
26. Thai Lettuce Wraps
Trust us, you won't even miss the carbs.
27. Spicy Shrimp Tacos with Mango Salsa
Best enjoyed with a cold glass of white wine.
RELATED: 52 Taco Recipe Ideas to Get You Through Every Tuesday of the Year
28. Quick Guacamole Quinoa Salad
It’s basically a giant bowl of guac masquerading as a salad.
29. "Slow-Cooked" Salmon
OK, you caught us: This fish takes only 30 minutes, but it tastes like it’s been cooking for hours.
30. Cheesy Artichoke Skillet Flatbread
It's as if spinach-artichoke dip and pizza had a baby.
RELATED: 20 Flatbread Recipes That Are Better Than Pizza
31. One-Pan Roasted Salmon with Potatoes and Romaine
Break up your dinner routine with this simple-to-prepare salmon dish.
32. Spinach and Three-Cheese Stuffed Shells
Nothing compliments spinach quite like cheese.
33. Rainbow Spring Rolls with Ginger Peanut Sauce
No frying required.
34. Salami, Artichoke and Ricotta Pasta Salad
You can never have too many one-bowl recipes.
35. Sticky Orange Chicken with Caramelized Onions and Fennel
Ready even before you could order takeout.
36. Shrimp and Pasta Stew
Must be served with a loaf of crusty bread.
37. Pesto Zoodles
Sometimes you need to keep it super-simple.
38. Avocado Chicken Salad Recipe
Salad night should never be boring.
39. Baked Caprese Chicken Skillet
We would put melted mozzarella on every dish if we could.
40. Thai Chili Salmon Skewers
Isn't food on a stick the best?
41. Spring Crudités with Romesco Sauce
OK, you can’t really call a crudités plate dinner…unless you serve it with plenty of toasts, charcuteries and cheeses on the side.
42. Orecchiette with Spring Greens
It’s low maintenance enough for a weeknight but elevated enough for a weekend dinner party.
43. Spring Panzanella Salad
Add in plenty of asparagus and peas, and we’re completely sold.
44. Joanna Gaines’s Spring Vegetable Risotto
Feel free to use the vegetables that speak to you most at the farmers market.
45. Chopped Italian Salad Pizza
This chopped Italian salad pizza is a far better way to eat your greens.
46. Veggie Niçoise Salad with Red Curry Green Beans
Since the veggies are the star of the show, it’s worth seeking out the prettiest produce you can find.
47. Asparagus, Pea and Ricotta Tarts
Thanks to store-bought puff pastry, these cuties are low effort and high payoff.
48. Cold Soba Noodle Salad with Strawberries
Strawberries in a noodle salad? Trust us, it’s delicious.
49. One-Pan Eggs with Asparagus and Tomatoes
Dealing with a surplus of asparagus? No worries. Crack a few eggs on top and call it a meal.
50. Skillet Steak with Asparagus and Potatoes
We love a one-pan dinner, and even more so when it looks (and tastes) fancy but is totally foolproof.
51. Asparagus Caesar Salad
Trade in your hearty kale salad for something bright and new.
52. Broccoli Margherita Pizza
Broccoli is the secret ingredient in this homemade ’za that’s better for you (but doesn’t taste like it).
53. Pan-Fried Cod with Orange and Swiss Chard
FYI, this goes from the fridge to the table in 30 minutes.
54. Crispy Goat Cheese Salad
We’ll admit this salad is basically a vehicle for goat cheese.
55. Rainbow Collard Wraps with Peanut Butter Dipping Sauce
Collards are at their best through April, so stock up and make these easy wraps ASAP.
56. Chicken with Feta Cheese, Dill, Lemon and Harissa Yogurt
Bring on the fresh dill and briny feta cheese.
57. Squash and Squash Blossom Frittata
We’re only willing to hit the market before 8 a.m. if there are squash blossoms waiting there for us.
58. Family Style Chicken Caesar Salad
Store-bought lettuce has nothing on the springtime stuff.
59. Potato and Burrata Pizza
This pie calls for store-bought pesto, but you can also make a quick version at home with the fresh herbs hiding in your fridge.
60. BLT Pasta Salad
It’s not yet picnic season, but we like to be prepared for the day it comes with this creamy, crunchy dish.
61. Greek Chicken Skillet
All dinners should be this easy, gorgeous and delicious.
62. Salmon and Fennel Dinner Salad
The salmon is rich, the fennel is crisp and a few strategic strawberries add a sweet, tangy pop.
63. Spinach Artichoke Squares
Meet the 21st-century version of our favorite retro dip.
64. Pasta Florentine with Grilled Chicken
Bypass the baby spinach at the grocery store in favor of the fresh batch you walked by at the market.
65. Sheet-Pan Lemon Butter Veggies and Sausage
This is the ideal excuse to use up a bunch of produce all at once.
66. Bacon-Wrapped Black Cod with Spinach and Capers
Bacon lends savory flavor and crunchy texture to the fish, while a bed of sautéed spinach keeps everything light.
67. Goat Cheese Pasta with Spinach and Artichokes
The secret to a creamy pasta that takes less than 30 minutes to make? Goat cheese, of course.
68. Roasted Chickpea Shawarma
Let us introduce you to the delicacy that is roasted chickpeas.
69. Lemon Butter Scallops
Simple? Check. Sophisticated? Check. Delicious? Check.
70. Creamy Asparagus and Pea Soup
The in-season veggies make it a spring-appropriate meal for those still-kinda-chilly nights.
RELATED: 12 Spring Fruits and Veggies to Eat This Season, from Asparagus to Strawberries
