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.
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Chicken, Potatoes, and Leeks with Pine Nut Gremolata
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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.
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Garganelli with Speck, Peas, and Scallion Cream
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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.
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Roasted Honey-Dijon Salmon with Spring Vegetables
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"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."
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Seared Lamb Chops with Seared Endive, Asparagus, and Tahini Dressing
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Cookbook author Klancy Miller rounds out this springtime dish with more spring produce — seared endives and asparagus — and a fresh mint garnish.
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Spring Buckwheat Noodle Salad
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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.
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Braised Sausage and Fennel with Toasted Spices
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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.
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Cod with Lemony Leeks, Snap Peas, and Herbs
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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.
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Pasta with Asparagus and Mushrooms
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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.
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Crispy Chicken Thighs with Spice-Roasted Radishes
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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.
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Steak and Carrot Tacos
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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.
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Quinoa Egg Bowl with Pecorino
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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.
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Palak "Paneer" with Pressed Fresh Ricotta
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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.
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Chicken with Tarragon and Morels
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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.
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Mafaldine with Pea Shoot—Meyer Lemon Pesto
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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.
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Chicken Tagine with Artichoke Hearts and Peas
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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.
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Crispy Grilled Lamb Pitas with Radish-Watercress Salad
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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.
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Broccoli Rabe and Avocado Salad with Lemon Dressing and Herby Molten Eggs
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"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."
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Snapper Zarandeado with Cal-Mex Spring Salad
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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.
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Brothy Braised Chicken Thighs with Fennel and Pernod
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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.
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Salt-Cured Duck Breasts with Fava Beans and Sweet Peas
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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.
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