9 Healthy and Delicious Spring Recipes
Celebrate the beautiful new season and welcome its unfolding with a positive change in your way of eating!
Crisp asparagus, tender spring greens, sprightly spring peas, earthy spring mushrooms, carrots, radishes, new potatoes, artichokes, tarragon, dill, strawberries, and rhubarb– all of these delicious and healthy vegetables and fruits will be coming into their peak flavor in the next couple of weeks. Yes, folks, it’s time to start integrating them into your diet (if you didn’t already have them!).
Whether you are looking for warming soup recipes to bridge the gap between the seasons or more light and vibrant spring salads or dinner ideas, here are nine easy, healthy, and delicious Spring recipes to give you some inspiration.
Asparagus Risotto
Try a light, lemony, and creamy Asparagus Risotto recipe for Spring! This dish is flavorful and delicious on its own for your vegetarian main or a perfect pair for fish, seafood, or mushrooms.
What You’ll Need:
- 1 bunch asparagus
- 1 large leek (or white onion, diced)
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 4 garlic cloves, rough chopped
- 1 cup arborio rice
- 1/4 cup white wine, optional- or skip it
- 3 1/2– 4 cups hot veggie broth (or use hot water with 2 teaspoons veggie bouillion)
- 1/2 cup basil leaves (or subpart Parsley)
- 1 lemon, zest, and some juice to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Directions:
- Bring a small pot of water to boil on the stove to blanch asparagus.
- Cut the fibrous ends off the asparagus and discard. Cut the pretty tips off (about 1 1/2 inches) and set them aside. Cut the “middles” into 1-inch pieces. Take 1 1/2 cups of the “middles” and set them aside. Add any remaining “middles” to the tips and keep these set-aside.
- In the small pot of boiling water, blanch the 1 1/2 cups of asparagus “middles” until tender and vibrant, drain but reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Blend the blanched asparagus with the 1 cup cooking liquid, 2 tablespoons oil, and the basil leaves until silky smooth.
- Thinly slice leeks into half-moons. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add leeks and saute until softened, 5-6 minutes. Add garlic, and cook for 2 minutes, until fragrant.
- Add arborio rice and stir to coat. Deglaze with white wine and cook the wine off. Add 1 cup hot veggie broth, scraping up any browned bits, bring to a gentle simmer, over med-low heat stirring occasionally, letting the rice absorb all the broth. Continue adding the hot broth 1 cup at a time, letting the rice absorb it slowly, each time, stirring often.
- Add the pile of asparagus with the tips, letting them cook in the risotto for 3 minutes or so. At this point, the rice should be creamy yet slightly al dente.
- Stir in blended asparagus-basil, add the salt, pepper, a squeeze of lemon juice, and taste. Adjust salt, pepper, and lemon to taste. (Pecorino will add more depth and flavor here.) Heat gently over low heat letting it thicken a bit if you like, but take care not to cook too long here, or you’ll lose the vibrant color.
- Divide among bowls, garnish with pecorino cheese, lemon zest, and chili flakes or a drizzle of the optional leek oil.
- Top with a piece of roasted fish, sauteed shrimp, grilled chicken, or sauteed mushrooms if you like.
Pan-Seared Steelhead Trout With Spring Pea Sauce
Are you craving your favorite Steelhead Trout? Well, we’ll make things more interesting for ya! Check out this delicious Steelhead Trout with Spring Pea Sauce– mushrooms, new potatoes & truffled Spring Pea Sauce. Indeed, it’s a simple yet elegant Spring-inspired meal you can eat for lunch or dinner!
What You’ll Need:
- 4×4 ounce pieces of steelhead trout
- 3 cups baby new potatoes
- 1 shallot- diced (or ¼ cup red onion)
- 8 ounces mushrooms (cremini, shiitake, or morels)
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- salt and pepper to taste
Spring Pea Truffle Sauce:
- 2 cups freshly shucked peas, blanched briefly (or use frozen)
- ½ c water plus 1 T more if necessary, to get the blender going.
- 2 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon truffle oil
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- 1 small garlic clove
- ⅓ C fresh tarragon, basil, mint, or Italian Parsley
Directions:
- Cook baby potatoes in salted boiling water until tender, about 15-20 minutes.
- Blanch fresh peas in salted boiling water, until just cooked, about 2 minutes, or until they float. Rinse with ice-cold water to shock them and stop the cooking process.
- Place peas in a blender with the rest of the pea sauce ingredients, and blend until very smooth. Place in a saucepan, and do not heat until right before serving.
- Saute mushrooms and shallots in butter, over medium heat, until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper set aside.
- Season both sides of the fish with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, sear the fish, skin side down, until the skin is golden and crispy, about 3-4 minutes. Turn over and cook for a couple more minutes or place in a warm oven- until just cooked through to medium.
- Drain potatoes set them aside. Heat pea sauce over medium heat, do not boil, just gently heat to keep its color vibrant.
- Divide the pea sauce among plates. Top with potatoes, then fish. To keep the skin crispy, serve skin side up. 8. Top with the mushrooms. Finish with a few drops of truffle oil over the mushrooms and a sprig of the fresh herb. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Little Gem Salad with Dilly Ranch
Ah, yes. The salad of my dreams! This Little Gem Salad with Dilly Ranch recipe is a mix of cucumber, radish, avocado, pickled onions, fresh herbs, and pepitas, tossed in a creamy, tangy Dilly Ranch Dressing. It’s so cool and crunchy that we’re sure you’ll come back for more!
What You’ll Need:
- Little Gem Lettuce- 3-4 heads, leaves separated, washed (or sub 2 romaine hearts, torn)
- 1 cup cucumber, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup radishes, thinly sliced
- 1 avocado, cut into chunks
- 1 cup sunflower sprouts (or microgreens)
- 1/4 cup pickled red onions or pickled shallots
- 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds (or sunflower seeds)
- 1 tablespoon tarragon leaves, optional
Dilly Ranch Dressing:
- 1/3 cup mayo
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1–2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1/2 cup fresh dill, chopped
- 2 tablespoons parsley chopped- optional
- 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly cracked peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon white or Apple Cider vinegar
Directions:
- If making the quick pickled onions or pickled shallots, start these first.
- Make the dressing, by whisking the mayo, buttermilk, and sour cream in a bowl until smooth, stir in the remaining ingredients, and place in the fridge!
- Separate the little gem lettuce leaves. Tear any extra-large ones in half, but leave any smaller ones whole. Wash and spin dry or pat dry (or spread out on a towel on the counter and let air dry).
- Place the lettuce leaves in a big bowl, and add the remaining ingredients. At this point, you could refrigerate until serving. Right before serving toss with a little cold dressing- a little at a time- you will not need all. Just enough to coat each leaf generously.
- Season the salad with a little salt and a squeeze of lemon juice to taste. You want the salad to taste “punchy,” to balance out all those fresh herbs.
Spring Tabouli
Quinoa Asparagus Salad, a.k.a Spring Tabouli, is a simple, healthy, and flavorful salad recipe that can be made ahead for your special Spring gatherings or mid-week lunches! It’s a yummy mix of English peas, fresh dill, parsley, and toasted almonds in a lemony dressing topped with optional avocado, goat, or feta cheese– gluten-free and Vegan adaptable!
What You’ll Need:
- 1 cup quinoa (dry)
- 1 1/2 cup water
- Pinch salt
- 1 bunch of asparagus, chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 2 cups shelled fresh English peas
- 3 scallions – thinly sliced at a diagonal
- ½ cup fresh dill chopped
- ½ cup Italian parsley, more to taste.
- 1/4 cup sliced or slivered almonds, toasted
Dressing:
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- zest from 1 lemon
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice ( 1–2 lemons)
- 1/2–1 teaspoon kosher salt
- pepper to taste
Directions:
- Rinse the quinoa and place it in a pot with water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, cover, lower heat, and allow it to simmer on low heat for 12-15 minutes. Turn off heat, and let sit covered for 5 -10 minutes, then uncover, fluff with a fork and let it cool.
- While the quinoa is cooking, blanch the peas and asparagus in salted boiling water for just a few minutes, until bright and tender. Rinse under cold water.
- Place the cooled quinoa and blanched veggies in a bowl. Add the scallions, dill, and almonds and give a toss. Add the oil, lemon zest and lemon juice, and salt, pepper, and stir again.
- Taste, adjust salt and lemon, adding more if you like. If you are making this ahead, be sure to taste before serving as flavors will mellow.
- Serve with optional avocado, feta, goat cheese, and sunflower sprouts
Creamy Polenta with Spring Vegetables and Gremolata
Check out this flavorful, healthy recipe featuring vibrant Spring veggies that can be prepared all under 30 minutes. It’s vegan and gluten-free, too!
What You’ll Need:
Polenta:
- 2 ½ cups water
- ½ cup dry polenta or cornmeal
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon granulated onion powder ( or garlic powder )
- ¼ teaspoon pepper ( white pepper is nice )
- 2–3 tablespoons olive oil ( or butter, or ¼ cup goat cheese)
Spring Veggies:
- 1 cup morel mushrooms
- 1 cup porcini mushrooms (
- 2 cups asparagus, tough ends removed, cut into 1–2 inch slices
- 1 cup fiddlehead ferns
- handful pea shoots
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 2 tablespoons sherry wine, white wine, or water
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- 2 tablespoons Gremolata
Directions:
- Bring water to a boil in a medium pot. Season with salt, pepper, and spices. Gradually whisk in the cornmeal, bring to a simmer, cover, and turn heat to low. Mix again in 10 minutes. Cook for another 10 minutes. Stir in olive oil, butter, or goat cheese. Turn heat off.
- Cook the veggies. Cut veggies into bite-sized pieces. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add mushrooms first, and sauce until just tender, 4-5 minutes. Add shallot and other veggies. Season with salt and pepper and stir often. Lower heat and take your time, cook about 5 minutes until al dente, or just fork tender. Give a splash of wine or water, and turn the heat up to medium to help cook off the wine. Taste, adjust salt and remember the gremolata will add a lot of flavors, so keep the veggies simple.
- Assemble 2 bowls or make one large beautiful platter or bowl and serve it from there.
- Pour polenta into bowls, top with a mound of the veggies, then top with optional pea shoots. Spoon the flavorful gremolata around the veggies, over the polenta.
Spring Orecchiette Pasta
Everyone loves pasta, and it’s time to make a healthier version for the whole fam! Try this simple Spring-inspired Orecchiette Pasta with asparagus, mushrooms, peas, and fresh herbs in a light carbonara sauce with dollops of creamy Burrata cheese.
What You’ll Need:
- 16 oz Orecchiette pasta
- 4 Quarts water
- Salt
- 2 cups fresh English peas
- 2 cups snow peas
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion- diced
- 4 garlic cloves, rough chopped
- 8–12 oz mushrooms sliced or quartered
- 2 cups wilting greens
- generous pinch salt
- cracked pepper
- 2 Eggs, whisked
- ½ cup parmesan or pecorino
- 1 ball burrata cheese- optional
- lemon zest from one small lemon
- 1/4–1/2 cup fresh chopped herbs
Directions:
- Bring a large pot with 4 quarts of water and 2 tablespoons of salt to a boil. When water comes to a boil, add pasta and cook to al dente, about 7 minutes. During the last minute of cooking the pasta, add the fresh peas, sugar peas, and asparagus tips to the boiling pasta, turn the heat up to high, and quickly blanch for one minute. Drain the pasta and veggies (reserving 1-2 cups of hot pasta water). Do not rinse. Return to the pot, and turn the heat off.
- While the pasta is cooking, saute the mushrooms: In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Sauté the onion until tender and fragrant, 3-4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic, and saute until golden and tender 7-8 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Add greens and sauté, stirring often until just wilted. Set pan aside.
- Whisk two eggs in a small bowl, and set aside. Once the pasta is drained and back in the pot, gradually whisk in 3 tablespoons of the reserved hot pasta water, one tablespoon at a time into the eggs, to temper the eggs. Stir well.
- Pour tempered eggs over the pasta and with a big wooden spoon, gently stir to coat the pasta. Stir in the mushrooms, half of the lemon zest, and half of the fresh herbs, cracked pepper, and parmesan, adding more hot pasta water as needed to loosen the pasta. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper to your liking.
- Place on a platter or bowl and sprinkle with remaining herbs and lemon zest. Dot with dollops of burrata cheese.
Fennel Asparagus Salad
Fennel with Asparagus? Yes, count me in! This delicious salad with a lemony leek dressing is perfect, topped with toasted almonds and avocado! Indeed, a healthy and tasty side to fish, chicken, or tofu. Simple and flavorful!
What You’ll Need:
- 1 large leek (white parts only)
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 large fennel bulb
- 4–6 large Asparagus stalks
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon thyme
- 2 tablespoons fresh Lemon juice
- ¾ teaspoon Sea Salt
- ½ teaspoon ground Black Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Ground Coriander
- ¼ cup almonds, lightly toasted
- ½– 1 avocado, sliced
Directions:
- Thinly slice the tender white part of the leek in half circles. Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil to a cold sauté pan. Turn the burner on to medium and add the leeks. Sauté until wilted and just starting to turn golden on the edges, about 6 minutes. Add a pinch of salt to the leeks and set them aside to cool.
- Core and shave the fennel bulb with a mandolin, peeler, or sharp knife, into very thin slices. Slice the asparagus diagonally at a similar thickness to the fennel, discarding tough ends.
- In a large bowl, add lemon thyme, lemon juice, salt, pepper, coriander, and whisk in the remaining olive oil. Add the sautéed leeks, sliced asparagus, and fennel. Toss to thoroughly incorporate the dressing.
- Add avocado slices and toasted almonds to serve.
Spaghetti with Morels and Miso Brown Butter Sauce
Do you want to try a unique Spaghetti recipe that highlights morel’s distinct flavor? This simple and delicious meal will have your family going for seconds!
What You’ll Need:
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 tsp white miso dissolved in 1/4 C hot water
- 1 C morels
- 2–3 cloves garlic, sliced or big chop
- splash of rice wine
- Cracked pepper
- 1/4 C Italian parsley
- pecorino
- 8 oz spaghetti pasta
Directions:
- In a medium-sized pot, bring salted water to a boil for the pasta and cook spaghetti uncovered until al dente. For extra nuttiness, toast your pasta first, placing it single-layered on a sheet pan in a 375F oven for 15-20 minutes, or nicely browned. Then cook like normal.
- In a medium sauté pan, sauté butter on Med Low or LOW heat until golden brown and aromatic and nutty smelling. 3. Add garlic. Saute 1 minute. Add mushrooms. Saute on med-low heat until tender, careful not to burn the butter. Stir often. When the mushrooms are tender, add a splash of rice wine. Let the alcohol cook off reducing about 1 min. Add miso water. Cook for another min until reduced and most water is evaporated. Set aside.
- Drain pasta. Place back in the pasta pot. Stir mushrooms and browned butter into the pasta, coating the pasta. If too dry for your taste, add a splash of olive oil. Stir in fresh parsley, plate, and serve with a light sprinkling of freshly grated pecorino and cracked pepper.
- The cheese will add quite a bit of salt. So when tasting for salt, make sure you taste it with the cheese or it may come out too salty.
Creamy and Minty Spinach Soup
Your favorite nutritious Spinach soup– with a twist? This velvety smooth all-time fave packs a punch with a refreshing hint of mint! Try making healthy soup with simple, clean, and dairy-free ingredients!
What You’ll Need:
- 2 teaspoons olive oil (or butter)
- 1 medium onion
- 1 medium potato
- 4 cups broth, veggie or chicken
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 pound of fresh spinach leaves
- 1/2 cup packed fresh mint
- 2 teaspoons cider vinegar
Directions:
- Add olive oil to a saucepan along with chopped onion and saute for a few minutes until softened.
- Add potato, broth, salt, and pepper.
- Cook 15 minutes over medium heat until the potato is soft. Turn heat off.
- Add spinach, mint, and vinegar. Stir until wilted. Blend until smooth.