31 Spring Vegetable Recipes That Will Brighten Up Your Plate

By Southern Living Editors

Updated March 23, 2021

Credit: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Lindsey Lower; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

If the start of warm weather season inspires you to break out your grill and try some new recipes, these are the ones you should turn to. Spring vegetables are the stars of these dishes that are full of vibrant flavor and color. They combine our go-to spring vegetables with reliable proteins to create masterpieces fit for any night of the week. While you may have your favorite way to cook up classics like asparagus, spring onion, or peas, recipes like our One-Pan Chicken with Lemon, Olives, and Artichokes or our Sweet-and-Spicy Sheet Pan Chicken with Cauliflower and Carrots will offer some new inspiration of how to prepare spring’s bounty in creative ways. Although the vegetables in these recipes shine bright, they’re sure to be crowd pleasers for everyone at the table. So hit the market and use the season's bounty to cook weeknight meals short on prep time and full of garden-fresh flavor.

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Braised Chicken Thighs with Spring Vegetables

Credit: Johnny Autry; Food and Prop Styling: Charlotte L. Autry

Recipe: Braised Chicken Thighs with Spring Vegetables

Select bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs for this recipe. Searing will help the chicken skin crisp to a golden-brown.

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Creamy Salmon Fettuccini and Spring Vegetables

Credit: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Recipe: Creamy Salmon Fettuccini and Spring Vegetables

Inspired by pasta primavera, this pasta and vegetable dish gets an extra bit of protein from the salmon.

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Asparagus Frittata

Credit: Photography and Styling: Karen Rankin

Recipe: Asparagus Frittata

Mascarpone cheese makes this frittata extra fluffy, light, and creamy.

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Eggplant Rollups

Credit: Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Cat Steele

Recipe: Eggplant Rollups

These tasty, cheese-filled bundles are a wonderful low-carb alternative to hearty lasagna.

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Chicken Fricassee with Spring Vegetables

Credit: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Lindsey Lower; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

Recipe: Chicken Fricassee with Spring Vegetables

One skillet and 45 minutes at the stove makes this recipe easy as can be.

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Creamy Spring Vegetable Slaw

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Creamy Spring Vegetable Slaw

This slaw uses radishes, cucumbers, carrots, and sliced sugar snap peas, and is tossed in a tangy sour cream-dill dressing. It’s the perfect side for a spring meal.

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Lemon Vinaigrette Pasta Salad with Field Peas

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners

Recipe: Lemon Vinaigrette Pasta Salad with Field Peas

Fresh herbs, lemon, honey, and Dijon blend to make this pasta dish pop.

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One-Pan Chicken with Lemon, Olives, and Artichokes

Credit: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Lindsey Lower; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

Recipe: One-Pan Chicken with Lemon, Olives, and Artichokes

This Mediterranean-inspired dish is best served over pearl couscous so all the pan sauce can be soaked up.

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Poached Salmon Salad with Pickled Snap Peas

Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez

Recipe: Poached Salmon Salad with Pickled Snap Peas

Poach salmon in a mixture of white wine, lemon juice, water, and dill and pair with a bright and tangy dressing and pickled veggies.

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Pork and Bok Choy Stir-Fry

Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez

Recipe: Pork and Bok Choy Stir-Fry

Pull out the wok for this one to make sure the delicious flavor is in each bite. If you don’t own a wok, a large cast-iron skillet will make do.

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Sweet-and-Spicy Sheet Pan Chicken with Cauliflower and Carrots

Credit: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Sweet-and-Spicy Sheet Pan Chicken with Cauliflower and Carrots

Cayenne pepper and seedless grapes are the secret ingredients in this recipe. The grapes caramelize as they roast and add the perfect amount of subtle sweetness to the sauce.

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Radish, Avocado, and Citrus Salad

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Radish, Avocado, and Citrus Salad

Watermelon radishes offer peppery heat while creamy avocado and sweet-tart citrus and pomegranate seeds balance it out to add full flavor.

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Skillet Chicken Pot Pie with Puff Pastry

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Lydia Pursell; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

Recipe: Skillet Chicken Pot Pie with Puff Pastry

Layer squares made from a puff pastry sheet on top of this chicken pot pie to give it an elevated look.

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Spring Lettuce and Leek Soup

Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham; Food Styling: Marian Cooper Cairns

Recipe: Spring Lettuce and Leek Soup

Romaine, escarole, and butter lettuce, leeks, white wine, and fresh parsley and dill provide the green in this soup. White beans and sour cream make it smooth and silky.

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Orzo Salad with Shrimp and Lemon Dressing

Credit: Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

Recipe: Orzo Salad with Shrimp and Lemon Dressing

Asparagus, sugar snap peas, and English peas are the seasonal vegetables that make this orzo salad bright and fresh.

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Tarragon Asparagus with Eggs

Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham

Recipe: Tarragon Asparagus with Eggs

Fluffy grated eggs make the pretty topper that adorns this asparagus dish.

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Beet-and-Orange Salad with Spiced Pecans

Credit: Victor Protasio

Recipe: Beet-and-Orange Salad with Spiced Pecans

Deep red beets and bright oranges give this salad bold color and a creative combination of flavor.

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Chicken Caprese Pasta

Credit: Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Chicken Caprese Pasta

If you have an abundance of tomatoes and herbs, this is the recipe for you. Let them shine through in this classic combination.

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Sautéed Sugar Snap Peas with Orange Zest and Buttery Almonds

Credit: Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Sautéed Sugar Snap Peas with Orange Zest and Buttery Almonds

Ditch the green been casserole and try this sugar snap pea dish instead. You’ll love the zesty sauce made from butter, almonds, Creole seasoning, and orange juice that’s poured over the peas.

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Grilled Steak with Blistered Beans and Peppers

Credit: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely

Recipe: Grilled Steak with Blistered Beans and Peppers

The fresh flavor from the green beans and peppers balances out the peppery taste of the steak.

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Pork Chops with Tomato-Bacon Gravy

Credit: Pork Chops with Tomato-Bacon Gravy

Recipe: Pork Chops with Tomato-Bacon Gravy

Bacon drippings combined with fresh tomatoes make the most delicious sauce for these pork chops.

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Fettuccine Alfredo with Leeks, Peas, and Bacon

Credit: Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Fettuccine Alfredo with Leeks, Peas, and Bacon

This easy homemade Alfredo sauce will make you think twice before buying a jar at the store again.

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Molasses-Soy Glazed Salmon and Vegetables

Credit: Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food styling: Karen Rankin

Recipe: Molasses-Soy Glazed Salmon and Vegetables

This Asian-inspired dish comes together in just 35 minutes. The tangy sauce is a delight on salmon, but feel free to try it on chicken and shrimp as well.

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Asparagus-and-Goat Cheese Quiche

Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Asparagus-and-Goat Cheese Quiche

Get medium-sized asparagus, not too thin or thick, for this quiche recipe. You can prepare it up to two days in advance if you’ve got a busy week ahead.