Food and Recipes Quick and Easy Dinner 31 Spring Vegetable Recipes That Will Brighten Up Your Plate By Southern Living Editors Southern Living Editors Since 1966, the editors of Southern Living have been carrying out the mission of the brand: to bring enjoyment, fulfillment, and inspiration to our readers by celebrating life in the South. We inspire creativity in their homes, their kitchens, their gardens, and their personal style. We are a friend they can trust, a guide to the seasons, a helping hand during the holidays, and a relentless champion of the Southern way of life. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on March 23, 2021 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: 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. 01 of 31 Braised Chicken Thighs with Spring Vegetables 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. 02 of 31 Creamy Salmon Fettuccini and Spring Vegetables 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. 03 of 31 Asparagus Frittata Photography and Styling: Karen Rankin Recipe: Asparagus Frittata Mascarpone cheese makes this frittata extra fluffy, light, and creamy. 04 of 31 Eggplant Rollups 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. 05 of 31 Chicken Fricassee with Spring Vegetables 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. 06 of 31 Creamy Spring Vegetable Slaw 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. 07 of 31 Lemon Vinaigrette Pasta Salad with Field Peas 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. 08 of 31 One-Pan Chicken with Lemon, Olives, and Artichokes 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. 09 of 31 Poached Salmon Salad with Pickled Snap Peas 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. 10 of 31 Pork and Bok Choy Stir-Fry 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. 11 of 31 Sweet-and-Spicy Sheet Pan Chicken with Cauliflower and Carrots 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. 12 of 31 Radish, Avocado, and Citrus Salad 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. 13 of 31 Skillet Chicken Pot Pie with Puff Pastry 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. 14 of 31 Spring Lettuce and Leek Soup 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. 15 of 31 Orzo Salad with Shrimp and Lemon Dressing 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. 16 of 31 Tarragon Asparagus with Eggs 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. 17 of 31 Beet-and-Orange Salad with Spiced Pecans 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. 18 of 31 Chicken Caprese Pasta 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. 19 of 31 Sautéed Sugar Snap Peas with Orange Zest and Buttery Almonds 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. 20 of 31 Grilled Steak with Blistered Beans and Peppers 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. 21 of 31 Pork Chops with Tomato-Bacon Gravy 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. 22 of 31 Fettuccine Alfredo with Leeks, Peas, and Bacon 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. 23 of 31 Molasses-Soy Glazed Salmon and Vegetables 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. 24 of 31 Asparagus-and-Goat Cheese Quiche 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. 25 of 31 Squash and Green Chile Casserole Greg Dupree Recipe: Squash and Green Chile Casserole This slow-cooker recipe offers a Southwestern spin on a classic dish. 26 of 31 Zucchini Lasagna Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Tina Stamos Recipe: Zucchini Lasagna Looking for a lighter spin on an Italian favorite? Replace pasta with zucchini in this lasagna recipe for a spring twist. 27 of 31 Shaved Carrot, Asparagus, and Apple Salad Antonis Achilleo; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke, Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos Recipe: Shaved Carrot, Asparagus, and Apple Salad Green apple, asparagus, basil, carrots, and angel hair cabbage make this slaw colorful and fresh. 28 of 31 Grilled Asparagus with Bacon and Mushrooms Jen Causey Recipe: Grilled Asparagus with Bacon and Mushrooms This asparagus side dish is anything but your simple grilled go-to. It packs in lots of flavor with the addition of mushrooms and bacon. 29 of 31 Lemon-Herb Chicken Kebabs Antonis Achilleos Recipe: Lemon-Herb Chicken Kebabs Thread sliced chicken thighs, thinly sliced lemons, and asparagus accordion-style on skewers and top with herb and lemon marinade. 30 of 31 Pork Chops with Spring Onions, Farro, and Asparagus Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl Jones; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Pork Chops with Spring Onions, Farro, and Asparagus This one-dish wonder packs in protein, whole, grains, and fresh spring vegetables, making for a delicious weeknight meal. 31 of 31 Broccoli, Grape, and Pasta Salad Jennifer Davick Recipe: Broccoli, Grape, and Pasta Salad To make this salad extra crunchy, add in chopped pecans and bacon. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit