25 Spring Dinner Ideas You'll Want to Make All Season Long These fresh, bright meals tap into the beauty of the season in all its green glory. Close Credit: Armando Rafael We're celebrating the end of winter and the dawn of a new, vibrant season. Our spring dinner ideas are inspired by seasonal produce, like artichokes, asparagus, peas, and leeks. As much as we love hearty casseroles, chili, and rich stews, we're not sorry to see them go—we've been making those on repeat since last fall and are ready for something lighter and fresher. The bright and delicious dishes in this recipe collection coax out the delicate flavors of spring, pairing them with chicken, salmon, pork, white beans, and other proteins. These dinner recipes lean healthy, but they're also hearty and sometimes indulgent. Give them a spin to feel instantly nourished—and to celebrate the season. Spring doesn't last long, so make these terrific dishes while you can! 12 Spring Pasta Recipes Full of Fresh, Seasonal Flavor 01 of 25 Creamy Asparagus Chicken Credit: Armando Rafael A splash of cream adds just the right amount of richness to this gorgeous spring dinner of braised chicken with leeks, asparagus, and baby red potatoes. View Recipe 02 of 25 Tagliatelle With Herbs and Buttery Egg Sauce Credit: Jonathan Lovekin Simple, fresh, and no-fuss, this pasta dish does a great job using up whatever herbs you have on hand. Parsley and chives are especially nice, but you could also try mint or basil. Eggs give it a beautiful yellow hue. View Recipe 03 of 25 Lemony Pesto Chicken Soup Credit: Pernille Loof You can use store-bought or homemade pesto in this chicken soup. It is reminiscent of the winter classic but tastes brighter and more herby thanks to the pesto, as well as lemon and pea shoots (or other delicate greens). View Recipe 04 of 25 Steak and Asparagus Stir-Fry Yes, you could use a variety of vegetables in this quick dinner (broccoli, carrots, and bell peppers all come to mind), but asparagus feels just right for this time of year. Finish it off with a squeeze of lime juice and some dry-roasted peanuts for crunch and brightness. View Recipe 05 of 25 White-Fish Stew With Dumplings Credit: Chris Simpson For those days where it's technically spring but the temperature is still chilly, here's a transitional dinner—it's cozy, but lighter. Enjoy the comforting biscuit dumplings with cod, halibut, or your favorite white fish in a light, creamy broth. View Recipe 06 of 25 Spinach Lasagna This green lasagna requires a whopping two pounds of spinach. It may look like an absurd amount raw, but trust us: it cooks down to far less, and the quantity is just right, considering there's no meat here. Along with zucchini and three cheeses, this vegetarian version of the classic is wonderfully satisfying. View Recipe 07 of 25 Seared Artichokes With Warm White-Bean Salad Credit: Con Poulos Here's a hearty one-pan vegetarian dinner that's anchored by steamed and seared artichoke halves. The rest of the dish cooks in the same pan you use to cook the artichokes. And there's a tangy lime mayonnaise for swirling into the beans and dipping the artichoke leaves. View Recipe 08 of 25 Spaghettini With Charred Scallions and Peas Credit: Nico Schinco Here's a 20-minute pasta that showcases the bounty of spring produce with charred scallions, asparagus, and sweet green peas. View Recipe 09 of 25 Parmesan Pork With Polenta and Asparagus Credit: Ren Fuller In this 35-minute dinner, asparagus plays a supporting role to pork cutlets with an irresistible golden, umami-packed Parmesan crust. Oh, and there's fast but delicious polenta, too—precooked from a tube. View Recipe 10 of 25 Asparagus-and-Lemon Risotto Credit: Andrew Purcell This risotto is spring in a shallow bowl and a must-make dinner this time of the year. Arborio rice is fresh, creamy, and comforting, but really, this dish is all about the asparagus. View Recipe 11 of 25 Salmon, Asparagus, and Leek in Parchment Credit: Ryan Liebe Did we mention that cooking in parchment paper packets, like this salmon recipe, is easy, healthy, and delicious? Make this spring dinner, and then try our other stellar en papillote recipes. View Recipe 12 of 25 Cashew Shrimp Credit: Justin Walker This spring dinner is ready in 20 minutes. It’s fresh, light, and fast—with big flavor. Oyster sauce, garlic, and ginger add punch to sautéed shrimp. Celery and roasted cashews add crunch. View Recipe 13 of 25 White Fish With Braised Leeks and Saffron Credit: Con Poulos A stove-top braise that has all the savory depth of bouillabaisse sans all the classic stew's steps: You don't have to make your own seafood broth or rouille or source a variety of rockfish. Just simmer leeks with cherry tomatoes, chicken broth, and vermouth until they turn sweet and tender. Then, tuck in the fish to cook in minutes. View Recipe 14 of 25 Gnocchi With Peas and Eggs Credit: Ren Fuller This one-pot pasta is just a little different (gnocchi!) and so right for spring. If the peas and arugula tossed with cream and parmesan aren’t enough, then the jammy soft-cooked egg will seal the deal—it brings protein and color. View Recipe 15 of 25 Herby Spinach-and-Rice Soup With Turmeric Credit: Con Poulos Inspired by the Persian herbed rice dish sabzi polo, our verdant, turmeric-tinted soup is bursting with spinach, parsley, potatoes, and dill. The final touches make an exponential difference: Yogurt adds creaminess, cumin-infused oil tastes earthy (plus, the seeds crunch pleasantly as you bite into them), and a squeeze of lemon juice is essential. View Recipe 16 of 25 Asparagus-and-Potato Gratin Credit: Con Poulos Serve this cozy, indulgent entrée with béchamel sauce and ribbons of salty prosciutto, crunchy breadcrumbs, and blanched asparagus spears for a spectacular spring supper. View Recipe 17 of 25 Wild Salmon With English Peas and Mustard Beurre Blanc Credit: Johnny Miller This may be the perfect spring dinner party dish: It's elegant, delicious, and, best of all, easy. It's also so vibrant and beautiful that it's sure to elicit rave reviews before anyone even takes a bite. Blanched English peas are scattered around a simple roasted side of wild salmon. Beurre blanc, served on the side, is essentially a warm vinaigrette made with butter instead of oil. Finish with a sprinkling of chives and—if you have them—a few flowering pea shoots. View Recipe 18 of 25 Grilled Lamb Chops With Rhubarb Compote and Asparagus Credit: Con Poulos Rhubarb often takes the expressway to dessert-ville, but try it in this entrée—the stalk's tartness is a wonderful foil for grilled meats. It's cut up and quickly simmered with sugar, vinegar, chopped ginger and garlic, and star anise into a bold agrodolce (a sweet-and-sour compote). Grill lamb chops (or pork, if you prefer) alongside asparagus spears and serve with the agrodolce for an entrée just right for a spring dinner party. View Recipe 19 of 25 Green-Pea Burgers With Harissa Mayo Credit: Johnny Miller Homemade veggie burgers sometimes have ingredient lists as long as a midsummer day, but these bright-green patties pack in tons of flavor with just a handful. Chickpeas pair with English peas for protein-packed patties that satisfy—especially when served on brioche rolls with baby greens, crisp cucumber, and mayonnaise mixed with harissa. View Recipe 20 of 25 Pasta With Favas, Shrimp, and Fresh Chile Credit: Con Poulos This speedy main is simple to make and really lets fresh fava beans shine. Cooking the blanched beans in pancetta fat wakes up their flavor. Then, you set them aside and throw in shrimp for a fast sizzle before adding the beans (and a sliced Fresno chile) back in with the drained noodles. View Recipe 21 of 25 Shrimp With Spicy Green Rice Credit: Con Poulos For a decidedly different take on spring produce, this dish takes a cue from the Venetian risi e bisi, a soupy rice-and-peas meal. Our take highlights sweet, crunchy sugar snap peas with Southeast Asian ingredients: the heat of chiles and ginger, the freshness of basil and cilantro, and the salty depth of fish sauce. View Recipe 22 of 25 Chicken With Herbed Pea Purée and Spinach Credit: Armando Rafael Spinach shows up twice (as a salad and a purée) in this winner of a chicken dinner. Browning the chicken thighs on the stovetop and finishing them in the oven ensures that they have super juicy meat and crisp golden skin. View Recipe 23 of 25 Egg Noodles With Asparagus and Grated Egg Yolks Credit: Ryan Liebe Hard-cooked yolks take a bold springtime pasta over the top. Wide egg noodles are tossed with creamy mascarpone, salty pecorino, crisp-tender asparagus, and lots of lemon zest. Grate the yolks directly over the top—a basic box grater will do the trick. View Recipe 24 of 25 Orange Pork With Watercress Rice Credit: Armando Rafael Another spring ingredient, though one that gets less attention, is watercress. It's assertive and pleasantly peppery (a little like arugula). Here, it punches up a rice dish that's topped with marmalade-glazed pork tenderloin and crispy ginger. View Recipe 25 of 25 Roasted-Chicken Bread Salad With Peas Credit: Johnny Miller Winner winner, chicken (bread salad) dinner! Toasted rustic bread soaks up the precious roast chicken juices and green peas, while sugar snap peas and pea shoots add the perfect amount of freshness and crunch. View Recipe Explore more: Food & Cooking Recipes Seasonal Recipes Spring Recipes