Winter is finally shaking itself off, and in its place are the beautiful spring vegetables that we’ve been looking forward to. Tender, sweet and practically perfect all on their own, spring vegetables shine with only a little preparation. Of course, that doesn’t mean we can resist dressing them up a little every now and then!
Try our five favorite spring veggies in their best preparations, from raw to roasted.
Asparagus
Roasted: Roasting is one of the easiest preparations for vegetables in every season. The high temperature helps bring out the natural sugars and creates a tender vegetable that pairs up with a world of flavors, like in this Roasted Asparagus with Garlic and Parsley opens in a new tab.
With rice: Crisp-tender spring veggies are the perfect ingredient to add to creamy, cheesy risotto, as in our Risotto with Asparagus opens in a new tab.
Peas
Soup: Cooking peas and other spring veggies, then blending them together makes for a light and refreshing soup that welcomes spring. Try our Pea and Asparagus Soup. opens in a new tab
Mashed: Smashed peas are great in a variety of ways, but our favorite is in this Green Pea Guacamole opens in a new tab. The recipe calls for frozen peas, but just swap in some tender fresh peas and lightly blanche them before mashing.
Lettuce
Salad: The easiest way to get your veggies – just pile lettuce into a big bowl and add toppings! Our favorite Big Beautiful Salad opens in a new tab combines crisp baby lettuces with extra veggies, chickpeas and grains along with a zippy dressing for a meal-worthy salad.
Wraps: Lettuce leaves are ideal for making meals portable. These Grilled Teriyaki Pork Lettuce Wraps opens in a new tab are filled with crispy veggies and are so refreshing.
Artichokes
Steamed: Steaming artichokes is simple and produces incredibly tender results. Eat the leaves with aioli or a favorite dip, as in our Steamed Artichokes with Creamy Walnut Dip opens in a new tab.
With Cheese: Artichoke dip is a perennial favorite. Combine it with crab for a crowd-pleasing dish in our Hot Crab and Artichoke Dip opens in a new tab.
Radishes
As a snack: While radishes are available most of the year, they simply can’t be beat in springtime. For small radishes like French breakfast radishes, simply clean and trim them, then add a smear of butter and sprinkle of sea salt. Divine!
With pasta: Peppery radishes are a lovely complement to creamy pasta dishes, especially cold salads. Our Spring Pasta Salad with Escarole, Radishes and Peas opens in a new tab is a great way to prepare you for the picnic-filled entertaining season soon to come.
How do you like to eat spring veggies?
