Spring is HERE and with it the glorious sun and warmer days. This calls for fresh, vibrant dinner recipes that are on the lighter side. Look no further than this delightful collection of 21 Spring Dinner Recipes. From grilled lemon herb chicken to spring pea and mint pesto pasta, these recipes embrace the bounty of spring produce, offering a variety of options to satisfy every palate. Whether you’re craving light salads, hearty mains, or delicious vegetarian options, you’ll find inspiration to herald the advent of warmer days and nights.
1. Grilled Garlic Butter Steak and Shrimp
An incredible, easy-to-make gourmet steak dinner that tastes like something out of a restaurant. This Garlic Butter Grilled Steak & Shrimp recipe from Cafe Delites is ready on the table in less than 15 minutes. Easy to make and a perfect spring dinner recipe for the barbecue.
2. Pea, Asparagus, and Mint Risotto
This fresh, seasonal dish is made extra creamy by puréeing the thicker asparagus ends. Swap the parmesan for a vegetarian Italian hard cheese to make this veggie-friendly. The spring vegetables give this Pea, Asparagus and Mint Risotto a lovely fresh green look and feel that will brighten up your table and taste buds. Remember that the key to making a great risotto is to add parmesan and butter shortly before serving. This is known as mantecatura and leaves the risotto smooth and creamy.
3. Honey Glazed Salmon
This Honey Glazed Salmon from Simply Quinoa is incredibly tender and juicy. It’s covered in a sweet, sticky, and garlicky sauce, and only takes 20 minutes to make.
4. Spinach and Feta Stuffed Chicken Breasts
This Spinach and Feta Stuffed Chicken from Cooking for Keeps is a quick and easy spring chicken dinner. Chicken breasts are stuffed with a spinach filling, seared with a little bit of butter, and baked in a luscious white wine lemon butter sauce. Even the kiddos will enjoy this!
5. Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta
This Lemon Garlic Parmesan Shrimp Pasta from the Recipe Critic is made in just one pot and ready in 30 minutes! Fresh shrimp is cooked in a buttery lemon garlic sauce and then tossed in fresh parmesan cheese and pasta. It’s unbelievably good and sure to become a new favorite!
6. Caprese Salad with Grilled Chicken
Seared chicken, fresh mozzarella and tomato halves, creamy avocado slices and shredded basil leaves are drizzled with an incredible balsamic dressing that doubles as a marinade for the ultimate salad! This Balsamic Chicken Avocado Caprese Salad recipe from Cafe Delites will quickly become a family favourite!
7. Grilled Lamb Chops with Mint Pesto
Lamb chops are simply delicious when cooked properly, and make an elegant dish for entertaining or for a special Sunday dinner with family. The addition of the mint pesto creates a little variation on the usual mint sauce or jelly.
8. Vegetable Stir-fry with Tofu
This healthy tofu stir fry from Well-Plated By Erin is a last-minute meal you can cook with anything you have on hand. Tofu stir fry has all the makings for a fast, healthy dinner you can turn to again and again. The tofu is firm and flavorful. The veggies are fresh and colorful. The flavors are salty, savory, and satisfying
9. Spring Pea and Mint Soup
It takes only minutes to whip up this light but filling springtime Pea and Mint soup from the Lemon Apron. Simple ingredients with a delicious and fresh result. Serve with scones or crusty bread for the ultimate spring dinner.
10. Grilled Vegetable Platter with Balsamic Glaze
This Balsamic Vinaigrette Grilled Vegetables recipe from Oh Sweet Basil is a mixture of simple veggies with a simple dressing. You don’t need a lot of time or ingredients for this super easy healthy side dish.
11. Strawberry Spinach Salad with Grilled Chicken
This Strawberry Spinach Salad With Chicken from the Girl on Bloor is a super easy protein-packed meal complete with fresh strawberries and a 4-ingredient dressing.
12. Pesto Pasta with Roasted Balsamic Cherry Tomatoes
This pesto pasta with roasted cherry tomatoes from Danilicious is a sophisticated, flavor-packed, and elegant meal sure to please. It features grain-free cavatappi pasta covered in a homemade pesto and topped with roasted balsamic cherry tomatoes. It’s great as a weeknight family dinner or pair it with a glass of wine for a fun date night meal.
13. Lemon Dill Grilled Swordfish
This buttery Lemon Garlic Swordfish from Chew Out Loud is stunningly delicious. This spring dinner recipe results in a tender, flavor-packed fish that tastes like you spent way more time on it than you did. Serve with a side of roasted veges and couscous.
14. Asparagus and Goat Cheese Frittata
Ready in less than 30 minutes, this Asparagus and Goat Cheese Frittata from the Cook’s Pyjamas is the perfect solution for a quick meal at the end of a busy day. Just add salad and a crusty loaf for a simple spring dinner. Delicious either hot or cold, it also can be turned into a simple canape for entertaining.
15. Honey Balsamic Glazed Pork Tenderloin
This delicious Honey Balsamic Pork Tenderloin from the Recipe Rebel is perfect for a fancy dinner party, but it’s quick enough for a simple weeknight dinner too. It’s the perfect spring dinner recipe, with a perfect balance of sweet, savory, tangy, and spicy flavors.
16. Spring Vegetable Quiche
Spring is the season of bright and hopeful feelings and wonderful, amazing brunch food. This recipe for Spring Vegetable Quiche from Pinch of Yum ticks all the boxes. This quiche has a texture that is just right: fluffy but not overly firm, creamy but not soggy, and full of flavorful sautéed veggies while still feeling like a proper savory-pie-for-breakfast moment.
17. Grilled Portobello Mushrooms with Polenta and Sautéed Spinach
This spring dinner recipe from Kind Roots Food is made in one pan (besides the polenta) and is ready in well under an hour. You start by sautéing the onions and garlic, add in the tomato paste and spices, and then deglaze the pan with dry red wine which is the beginning of the delicious sauce. Then sprinkle on a handful of cherry tomatoes and nestle 4 portobello mushrooms into the pan. The whole pan goes into the oven for roasting. The sauce reduces and the tomatoes burst and the results are a thick, jammy, flavorful tomato red wine sauce with deeply roasted portobello mushrooms. The acidic spicy sauce pairs perfectly with creamy polenta.
18. Lemon Herb Roasted Chicken Thighs
This Oven Roasted Chicken Thighs recipe from Lemon Blossoms makes the most flavorful tender chicken with golden brown crispy skin and juicy meat. Made with bone-in chicken thighs marinated in fresh lemon juice and herbs then oven baked to perfection.
19. Grilled Steak Cobb Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing
This easy steak cobb salad from Paleo Running Momma is just as healthy as it is delicious! Loaded with all the goodies including juicy sliced steak, bacon, tomatoes, avocados and hardboiled eggs, served with a creamy dairy free avocado cilantro lime dressing. This spring dinner recipe is paleo friendly, Whole30 compliant, keto and low carb.
20. Grilled Halibut with Mango Salsa and Coconut Rice
This halibut recipe from Fraiche Living is a fresh and simple spring dinner recipe but is so impressive! It is a perfect one to have on hand for a dinner party; it’s a breeze to throw together and looks beautiful. You can easily substitute peaches, plums or nectarines for the mango depending on what is fresh or on-hand.
21. Ratatouille
Ratatouille is a famously delicious French vegetable stew that contains eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers and herbs simmered in richly spiced tomato sauce. This exceptional French Provençal dish should be a staple for every home chef but many ratatouille recipes are overly complicated and time consuming.
For those of us who want ratatouille in our regular dinner rotation, this extremely easy, no-fail ratatouille recipe from Panning the Globe is so good it’s the only ratatouille recipe you will ever need!
Serve with crusty sourdough bread and a mixed green salad.
