21 Quick Spring Recipes So You Can Enjoy the Outdoors

Because you've got better things to do than cook when the weather is nice

By SAVEUR Editors
April 5, 2018

Spring is upon us, and we've had fresh salads and all kinds of other delicious spring food. But when there isn't enough time to relax and cook, there are still ways to get a quick spring fix. If you're running late for work, make a spring-inspired breakfast with some butter-basted eggs, and add some fresh fruit to some sour-milk griddle cakes. Salads and soup are always a fast option for a midday meal, and you can keep it fresh with a radish, goat cheese, and cilantro salad or a chilled avocado soup. Dinner doesn't have to take a long time either, a quick artichoke-filled pasta or swiss chard and chipotle tacos will save you time and utilize some that fresh spring produce. Here are our best spring recipes to save you time.

Swiss Chard and Chipotle Tacos

Swiss Chard and Chipotle Tacos
Onions, mushrooms, sweet corn, and chiles in adobo add hearty, smoky flavor to this Swiss chard-based taco filling. Get the recipe for Swiss Chard and Chipotle Tacos »Helen Rosner

Florentine T-bone Steak

Florentine T-bone Steak
Brushing meat with rosemary imparts an herbal fragrance to this Italian steak, which is traditionally served with cannellini beans and lemon wedges. Get the recipe for Florentine T-bone Steak »Joseph De Leo

Miso Roasted Scallions

Miso Roasted Scallions
Roasting scallions brings out their sweetness; finished with a tangy miso dressing, they make a great appetizer or side. Get the recipe for Miso Roasted Scallions »Helen Rosner

Butter-Basted Eggs

Butter-Basted Eggs
Crispy-bottomed fried eggs make an ideal breakfast. Get the recipe for Butter-Basted Eggs »Helen Rosner

Sour Milk Griddle Cakes

Sour Milk Griddle Cakes
Rustic sour-milk pancakes make for a delicious breakfast, especially when topped stewed blueberries and maple syrup. Get the recipe for Sour Milk Griddle Cakes »Tim Mazurek

Mushrooms with Fennel and Ginger

Mushrooms with Fennel and Ginger
This recipe, from Madhur Jaffrey's A Taste of India, is part of SAVEUR's November 2017 cookbook club. Though we've tested this recipe in the SAVEUR test kitchen, we present it in its original, unedited form from the book. Get the recipe for Mushrooms with Fennel and Ginger »Matt Taylor-Gross

Pecorino, Parsley, and Anchovy Sandwiches

Pecorino, Parsley, and Anchovy Sandwiches
This crusty sandwich only calls for a handful of ingredients—pecorino, parsley, and anchovy—but has big flavors. Get the recipe for Pecorino, Parsley, and Anchovy Sandwiches »Michelle Heimerman

Mussels with Coconut Sweet Chili Broth

Mussels with Coconut Sweet Chili Broth
Sinéad Roche and Thomas Ashe of Ashe's Bar and Restaurant have incorporated flavors from their culinary travels through Thailand into this dish, marrying Southeast Asian ingredients with local Glenbeigh mussels, foraged from the rocky coast along Dingle Bay. At Ashe's, they serve the mussels with homemade bread or twice-fried chunky potato chips for sopping up the gently spicy coconut broth. Get the recipe for Mussels with Coconut Sweet Chili Broth »Michelle Heimerman

Seared Bay Scallops with Pea Puree and Radishes

Seared Bay Scallops with Pea Puree and Radishes
At Ireland's Global Village, Martin Bealin and Nuala Cassidy pair local scallops with wild boar belly. In this simplified version, they use pan-seared slices of chorizo for crispy, spicy contrast to the sweet seafood and peas. They garnish the dish with seasonal vegetables like radishes and greens, or sometimes apples or cucumbers, from the restaurant's nearby mountaintop garden. Get the recipe for Seared Bay Scallops with Pea Puree and Radishes »Michelle Heimerman

Spiced Turmeric and Coconut Infusion

Spiced Turmeric and Coconut Infusion
A rich and toasty but not too heavy drink that uses that nutty coconut and coconut oil to bring out all the earthy flavors of turmeric. Get the recipe for Spiced Turmeric and Coconut Infusion »Kristy Mucci

Chirashi

Chirashi
Making sushi at home can be a challenge fraught with angst. That's where chirashi comes in. It's a rice bowl covered in colorful slices of fish, glistening balls of orange roe, and a rainbow of other garnishes from sesame seeds to seaweed promising all the architectural potential we lust for in a well-made sushi platter—but with far less effort. This recipe comes courtesy of chef Mike Lim of Chicago's Roka Akor. Get the recipe for Chirashi »Stacy Adimando

Avocado Soup

avocado soup
As ethereal as its origins, this unusual, chilled summer soup is a specialty at the Singular Patagonia, an otherworldly hotel that borders Sena Última Esperanza (or Last Hope Sound). It's made velvety and rich by the local avocados, which are called paltas. Get the recipe for Avocado Soup »William Hereford

Radish and Cilantro Salad with Goat Cheese

Radish and Cilantro Salad with Goat Cheese
In this simple Japan-meets-California salad, radishes are tossed with cilantro and a fragrant rice vinegar and soy sauce vinaigrette before topped with goat cheese. Get the recipe for Radish and Cilantro Salad with Goat Cheese »Matt Taylor-Gross

Cilantro and Peanut Salad (Huāshēngmĭ bàn xiāngcài)

cilantro peanut salad
Due to its long, cold winters and hot, dry summers, Xinjiang is not renowned for its vegetable dishes, but fast-growing produce like spinach and cilantro often make it to the table during the brief respites between seasons. This refreshing salad is a perfect to accompaniment to fatty grilled meats. Use the most delicate cilantro you can find, so the stems can be eaten along with the leaves. Get the recipe for Cilantro and Peanut Salad (Huāshēngmĭ bàn xiāngcài) »Matt Taylor-Gross

Filipino Barbecue Chicken Skewers

Philippine Barbecue Chicken Skewers
"This was one of my favorites as a kid. The flavor is sweet, salty, and tangy, but it all balances out. Plus it's meat on a stick, and what kid—or adult—doesn't love that?" –Lean Cohen of Pig & Khao. Get the recipe for Filipino Barbecue Chicken Skewers »Matt Taylor-Gross

Honey-Dill Dipping Sauce

Honey-Dill Dipping Sauce
Mayonnaise with honey and dill makes an awesome dipping sauce for chicken fingers. Get the recipe for Honey-Dill Dipping Sauce »Todd Coleman

Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta (Garides Saganaki)

Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta (Garides Saganaki)
The term saganaki refers to the skillet in which Greeks cook ingredients with cheese. In this dish, shrimp is topped with crumbled feta and broiled. Get the recipe for Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta (Garides Saganaki) »Todd Coleman

Fried Cucumbers with Sour Cream Dipping Sauce

Fried Cucumbers with Sour Cream Dipping Sauce
Sour cream and fines herbes make a great sauce for cooling down a spicy snack like our fried cucumbers. Get the recipe for Fried Cucumbers with Sour Cream Dipping Sauce »Maxime Iattoni

Pasta with Grilled Artichokes

Pasta with Grilled Artichokes
Baby artichokes, dressed with olive oil and garlic, take center stage in this lemony dish. Get the recipe for Pasta with Grilled Artichokes »Todd Coleman

Fish Tacos with Roasted Tomato Salsa

Fish Tacos with Roasted Tomato Salsa
Charred tomatoes and chiles add a deep smoky note to the salsa for these fresh fish tacos—either flounder or halibut works well. Get the recipe for Fish Tacos with Roasted Tomato Salsa »Todd Coleman

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