From asparagus and artichokes to peas and fava beans, spring brings a fresh crop of sweet, versatile vegetables that brighten any meal. Check out a few of our favorite ways to cook the season's freshest offerings.

BEGIN

Glazed Carrots in Tarragon

Carrots are the iconic glazed vegetable, but the tarragon here is an update that offsets their intense sweetness. These are a great accompaniment for just about anything.

view recipe

Celery Root, Celery Heart & Celery Leaf Salad

This salad is for the celery lover, as it uses the root, heart, and leaves. It’s a study in contrasts and colors, with textural crunch from the sliced celery heart and matchstick-cut root playing against the delicate tender leaves.

view recipe

Quick-Braised Baby Artichokes

This classic Roman dish includes two of the artichoke’s best friends: fresh herbs and lemon juice. Its simplicity requires the freshest artichokes you can find.

view recipe

Butter-Braised Radishes

This simple, flavorful braise yields luscious, tender radishes. Their peppery-sweet taste is offset by tangy cider vinegar, rich butter, and just a pinch of sugar.

view recipe

Spring Vegetable Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

The peas, broccoli, and asparagus in this gorgeous salad are blanched so they keep their bright color, and the radishes are shaved into paper-thin slices, adding a beautiful pink hue amid the green.

view recipe

Asparagus Ravioli with Brown Butter Sauce

No matter how you cook it, deliciously sweet asparagus is spring on a plate. Here, the rich brown butter, bright lemon zest, and crunchy almond garnish perfectly complement the creamy asparagus filling.

view recipe

Spring Vegetable Ragout with Fresh Pasta

This quick pasta is spring incarnate: fresh baby vegetables and their tender shoots, delicate pasta, and a light, brothy sauce.

view recipe

Seared Salmon with Pea Shoots and Ginger-Soy Vinaigrette

The combination of salmon, fresh peas and pea shoots creates an easy, fresh and beautiful dish.

view recipe

Glazed Beets with Walnuts & Chives

Crunchy, earthy walnuts are a classic accent for sweet, tender beets. The chives add a fresh, springy look and taste.

view recipe

Sugar Snap Peas & Carrots with Lemon, Mint & Dill

Forget that bag of frozen peas and square carrots in the freezer section of the market. Spring is all about eating the freshest vegetables you can grow or pick up at the farmers' market. 

view recipe

Spring Risotto with Ramps, Asparagus & Morels

Ramps are one of the fleeting pleasures of early spring. Their pungent, almost spicy garlicky-onion flavor mellows with cooking, and this creamy risotto is the perfect vehicle to show them off.

view recipe

Salad of Roast Chicken and Spring Vegetables

This dinner salad features warm, succulent slices of roasted chicken breasts, baby carrots, and tender asparagus over delicate fresh greens, shaved fennel, and herbs in a citrusy dressing. It's the perfect dish for spring entertaining or Sunday supper.

view recipe

Pea, Morel, and Fiddlehead Ragout

This simple side dish is spring incarnate, featuring two favorites that are in season for only a few brief weeks in the spring: morel mushrooms and fiddlehead ferns.

view recipe

Radish, Carrot & Edamame Stir-Fry

A quick turn in a sizzling-hot wok gives radishes and carrots deliciously browned edges. Be sure to cut the vegetables into uniform slices so they cook evenly.

view recipe

Fava Beans with Prosciutto Mint & Garlic

A classic flavor trio—salty ham, pungent garlic, and sweet mint—is the perfect pairing for the earthy flavor of the fava beans.

view recipe

Quick-Braised Peas, Lettuce & Scallions

Although young peas are better, you can use mature peas here—just cook them longer. And you can use pea broth instead of chicken broth. You can serve this dish with grilled spring lamb, but it also goes well with chicken, duck, and fish.

view recipe

Peas with Lemon, Mint & Scallions

Fresh peas should not really be available year-round at the grocery store, as they don't store well. Take advantage of their sweet flavor in late spring and early summer when they're readily available at  farmers' markets. 

view recipe

Spaghetti with Green Garlic & Olive Oil

In this riff on the classic spaghetti aglio e olio, green garlic replaces the traditional pungent cloves and lends a more delicate garlic flavor.

view recipe

Asparagus and Spinach Soup with Roasted Garlic Custards

This elegant soup is a perfect spring first course. Creamy garlic-imbued custards lend rich flavor and texture.

view recipe