Your Spring Cooking Guide
What produce to buy, gardening tips from this strawberry professional, and my favorite seasonal recipes all in one place.
Spring has sprung!!! With that comes a shift in how we live, cook, and eat. After months of heavier comfort meals, this is the time when everything starts to feel a little lighter, brighter, and fresher. Cooking with seasonal ingredients is one of the easiest ways to make your meals taste better. But, seriously! Produce is at its peak flavor, usually more affordable, and shopping at your local farmers market becomes an activity in itself (one of my personal favorite ways to spend a weekend morning).
I put together this little ol’ guide to help you make the most of spring. It includes what to buy, how to use it, and a few simple ways to bring fresh flavors into your kitchen.
Spring Produce to Shop For
Spring produce is unmatched. If you’re not sure what to grab at the store or farmers market, here’s a breakdown of what’s in season right now, and a few easy ideas for how to use it.
Leafy Greens
Lettuces - perfect for simple salads with vinaigrette or layered into sandwiches
Spinach - super versatile! toss into smoothies, saute with garlic, or use as a base for salads
Arugula - has a yummy but peppery bite; great with lemon, parmesan, and olive oil, or added to pizzas and pastas
Baby kale - a little more tender than mature kale (points to you if you even knew there was a difference!), massage lightly for salads
Swiss chard - a little more earthy, and a great addition to soups
Mustard greens - these are bold and peppery, so they work well with something creamy or acidic
Herbs
Parsley - I keep this stocked in my fridge all season long to finish almost any dish with it
Chives - sprinkle over eggs, potatoes, or dips
Cilantro - I’m so sorry if you are one of the people who think it tastes like soap, like genuinely… so sorry.
Dill - perfect with yogurt sauces, salmon, or roasted potatoes
Mint - adds instant freshness to salads, drinks, and fruit. Just be careful adding it to your garden as it can take over!
Basil - smells amazing and works great in salads, pastas, or with tomatoes
Tarragon - if you’re unfamiliar, it is slightly licorice-like but works amazingly with chicken or creamy sauces
Oregano & thyme - great for roasting veggies or your favorite proteins
Root Veggies
Radishes - can slice raw for an added crunch and bite, or roast to mellow and sweeten
Carrots - roast, shave into salads, or snack on raw with your favorite dip
Beets - roast and pair with goat cheese or citrus (yum)
Turnips - mild and slightly peppery, but you can roast or mash them for a lighter alternative to potatoes!
Leeks - perfect for soups, pastas, or sautes
Fennel - shave raw into salads or roast until caramelized
Celery - not just for making ants on a log! Although that is my personal favorite way to use it.
Fruiting Plants
Peas (snap, snow, garden) - toss into pasta, risotto, or eat raw. I eat sooo many snap peas this time of year.
Asparagus - roast or grill and cover it in lemon for a tasty side
Broccoli - a classic, and for good reason
Brussels sprouts - roast with some garlic or shred for salads with a tangy dressing
Cauliflower - roast, mash, or add as a base to your bowls
Artichokes - one of my favorites! Steam or roast, then pair it with lemony dips or butter.
Strawberries - use in salads, desserts, or with balsamic for a spring salad
Rhubarb - tart and unique for sure, but it goes great in compotes or crisps
Apricots & cherries - perfect for snacking or light desserts
Citrus (oranges, lemons, limes) - let’s be real… these should be in your kitchen all season long.
A Few Practical Spring Cooking Tips
Spring cooking is all about letting the ingredients do the work. This time of year, produce is so fresh and flavorful that you don’t need to overcomplicate things! I mean it! Simple cooking methods like roasting, steaming, or a quick saute are more than enough.
I like to keep things on the lighter side by swapping heavier sauces for bright, fresh flavors like citrus, herbs, or a simple yogurt-based dressing. It’s also a great time to play with texture. Try pairing soft greens with something crunchy, like radishes or toasted nuts, to make even the simplest meals feel more interesting.
Fresh herbs go a long way here, too; a handful of basil, mint, or parsley can completely transform a dish. When it comes to protein, quick-cooking options like eggs, fish, or thin cuts of meat keep everything feeling easy.
Overall, it’s really about layering flavors. I love combining sweet, earthy, and tangy elements (like strawberries with arugula and balsamic, or peas with mint and lemon) to create meals that feel balanced, but still very “spring.”
My Favorite Spring Recipes
These are a few of my go-to recipes this time of year. Perfect for easy lunches, simple dinners, or bringing to an outdoor get-together.
Garden Girls Unite
If you’re thinking about starting a garden this season, now is the time. Join me!!! I spent this past weekend building out my new Vego garden containers and prepping everything for planting, and it honestly made me so excited. There’s something really special and empowering about growing your own food. Even if it’s just a few herbs or a couple of tomato plants, it truly makes you feel alive.
Where I am in Seattle, I’ve had the best luck with cucumbers, heirloom and cherry tomatoes, and strawberries. Somehow, after such a mild winter, my strawberries actually survived in their planter and are already starting to flower again (!!), which quite literally had me singing “hallelujah.” I found this garden calendar to be super helpful in finding what would thrive best in the area I live in.
If you’re new to gardening, don’t overthink it. Start small and grow what you’ll actually use: herbs, greens, and a couple of easy fruits or veggies are a great place to start.
Spring always feels like a bit of a reset in the kitchen, and I hope this gave you some inspiration to keep things seasonal over the next few months. And if you’re getting into gardening this year (or thinking about it), I’d love to hear or see more! If a full post on that is something you’d be interested in, I can definitely put one together. Thanks for reading!
