Looking for spring dinner ideas? Think simple, quick, and green. This weekly meal plan is packed with dishes that come together quickly (like, can-make-it-after-work quickly) while showcasing early seasonal ingredients like asparagus and peas.
Creamy white beans and Parmesan bring heartiness to this warming 20-minute soup, while kale, peas, and pesto made with basil, parsley, and pistachios give it refreshing zip. Stash the extra sofrito into your freezer in ice cube trays to add instant flavor to soups and stews anytime you need it.
Soaking the shrimp in cold, salted water prior to cooking helps them stay moist and flavorful. While they brine, go ahead and fry the tortillas, and assemble the guacamole, and dinner will come together in no time. (Aren't feeling frying on a Tuesday? Toast the tortillas briefly over an open flame or under the broiler, and make it Taco Night instead.)
Easy enough to make after work but lovely enough to serve at a dinner party, this chicken is the ultimate early-spring dinner. To make, braise seared chicken thighs in white wine and serve over gently cooked leeks and lemony steamed asparagus and peas.
Carrots, potatoes, leeks, and plenty of garlic round out this comforting, but light pot pie that's filled with Italian sausage and creamy gravy. (Frozen puff pastry dough keeps this dish firmly in weeknight territory.) While it bakes, toss together a simple salad of spring greens with radishes, almonds, and a bright, lemony dressing.
Have friends over at the last minute—or don't—because this baked salmon dish, served over a salad of potatoes, asparagus, and escarole tossed in a lemony dill dressing, is so easy that it's both company-ready and satisfyingly simple. No steamer basket? No worries.
