Celebrate the first day of spring with some of my favorite seasonal recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!
Is it just me, or did winter go by waaaayyyy too fast? I swear, Christmas morning feels like it was just yesterday! Being back in Colorado after living in L.A. for a while, I have to say the end of winter is bittersweet. Anyone who knows me knows I am always freezing, so warmer weather is definitely a positive, but I also want to savor every second of snow that I can! Not to mention, I'm already seeing spiders everywhere, and even ran into a mosquito the other day. Yuck!
Even though the end of snow season and the beginning of bug season might not be my favorite, I do love the flavors of spring. I'm especially partial to spring fruits, so I'm extra-excited for all the lemons and berries of the season.
So whether you're like me and mourning the loss of winter, or you're rejoicing at the start of spring, I'm sharing easy, vegetarian recipes featuring seasonal ingredients for every meal of the day to help you get into the spirit of the season!
Spring Recipes For Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Breakfast: Lemon Blueberry Baked Oatmeal
Lemon might just be my favorite flavor in the entire world. As a child, I would literally eat lemon wedges like they were orange slices. I'm the weird person who will choose the lemon flavored candy over the cherries and raspberries that the majority of the population seems to favor. As much as I love ice cream, lemon sorbet will always be the champion of frozen desserts in my heart. So naturally, spring baking is all about lemon for me.
This lemon blueberry baked oatmeal combines the fresh lightness of lemon that I love with the sweetness of blueberries, the satisfying texture of oats, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
If tart isn't your thing, don't worry, the lemon is just subtle enough to provide the perfect balance of flavor without making you pucker!
This recipe can easily made gluten-free by using gluten-free rolled oats, or vegan by replacing the honey with maple syrup and the egg white with two tablespoons of applesauce or 1/2 of a flax egg. Similarly, if you don't have almond milk on hand, go ahead and use any other milk of choice. I also prefer using fresh blueberries because I find they tend to be juicier, but you can use frozen, just make sure to thaw completely and remove excess moisture before mixing them in. Or, try adding other fruits like strawberries or raspberries!
Lunch: Strawberry Poppy Seed Pasta Salad
This super-simple Strawberry Poppy Seed Pasta Salad is the perfect make-ahead lunch featuring all the best spring flavors. I love spinach almost as much as I love lemon, and any meal featuring fresh fruit has my name written all over it!
The salad is super versatile, so feel free to modify as you wish. Use any variety of pasta you'd like; I actually prefer this dish with Banza chickpea pasta rather than regular wheat penne. Pineapple can easily be substituted for mandarin oranges, blueberries, or apple chunks, or omitted entirely. For simplicity's sake, I use a store-bought poppy seed dressing (I recommend the Panera At Home brand), but you can choose any dressing you wish or even try your hand at a homemade dressing. If you're going for ease but the taste of homemade, consider mixing in a few splashes of pineapple or mandarin orange juice to spruce up your store-bought dressing.
Dinner: Cauliflower Chickpea Mango Tacos
Before I became vegetarian, my mom's mango fish tacos were one of the only fish dishes I would eat. I actually never had a problem with fish until I was twelve and my mom and I spent the day in Fisherman's Warf after I wrapped a print job in San Jose. I had the time of my life that day, except that the putrid smell of fish became absolutely repulsive to me. But I loved the mango salsa that was added to these tacos, so I'd suck it up and eat the fish whenever she made them for dinner (I told you, I really love spring fruit!)
This recipe combines the best parts of my mom's dish with cauliflower and chickpeas roasted in a cumin spice mixture, which is good enough to et all on it's own. You can keep it simple and serve with just the cauliflower chickpea mixture and the salsa, but I like my tacos loaded, so I highly recommend garnishing with avocado chunks and shredded cabbage.
Did you try one of these recipes? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, or share what your favorite dish for the spring season is! Happy cooking!