Spring is finally here and with it a feeling of optimism in the air. Swap your winter roots for spring greens, turn hearty stews into zesty broths and switch those stodgy carbs for lighter meals as you transition into spring. Here’s a selection of our favourite winter-to-spring recipes.
Steak Medallions, Mushroom Sauce and Spring Greens
This 15-minute meal teams juicy, grilled steaks with a rich mushroom sauce and a mix-and-match selection of spring greens, including tenderstem broccoli, peas and savoy cabbage. Purple sprouting broccoli is in season now too, and is a delicious swap-in for tenderstem varieties.
Spicy Miso Salmon with Broccoli Rice
This one-pan dinner is ready in just 10 minutes, making it ideal for a midweek dinner or a healthy lunch. Broccoli is grated and steamed, mimicking a rice-like texture, then livened up with chives and spring onions. Serve it with a miso sauce that also doubles up as a wonderful dressing for vegetables and stir-fries.
Sweet Chilli Pork with Rice Noodles
Got some pork mince in the fridge? Transform it into this light, spicy dinner with vermicelli noodles and homemade chilli sauce.
Chicken Salad with Blood Orange and Giant Couscous
Blood oranges are at their best in late winter and early spring, and will bring some much-needed sunshine to your plate. Paired with spiced roast chicken, pearls of giant couscous and a tart pomegranate dressing, this is something special.
Stilton Risotto with Sausage, Spring Greens and Crispy Sage
Something to satisfy on those colder evenings, with the addition of green vegetables and crispy sage to declare spring open.
Horta on Toast
Horta is a Greek catch-all term for greens, and in this recipe they’re braised with olive oil and lemon for a substantial vegan lunch. With spring greens now in season, see what you can find – anything will do here: mixed green leaves and shoots, such as large spinach leaves, kale, mustard leaves, wild garlic, hop shoots, watercress. Make it vegetarian if you like, with the addition of a poached or fried egg and a little feta.
Lemony Chicken Broth with Orzo Pasta and Chard
A nourishing, brightly flavoured chicken soup bulked out with orzo and chard, and cut through with zesty lemon, this is a perfect dish for the transition between winter and spring. Orzo, a handy little rice-shaped pasta, is great in soups and stews.
