31 Spring Side Dishes to Brighten Any Meal
As the weather warms and we start to move beyond root vegetables, we’re especially excited to cook our favorite spring side dishes. One lap around the farmers market is enough to inspire spring vegetable recipes that make the most of thick stalks of asparagus, perky pink radishes, purple-streaked spring onions, tender sweet peas, thin-skinned new potatoes, and more.
Whether you’re planning an Easter brunch, a Passover seder, or just another weeknight dinner, nothing makes roast chicken—or any main—shine quite like a bright, colorful side. Think crunchy vegetable salads with salty cheese, green sauce–coated rice, and even vegan deviled “eggs.” With recipes like these in the mix, consider your spring side dish needs officially sorted.
More spring recipes, right this way →
Revitalize your taste buds with spicy radishes, earthy mushrooms, and all the rhubarb you can eat.
Shaved into a salad, roasted until crispy, or puréed into soup, our best asparagus recipes celebrate spring’s most iconic spears.
Tacos with radish escabèche, fried lemon and radish salad, farmers market farro bowls, and more of our favorite ways to cook with radishes.
The season’s diamond? Rhubarb, obviously.
Photography by Travis Rainey, Prop Styling by Christina Allen, Food Styling by Drew Aichele1/31Grilled Asparagus With Tahini Super Sauce
Nothing says spring side dish like grilled asparagus. And since we all know a vegetable is better with a sauce, meet this salty-rich, anchovy-enhanced tahini mayo. Save leftover sauce to slather on tomorrow’s sandwich.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton, Prop Styling by Christine Keely2/31Spiced Lentil and Carrot Salad
Basic roasted carrots served us well all winter, but by spring, the vegetable deserves a lighter treatment, as in this marvelously fresh grated salad. Add some thick planks of feta, and you could call it dinner.
Photograph by Peden + Munk, food styling by Adriana Paschen, prop styling by Ceci Garcia3/31Radishes With Sesame Yogurt
This may not look like your typical spring vegetable recipe, and that’s just the point. Serve this appetizer with hunks of crusty bread.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Taneka Morris, Prop Styling by Tim Ferro4/31Crispy Smashed Potatoes With Parmesan and Herbs
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Prop Styling by Nicole Louie5/31Crispy Tortilla Salad With Snap Peas and Avocado
Inspired by Levantine fattoush, this salad swaps crispy pita for chile powder-dusted tortillas. (Not in the mood to set up a shallow frying station? Use thick tortilla chips, warmed in the oven.)
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton, Prop Styling by Gerri Williams6/31Steamed Vegetables With Miso-Ginger Dressing
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Maggie Ruggiero, Prop Styling by Christine Keely7/31Creamy Asparagus Soup
Eva Kolenko8/31Braised Artichokes With Tomatoes and Mint
One or two artichoke halves make a lovely side dish to a springy pork loin roast, but you could also chop these up to toss with pasta or lay a few over polenta for a plant-based entrée.
Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Susan Ottaviano, prop styling by Sophie Strangio9/31Spring-y Panzanella With Kombucha Vinaigrette
Sure, you could make stale bread into breadcrumbs, but why not make it the base of a salad? Peas and fennel, bring welcome color to the large hunks of sourdough, but the real star is the tangy kombucha-based vinaigrette. (It’s also swap-friendly: try arugula instead of watercress, and Parmesan cheese for the pecorino.)
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca10/31Vegan Deviled “Eggs”
Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Summer Moore11/31Charred Asparagus and Dates With Goat Cheese
This 15-minutes-or-less side dish makes the case for warming dates in a hot skillet, where they quickly caramelize and go extra-squidgy. Add a can of chickpeas or tinned fish and you could honestly call this dinner.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton, Prop Styling by Gerri Williams12/31Quinoa-Bean Salad With Lots of Dill
Photograph by Joe Lingeman, Food Styling by Liberty Fennell, Prop Styling by Maggie DiMarco13/31Miso-Glazed Carrots With Scallion Gremolata
Photograph by Kelly Marshall, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Sophie Strangio14/31Grilled Leeks With Brown Butter and Spiced Hazelnuts
