Weekly Spotlight: Spring Meals with In-Season Produce!

Eating seasonally has many benefits, but it ensures that you’re eating the best-tasting produce. In-season vegetables in spring include mushrooms, parsnips, ramps, asparagus, and broccoli. You can also enjoy lettuce, sprouts, and spinach this spring! For fruits, this includes strawberries, avocadoes, limes, lemons, and cherries. You can also enjoy kiwi and pineapple during spring as well. Be sure to check your local area for what’s in season to know exactly what to buy.

There are many ways to welcome springtime in food format, and one of them is enjoying spring flavor paintings. You can also drizzle a bit of balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze over greens or fruit for a delicious and quick meal. Spring is also a wonderful season to focus on large salads with tender greens, topped with nuts and in-season fruits.

It’s daunting to cook meals from a list of random produce, so this guide focuses on incorporating all this wonderful spring produce into your meals.  If you’re looking for more about eating seasonally and more food guides, check out the ones below:

1. Weekly Meal Plan: Gluten-Free and Soy-Free Recipes Perfect for Spring!
2. Weekly Meal Plan: Plant-Based Meals for Spring Full of Veggies!
3. Weekly Spotlight: Make the Perfect Spring Vegan Pasta Salad!
4. Weekly Meal Plan: Plant-Based Meals Featuring Seasonal Summer Foods!

We also highly recommend downloading the Food Monster App  — with over 20,000 delicious recipes, it is the largest meatless, vegan, plant-based, and allergy-friendly recipe resource to help you get healthy! Don’t forget to check out our Weekly Meal Plan Archives! 

This week, we’re bringing delicious, fully vegan, and plant-based ways to enjoy refreshing spring meals with in-season produce!

Breakfast

Source: Asparagus, Tomato & Tofu Quiche

These meals are excellent to whip up for breakfast. With so much spring produce to choose from, there are many delicious breakfasts to create. it can be as simple as adding a variety of mushrooms and spinach to a tofu scramble. You can also add fruit to dairy-free yogurt and into chia pudding for a colorful and easy breakfast!

• Sundried Tomato and Broccoli ‘Egg’ Bites by Lauren McNeill
• Asparagus Quiche by Val & Mani Latifi
• Asparagus, Tomato & Tofu Quiche by Ross Bearman
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Chia Pudding by Tara Weir

Lunches

Source: Crunchy Broccoli Salad with Roasted Sriracha Chickpeas

These lunches are delicious and offer a fresh bite to compliment the middle of your day! These lunches range from hearty to light; there are so many ways to enjoy in-season produce in your meals.

• Fried Ramps With French Breakfast Radishes and Spring Shoots by Annie McGee
• Black Bean Tacos with Avocado Dressing by Shanika Graham-White
• Premium Patty Melt With Mushrooms and Special Sauce  by Zsu Dever
• Crunchy Broccoli Salad with Roasted Sriracha Chickpeas by Annabelle Randles
• Nori Seaweed Rolls With Vegetables and Sprouts by Simona Malerba

Dinners

Source: Tagliolini Pasta with Creamy Chanterelle Mushroom Sauce

Dinners can be brought to life when you use fresh spring produce! These dinners are wonderful ways to enjoy everything from mushrooms to broccoli. And, if you’re in a pinch, adding your veggie of choice to pasta with some sauce is a great way to make an easy meal.

• Apple, Parsnip, and Fennel Soup With Crispy Sage Brussels Sprouts by Claire Ragozzino
• Roasted Wild Mushrooms with Chili Oil and Vegan Pesto Cream Sauce by Karen Sheer
• Tagliolini Pasta with Creamy Chanterelle Mushroom Sauce by Teri Macovei
• Mongolian Lentils & Broccoli by Jillian Glenn
• Roasted Asparagus with Pistachio Pesto and Pearl Couscous by Fleur Droog

Sides

Source: Asparagus Puff Pastry Bundles

These easy appetizers and snacks are a great way to enjoy spring produce! These can be paired with your favorite plant-based protein and grain for a quick and easy meal. Or, you can eat these as a savory snack or light meal.

• Roasted Parsnip Hummus by Taryn Fitz-Gerald
• Parsnips With Rosemary ‘Butter’ and Walnuts by Viktoria Radichkova
• Watercress Soup by Korie Kha
• Rosemary Garlic Roasted Mushrooms by Erin Bruns
• Asparagus Puff Pastry Bundles by Maria Koutsogiannis
• Healthy Balsamic Mushrooms by Hannah Sunderani

Easy Ways to Help the Planet:

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