25 Meals That Make the Most of What’s in Season Right Now

Cooking with what’s in season isn’t just for people who spend their weekends at farmers markets in wide-brimmed hats. It’s actually a smart way to make better food without trying too hard. Produce tastes better when it hasn’t traveled across five time zones, and it usually costs less too. These recipes are built around what’s fresh right now, so you don’t end up staring at a soggy head of lettuce wondering what to do with it.

Arugula Pesto

Arugula shows up fast and in big bunches, and this pesto is a great way to put it to use. It’s peppery, sharp, and comes together in minutes with just a few pantry staples. Toss it with pasta, spread it on sandwiches, or use it as a quick sauce for roasted veggies.
Get the Recipe: Arugula Pesto

Rhubarb Bread

If you’ve got extra rhubarb lying around, this quick bread is a great way to use it before it gets limp in the fridge. It’s tart, just sweet enough, and loaded with texture from oats and walnuts. It works for breakfast, snacking, or even dessert.
Get the Recipe: Rhubarb Bread

Spring Lamb Nachos

These aren’t your usual nachos. Ground lamb teams up with fresh spring vegetables like peas and radishes, then gets topped with feta for something bold, colorful, and way more interesting than anything out of a bag. Great for casual get-togethers or a dinner that doesn’t feel like dinner.
Get the Recipe: Spring Lamb Nachos

Cold Strawberry Soup

When the weather heats up and strawberries are everywhere, this chilled soup is a smart move. Orange and mint keep it light and fresh, and it works as an appetizer or dessert. It’s unexpected in the best way and comes together in a blender.
Get the Recipe: Cold Strawberry Soup

Lemony Shaved Asparagus Salad

Shaved asparagus, tomatoes, and basil make this one of the most spring-forward dishes you can throw together. It’s bright, sharp, and finished with parmesan and lemon juice for a side that doesn’t mess around. Great next to anything grilled or as the main event on a light day.
Get the Recipe: Lemony Shaved Asparagus Salad

Pesto Tortellini with Asparagus and Peas

This one-pot meal is perfect for spring when asparagus and peas are everywhere. The pesto cream sauce pulls it all together in a way that feels a little fancy without actually being hard. It’s quick, fresh, and great for nights when you want to use what’s in season but don’t feel like thinking too much.
Get the Recipe: Pesto Tortellini with Asparagus and Peas

Zucchini Tomato Mushroom Casserole

This dump-and-bake dinner is one of those dishes that feels like you didn’t try that hard, but still tastes like summer on a plate. It’s packed with zucchini and tomatoes, which are everywhere this time of year, and the mushrooms give it just enough bite to make it feel hearty.
Get the Recipe: Zucchini Tomato Mushroom Casserole

Roasted Radishes with Rosemary and Honey

Radishes show up early in the season and this is one of the easiest ways to use them. Roasting takes down the sharpness and gives them a mellow vibe, and the rosemary and honey make sure they’re not boring. Great as a side when you’ve got produce to use but want to keep things simple.
Get the Recipe: Roasted Radishes with Rosemary and Honey

Beetroot Ravioli

This is the meal you make when you want to actually impress someone with your cooking but still keep it seasonal. Beets and potatoes fill the pasta, and the poppy seed butter sauce keeps it grounded. It’s a great way to use up beets in a dish that looks way more complicated than it is.
Get the Recipe: Beetroot Ravioli

Tagliatelle Pasta with Fresh Peas and Pancetta

Peas are sweet, cheap, and everywhere right now, and this pasta is the perfect excuse to load up. It’s simple but hits the mark with salty pancetta and fresh herbs. Great for a quick dinner that feels like more than the five ingredients it actually takes.
Get the Recipe: Tagliatelle Pasta with Fresh Peas and Pancetta

Strawberry Risotto

Strawberries in risotto might sound odd, but it works—especially when berries are at their peak. This one’s great as a light dinner or a side for fish, and the sweet-savory combo feels unexpected without being weird. It’s a solid way to use up that extra pint you impulse-bought at the farmers market.
Get the Recipe: Strawberry Risotto

Rhubarb Frangipane Tart

Rhubarb is one of those blink-and-you’ll-miss-it ingredients, so this tart is a great excuse to use it while you can. The pastry base and almond filling are simple but solid, and the rhubarb brings just the right punch. It’s great for weekend baking or anytime you need dessert to do a little more.
Get the Recipe: Rhubarb Frangipane Tart

Cheesy Asparagus Bake

This is what you make when you want to convince someone asparagus is actually great. It takes five minutes to throw together, bakes in twenty, and comes out bubbling with cheese and just enough bite. It’s perfect for spring dinners where you need a side that feels like comfort food but uses what’s in season.
Get the Recipe: Cheesy Asparagus Bake

Radish Greens Pesto

If you’re buying radishes, don’t toss the tops. This pesto is a smart way to use the whole plant. It’s great on pasta, toast, grilled meat—basically anything that needs a punch of flavor. It’s easy, fresh, and a good reason to skip the store-bought stuff.
Get the Recipe: Radish Greens Pesto

Asparagus, Swiss Chard & Red Pepper

This colorful side dish is loaded with in-season produce and comes together fast. You get crunch, flavor, and a good excuse to use up that bunch of Swiss chard before it wilts. It’s great with just about anything grilled or roasted, and it actually tastes like spring.
Get the Recipe: Asparagus, Swiss Chard & Red Pepper

Asparagus Pasta With Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce

Asparagus is one of the first vegetables to show up in spring, and this pasta makes it the main event. The lemon garlic butter keeps it light but flavorful, and it comes together fast. It’s perfect for a weeknight when you want to cook with what’s fresh but don’t want a big project.
Get the Recipe: Asparagus Pasta With Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce

Broccoli Raisin Salad

This isn’t your sad store-bought broccoli salad. It’s packed with texture—think bacon, raisins, pumpkin seeds—and tossed in a lightened-up dressing that still tastes like it belongs at a cookout. Great for summer meals when you want something crunchy, cold, and actually worth eating.
Get the Recipe: Broccoli Raisin Salad

Lemon Blueberry Cake Cookies

These soft, citrusy cookies are the kind of thing you bake when blueberries are going wild in the produce section. They start with a cake mix, so they’re easy, but the lemon and white chocolate give them enough personality to stand out. Great for summer parties or just because.
Get the Recipe: Lemon Blueberry Cake Cookies

Roasted Vegetable Pasta Salad

This pasta salad is a fridge hero. Use whatever seasonal vegetables you’ve got, roast them, toss with pasta and a herby dressing, and boom—it’s lunch, dinner, or a side for your next BBQ. It’s flexible, great for leftovers, and actually gets better the next day.
Get the Recipe: Roasted Vegetable Pasta Salad

Potato Salad

This version skips the usual mayo overload and brings in grilled vegetables and a pistachio dressing for more flavor. It’s perfect for summer weekends, cookouts, or any time you want a potato salad that doesn’t taste like every other one on the table.
Get the Recipe: Potato Salad

Roasted Asparagus Salad With Eggs

Asparagus is everywhere in spring, and this salad is a great way to use a full bunch. Roasted spears meet soft eggs, shaved parmesan, and toasted pine nuts for a mix of texture and flavor that’s simple but feels put together. It’s great for brunch, lunch, or dinner when you want something that looks like effort without much of it.
Get the Recipe: Roasted Asparagus Salad With Eggs

Kale Broccoli Salad

This salad is packed with produce and actually tastes good. The massaged kale, crunchy broccoli, and sweet cranberries work with the lemon Dijon dressing instead of hiding under it. Great for potlucks, meal prep, or when you’re trying to eat more greens without it feeling like punishment.
Get the Recipe: Kale Broccoli Salad

Sheet Pan Salmon and Asparagus

This is the kind of dinner that makes you feel like you’ve got it together. Everything cooks on one pan in under 10 minutes, and it’s built around two ingredients that are in season and easy to find. Great for busy weeknights or when you want something quick that still looks impressive.
Get the Recipe: Sheet Pan Salmon and Asparagus

Lemon Chicken and Asparagus Sheet Pan Dinner

Spring asparagus meets zesty lemon chicken on a single pan. The whole thing’s ready fast, and it’s loaded with flavor from herbs and a splash of maple syrup. Great for nights when you want to use up the produce in your fridge without cooking a bunch of separate sides.
Get the Recipe: Lemon Chicken and Asparagus Sheet Pan Dinner

Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

This stir fry is quick, full of flavor, and a great way to put fresh broccoli to good use. It comes together faster than takeout and works with rice, noodles, or whatever grain you’ve got. A weeknight staple that actually helps clear out your produce drawer.
Get the Recipe: Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry