Healthy Spring Dinner Recipes

Find healthy, delicious spring dinner recipes, from the food and nutrition experts at EatingWell.

Staff Picks

Creamy Garlic Pasta with Shrimp & Vegetables

Rating: Unrated
20
Toss a garlicky, Middle Eastern-inspired yogurt sauce with pasta, shrimp, asparagus, peas and red bell pepper for a fresh, satisfying summer meal. Serve with: Slices of cucumber and tomato tossed with lemon juice and olive oil.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Lemon & Dill Chicken

Rating: Unrated
26
Fresh lemon and dill create a quick Greek-inspired pan sauce for simple sautéed chicken breasts. Make it a meal: Serve with roasted broccoli and whole-wheat orzo.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Spring Vegetable Stew

Rating: Unrated
2
This rich, satisfying vegetable stew celebrates the first vegetables of spring--artichokes, leeks, carrots and peas. For a truly indulgent flair, omit the butter at the end and drizzle each serving with a little truffle oil.
By Victoria Abbott Riccardi

Seafood Paella with Spring Vegetables

This healthy paella recipe is inspired by the bounty of Provençal farmers' markets. Instead of sausage and chicken, fresh artichoke, green beans, fennel and onion are nestled with shellfish and white fish to create a light but delicious recipe. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.
By Seamus Mullen

Skillet Gnocchi with Shrimp & Asparagus

Rating: Unrated
11
The gnocchi cooks right in the skillet, along with shrimp, shallots, asparagus and Parmesan cheese, in this gnocchi recipe. Look for shelf-stable gnocchi near other pasta. Serve with baby arugula salad with vinaigrette and a glass of pinot grigio.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Easy Italian Wedding Soup

Rating: Unrated
4
Forget the marble-size meatballs you find in many versions of this soup. In this easy recipe, they're full-size, full-flavored and plenty filling.
By Robin Bashinsky

Creamy Chicken & Mushrooms

Rating: Unrated
14
Whether you scored wild mushrooms at the farmers' market, found cultivated maitake or shiitake at the supermarket or just have some baby bellas on hand, this healthy creamy chicken recipe is delicious with any of them. Serve over whole-wheat egg noodles or mashed potatoes.
By Carolyn Malcoun

Salmon & Asparagus with Lemon-Garlic Butter Sauce

Rating: Unrated
2
Looking for a recipe to help you eat more heart-healthy fish and veggies? Add this salmon and asparagus dinner to your rotation. Not only is it healthy and delicious, this sheet-pan dinner is also easy to make and a breeze to clean up.
By Carolyn Casner

Slow-Cooker Braised Beef with Carrots & Turnips

Rating: Unrated
6
The spice blend in this healthy beef stew recipe--cinnamon, allspice and cloves--may conjure images of apple pie, but the combo is a great fit in savory applications too. Serve over creamy polenta or buttered whole-wheat egg noodles.
By Hilary Meyer

Ground Beef & Pasta Skillet

Rating: Unrated
9
Sneak extra vegetables into your child's day (and yours too!) with this easy one-skillet pasta recipe. Finely chop mushrooms to resemble the texture of ground beef and stir them into a classic meat sauce for an extra-healthy twist on a dinnertime favorite.
By Carolyn Casner

Slow-Cooker Chicken & White Bean Stew

Rating: Unrated
10
This load-and-go slow-cooker chicken recipe is perfect for a busy weeknight dinner. Serve this Tuscan-inspired dish with crusty bread, a glass of Chianti and a salad.
By Adam Dolge

Greek Turkey Burgers with Spinach, Feta & Tzatziki

Rating: Unrated
12
Creamy tzatziki and crisp sliced cucumber add a refreshing twist to this easy Greek-inspired burger recipe loaded with feta, spinach and Mediterranean spices. No tzatziki? No problem! Make your own at home by combining plain Greek yogurt with a squeeze of lemon, dill and finely chopped cucumber.
By Hilary Meyer

Inspiration and Ideas

A Whole Week of Healthy Spring Dinners

A Whole Week of Healthy Spring Dinners

Follow this meal plan for 7 easy, satisfying dinners.
Spring Pizza

Spring Pizza

An easy, fresh and light dinner for spring! Serve this easy asparagus pizza recipe with a baby greens salad tossed with vinaigrette and pecans.
Ricotta Gnocchi with Spring Vegetables

Ricotta Gnocchi with Spring Vegetables

25 Spring Recipes For Sunday Dinner

25 Spring Recipes For Sunday Dinner

30 Days of 400-Calorie Dinners for Spring

30 Days of 400-Calorie Dinners for Spring

24 High-Protein, 400-Calorie Dinners for Spring

24 High-Protein, 400-Calorie Dinners for Spring

Adobo Chicken & Kale Enchiladas

Rating: Unrated
8

Put out your favorite toppings for these quick and healthy layered enchiladas. We like cilantro, sour cream, guacamole and jalapeños.

All Healthy Spring Dinner Recipes

Chicken, Quinoa & Sweet Potato Casserole

Rating: Unrated
10
This protein-loaded chicken and sweet potato casserole dish is made with multicolored quinoa, a blend of white, red and black varieties, but any color will work.
By Robin Bashinsky

Shrimp and Cauliflower Bake

Rating: Unrated
5
This quick and easy seafood casserole gets bright flavor from fresh dill and feta cheese.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Stuffed Sweet Potato with Hummus Dressing

Rating: Unrated
14
Hearty yet simple to prepare, this stuffed sweet potato with black beans, kale and hummus dressing is a fantastic 5-ingredient lunch for one!
By Katie Webster

Black Bean-Quinoa Buddha Bowl

Rating: Unrated
4
Treat your Buddha bowl to a vacation south of the border! This black bean and quinoa Buddha bowl has the usual hallmarks of a taco salad, minus the greasy fried bowl. We've loaded it up with pico de gallo, fresh cilantro and avocado plus an easy hummus dressing to drizzle on top.
By Katie Webster

Mediterranean Tuna-Spinach Salad

Rating: Unrated
7
This tuna salad recipe gets an upgrade with olives, feta and a tahini dressing. Served over baby spinach, this is the perfect easy and light lunch or dinner salad.
By Sara Haas, R.D.N., L.D.N.

Creamy White Chili with Cream Cheese

Rating: Unrated
9
This rich and creamy chili comes together in a flash thanks to quick-cooking chicken thighs and canned white beans. Mashing some of the beans acts as a fast thickener when your soups don't have a long time to simmer. Cream cheese adds the final bit of richness and a hint of sweet tang.
By Robin Bashinsky

Chickpea & Quinoa Buddha Bowl

Rating: Unrated
4
It seems Buddha bowls have as many variations as there are stars in the sky, and there is no wrong way to build one! But we prefer to keep things classic and simple with hummus, quinoa, avocado and loads of veggies!
By Katie Webster

Slow-Cooked Ranch Chicken and Vegetables

Rating: Unrated
5
This creamy, veggie-packed chicken dinner comes together easily in your slow-cooker-and makes enough for another night's casserole (see associated recipe)!
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Veggistrone

Rating: Unrated
20
This vegetable-packed minestrone soup recipe is inspired by a popular Weight Watchers vegetable soup recipe. It makes a big pot of soup, so keep some in the refrigerator for up to 5 days and freeze the rest in single-serve portions. That way you always have an easy, delicious vegetable soup to start your meal or to eat for lunch. Think of this vegetable minestrone recipe as a starting point for other healthy soup variations, too: toss in leftover chopped cooked chicken or whole-wheat pasta or brown rice to make it more satisfying.
By Joyce Hendley

Beef & Barley Soup

There's something so satisfying about a hearty bowl of beef and barley soup--especially when it's one you've made from scratch with reduced-sodium broth and chunks of delicious sirloin steak. This slow-cooker recipe is simple to prepare, serves six, and is a great alternative to canned soup!
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Chicken, Peppers & Pasta Casserole

Rating: Unrated
1
You can assemble this healthy chicken casserole before you leave for a party and pop it in the oven at the host's house. Or bake it at home and bring it along--it's delicious at room temperature too.
By Hilary Meyer

Slow-Cooker Vegetarian Lasagna

Rating: Unrated
18
Sure, the slow cooker's great for stews and soups, but it also happens to make a mean lasagna! In this ingenious slow-cooker recipe, all you have to do is chop your veggies, then layer the ingredients (raw) into the crockpot. Serve with: Garlic bread and a green salad.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Steak with Glazed Carrots & Turnips

This cast-iron steak recipe has what it takes to transform beef and vegetables from basic to brilliant--a pop of rosemary on the steak, an intense sear in a hot skillet and a sweet-and-sour glaze on the vegetables. Serve with sautéed spinach and a glass of red wine.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Chickpea Pasta with Lemony-Parsley Pesto

Rating: Unrated
2
We love using chickpea pasta in this quick and easy dinner recipe, but other bean pastas or whole-wheat noodles are just as good with this fresh and zesty pesto sauce.
By Sylvia Fountaine

Slab Chicken Potpie

Rating: Unrated
1
Slab fruit pies are all the rage for summer parties, so why not give classic chicken potpie the same treatment and create buzz at a cool-weather gathering as well. Premade pie crusts and frozen veggies make this chicken dinner easy to prepare without sacrificing flavor.
By Adam Hickman

Middle Eastern Lamb Stew

Rating: Unrated
10
This brothy stew is boldly flavored with a blend of characteristic Middle Eastern spices and finished with fresh spinach and fiber-rich chickpeas. Economical lamb shoulder tenderizes beautifully when leisurely cooked in a slow cooker. If you can't find boneless shoulder stew meat, do not substitute more-expensive lamb leg--it tends to dry out during slow cooking. Instead, purchase lamb shoulder chops and debone them. Serve over bulgur and accompany with a salad.
By Patsy Jamieson

Creamy Scallop & Pea Fettuccine

Rating: Unrated
5
This rich pasta dish is full of sweet seared scallops and plump peas. Low-fat milk and flour thicken the sauce, giving it creamy texture without the extra calories and fat found in traditional cream sauces. Serve with a small Caesar salad on the side.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Tomato & Artichoke Gnocchi

Rating: Unrated
20
Artichoke hearts, olives and a splash of red-wine vinegar give this ultra-quick, healthy vegetarian gnocchi recipe pizzazz. For an additional hit of Mediterranean flavor, try topping with feta cheese.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Slow-Cooker Vietnamese Pulled Chicken

Rating: Unrated
3
Busy week coming up? Cook up these easy poached chicken breasts infused with the flavors of the ubiquitous Vietnamese sauce nuoc cham in your slow cooker on Sunday. Then enjoy the leftover chicken three different ways over the days to come--ladled with the broth over rice noodles, layered with vegetables on a sandwich and mixed with mayo to make a creamy chicken salad.
By Stacy Fraser

Cheese-&-Spinach-Stuffed Portobellos

Rating: Unrated
28
Here we take the elements of a vegetarian lasagna filling--ricotta, spinach and Parmesan cheese--and nestle them into roasted portobello mushroom caps. The recipe works best with very large portobello caps; if you can only find smaller ones, buy one or two extra and divide the filling among all the caps. Serve with a tossed salad and a whole-wheat dinner roll or spaghetti tossed with marinara sauce.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Tofu & Vegetable Scramble

Feel free to customize this speedy tofu and vegetable scramble with your favorite combination of vegetables and spice. Try to use veggies that will all cook at the same rate, like peppers, green beans and sugar snap peas.
By Katie Webster

Skillet Gnocchi with Chard & White Beans

Rating: Unrated
110
In this one-skillet supper, we toss dark leafy greens, diced tomatoes and white beans with gnocchi and top it all with gooey mozzarella. Serve with a mixed green salad with vinaigrette.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Green Goddess Salad with Chickpeas

Rating: Unrated
2
In this cucumber, tomato, Swiss cheese and chickpea salad recipe, a healthy green goddess dressing is made from avocado, buttermilk and herbs. The extra dressing is delicious served with grilled vegetables.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Italian Vegetable Hoagies

Rating: Unrated
15
This delightfully easy, and somewhat messy, sandwich packs a punch with sweet balsamic vinegar, artichoke hearts, red onion, provolone cheese and zesty pepperoncini. We love it for dinner as well as lunch. If you're packing the hoagies to take along, keep the ingredients separate and assemble right before eating to avoid soggy bread. Serve with tomato and cucumber salad.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen
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