I can never really make up my mind about spring.
It’s sloshy and muddy and wet. The snow looks dirty. It’s never quite warm enough. It’s a sunny 50 degrees one day, and we’re preparing for a snow emergency the next day. But on the other hand… it’s not negative five hundred degrees anymore! That is a win. It’s warm enough to make you want to take off your mittens and a hat by the end of your walk. The days are getting longer and everything outside smells like sweet rain and the earth.
So, as is usually the case around this time of year, I’m on the fence about this strange transition season into summer. However. The one thing I’m not really on the fence about is SPRING FOOD.
And my spring recipe checklist is any and all of the following:
- Crunchy
- Tangy
- Colorful
- Crunchy x2
- Bright
- Cold, or Cold/Warm Combo
- Textural (i.e. that chopped salad pizza – it’s at the end of the list)
- And Crunchy x3
I feel like this is the season where my mouth full wakes up after a few delicious but mushy months wading through soups and stews and all the comforting food of winter.
So I am full-on embracing the crunch! I am diving headfirst into all the color and the texture and the flavor that makes your mouth pucker just a tiny bit. If you’re feeling me, these clean eating recipes are my recommendations for a happy spring!
1: Spring Detox Cauliflower Salad
Hi! It me. In salad form. This salad is the happiest spring recipe I can think of. It’s inspired by a recipe from The First Mess, so naturally it’s loaded with all kinds of vegetable texture, crunch, and color such as: riced cauliflower, sliced apples, roasty chickpeas, avocado, fistfuls of herbs, and a mustardy dressing. It is SO GOOD. And so necessary for spring.
Click here for the Spring Detox Cauliflower Salad recipe.
2: Spring Roll Bowls with Sweet Garlic Lime Sauce
I have had a mad craving for spring rolls these last few weeks, and when I just can’t bring myself to chop and soak and roll, I just toss everything in a bowl with some rice noodles instead. I like to eat this nice and cold and lime-y and crunchy. HAPPY FEELS.
Click here for the Spring Roll Bowls Recipe.
3: Avocado Egg Salad
First of all, THE EVERYTHING BAGEL. Secondly, this avocado egg salad is life. Just mash some avocados, toss in some hard boiled eggs (hello, Easter) and add some herbs, lemon juice, and salt. YUM to the max. See also: I love everything bagels.
Click here for the Avocado Egg Salad recipe.
4: Berry Chia Overnight Oats
This is an oats meets smoothie meets chia pudding mash-up in the best possible way. Also, it’s pink and it’s pretty. Also, you can put it in a stemless wine glass and feel fancy about it. These are my essentials for a happy spring.
Click here for the Berry Chia Overnight Oats recipe.
5: Yummy Salmon Burgers with Slaw, Duh
This might sound 90% crazy but I love this as much for the quick and crunchy slaw as I do for those crispy, salty salmon burgers. This recipe comes together in literally 15 minutes and it is everything I want in a spring meal. Filling, nutritious, and DANG GINA yummy.
Click here for the Salmon Burgers with Slaw recipe.
6: Korean BBQ Yum Yum Rice Bowls
I make variations on this recipe constantly – burritos, tacos, etc. – but the essentials are this: reeeeally flavorful, tender, pull-apart meat, steamy white or brown rice, and something very crunchy – slaw, kimchi, whatever ya got. I, of course, like to be a little dramatic with my food so I always top it off with a thick drizzle of yum yum sauce or spicy mayo and a hit of peanuts, herbs, lime, and maybe sesame seeds. Overkill? More like overawesome. Pro Tip: Make your meat in the slow cooker. It’s SO yummy.
Click here for the Korean BBQ Rice Bowl recipe.
7: Detox Rainbow Roll Ups With Peanut Sauce
These beauties can be wrapped with anything, but I like to use a big ol collard leaf because spring! health goals! crunchy and fresh! Everything gets layered with curry hummus and fresh veggies (spring roll style!) and then you dip them into peanut sauce. Thank you and goodnight.
Click here for the Detox Rainbow Roll Ups recipe.
8: Perfect Baked Salmon And Lentils
Gosh, I love this recipe. You literally put everything in the oven together and then make a quick lemon sauce (SPRING) and then poof! You have this gorgeous, healthy dinner. The pink in the picture is a pile of sweet, tangy purple sauerkraut that I would highly recommend you make or buy. It rounds the whole thing out into color, texture, and flavor bliss.
Click here for the Perfect Baked Salmon and Lentils recipe.
9: Goddess Curry Chicken Salad
We meet again, Everything Bagel. I can’t not. You know this about me. I am normally not a big fan of chicken salad which is why THIS chicken salad is a pretty big deal, okay? This chicken salad is legit. It is made with Greek yogurt, but not in a way that tastes overly healthy, because we add some olive oil in there to keep the good fats going. There are golden raisins, cilantro, pistachios (surprise!), and plenty of juicy curry-spiced chicken. It is my favorite of all chicken salads.
Click here for the Goddess Curry Chicken Salad recipe.
10: Chopped Salad Pizza
I have not been able to get this out of my mind lately. Basically this involves an EXCELLENTLY tangy, crunchy, textural chopped salad with the works (we’re talking pepperoncinis and salami and kalamatas and feta and chickpeas and homemade Italian dressing) that is assembled on top of a lightly-sauced-and-cheesed crunchy flatbread pizza crust. In full disclosure, I didn’t make my own flatbread, but if you wanted to be 100% on the clean eating thing, you could do that and we’d all super admire you. OH MY SALAD this is so good.
Click here for the Chopped Salad Pizza recipe.
Okay, tell me.
Have you made any of these recipes? What are your other spring recipe faves?
FEED MEEEEE.