Recipe Roundup

63 Fresh and Lively Spring Side Dish Recipes

These bright sides are a great excuse to stock up on the season's best flavors—and possibly even take dinnertime outdoors.
Blistered asparagus on a plate.
Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
  • A bowl of braised leeks peas and lettuce.
    Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Frances Boswell
    1/63

    Braised Leeks, Peas, and Lettuce

    When you warm lettuce in butter and wine it gets velvety and rich—a perfect foil to the sweet peas. Serve this spooned over slices of quiche for brunch or alongside your favorite spring roast for dinner.

    Get This Recipe
  • Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott
    2/63

    Shaved Radish Salad With Walnuts And Mint

    Mandolines were made for recipes like this; even slices will make this simple salad look like the work of a pro.

    Get This Recipe
  • Photo by Laura Murray
    7/63

    Pea and Prosciutto Salad

    Toss blanched snap peas and English peas with arugula and a mustardy vinaigrette, then drape with prosciutto for an elegant spring salad.

    Get This Recipe
  • Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
    8/63

    Ramp Fritters

    These crispy little fritters taste like a three-way cross between onion tempura, blooming onion, and onion rings. If you can't find ramps, use thin scallions.

    Get This Recipe
  • Photo by Stephen Kent Johnson, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
    11/63

    Shaved Fennel Salad

    This is an antidote to every side salad that ever was. Instead of meh greens, it's got shavings of fennel that bend and twist but keep their refreshing crunch. It's got a lean dressing and nuggets of deeply toasted croutons, meaty walnuts, and shards of Parmesan. It has acidity and zing—lemon juice, the zest, vinegar, mint, and red pepper flakes—just in case you were worried about palate fatigue.

    Get This Recipe
  • Photo by Andrew Purcell, Prop Styling by Paige Hicks, Food Styling by Carrie Purcell
    12/63

    Roasted Asparagus

    Because sometimes the simplest side dishes are the best side dishes.

    Get This Recipe
  • Photo by Christopher Testani
    13/63

    Mushrooms with Béarnaise Yogurt

    A classic steakhouse-inspired rub and sauce turn grilled mushrooms into a decadent, meaty meal or side.

    Get This Recipe
  • Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
    14/63

    Sugar Snap Pea Salad

    Come springtime, sugar snap peas are so tender and fresh it's almost a shame to cook them. We prefer slicing them thinly and eating them raw with a simple dressing, like this creamy, tangy buttermilk one.

    Get This Recipe
  • Photo by Peden & Munk
    15/63

    Flatbread with Fava Beans, Cucumbers, and Burrata

    Fava beans most likely require a trip to a farmers’ market and take a while to peel. Sugar snap peas cut into bite-size pieces are a fine alternative.

    Get This Recipe
  • Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Sue Li
    16/63

    Spicy Lightly Pickled Cucumbers

    These quick pickles have just the right amount of sweet, salt, and tang going on. The brine can work with any crunchy veg, but we like them best with cucumbers. We guarantee they'll be the sleeper hit of your next party spread.

    Get This Recipe
  • Photo by Gentl & Hyers
    27/63

    Green Beans With Mushroom XO Sauce

    In Hong Kong, where XO sauce was invented, dried shrimp or scallops and Chinese ham are combined with chiles to create a powerhouse condiment that is salty, spicy, and funky. This recipe uses mushrooms in place of the pork, a cheeky reference to green bean casseroles.

    Get This Recipe
  • David Japy
    28/63

    Asparagus with Mussel Beurre Blanc

    Okay, so maybe you don't live across the street from a blooming locust tree—you can still make a killer butter sauce.

    Get This Recipe
  • Photo by Christopher Testani
    33/63

    Farmers Market Quinoa Salad

    Don't obsess over getting these exact ingredients in this precise combination. Any nut you like will work here for crunch, and you're looking for a mix of bright herbs and enough cooked grains to make it substantial.

    Get This Recipe
  • Photo by David Loftus
    34/63

    Snap Pea Salad

    Only the finest snap peas can be this delightful without a dunk in boiling water—and accentuate their flavor with little more than a lemony dressing and mint. If you'd like, you could add some creamy goat cheese in blobs or good old burrata alongside.

    Get This Recipe
  • Photo by Jonny Valiant
    47/63

    Artichokes Braised in Lemon and Olive Oil

    Simmered and later sauced in a lemony olive oil spiced with fennel and coriander seeds, artichokes absorb a complex blend of gorgeous flavors. The tender, juicy hearts bronze in a hot skillet just before serving, adding depth to this delicate dish.

    Get This Recipe
  • Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Amy Wilson, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
    48/63

    Charred Bean and Pea Salad

    When the farmers' market delivers you fresh, tender, sweet-and-not-starchy beans, don’t bother to blanch them. A short stint under the broiler softens them and imparts a light char while maintaining their snappy texture.

    Get This Recipe
  • Hirsheimer & Hamilton
    61/63

    Butter-Braised Spring Onions with Lots of Chives

    Onion flavor is layered in this dish: The greens have a brightness to balance the bulbs' sweetness, the cooking liquid becomes a buttery sauce, and fresh chives deliver a high note to finish.

    Get This Recipe
  • Photo by Chris Gentile
    62/63

    Asparagus Green Onion Sauté

    Asparagus is one of the best ways to usher in the new season. Combined with the snap of green beans and sautéed with the silky, mild bite of green onions, it becomes a welcome pop of color and texture to the plate.

    Get This Recipe
Read More
44 Artichoke Recipes That Are Pure Art
icon
Gallery
44 Artichoke Recipes That Are Pure Art
The artichoke is a beautiful vegetable: let it shine with these recipes, from simply grilled to decadently stuffed.
These Asparagus Ribbons Are Our Springtime Dinner Goals
These Asparagus Ribbons Are Our Springtime Dinner Goals
They're not just pretty—they're tender, grassy, and delicious.

Anna Stockwell

Modern Inspiration From a Vintage Cookbook
Modern Inspiration From a Vintage Cookbook
What's old is new again.

Paula Forbes

89 Vegetarian Dinner Party Mains for Easy Entertaining
Whether for an elegant dinner party or a last-minute hang, it’s easy to put vegetables front and center.
Our 53 Most Popular Recipes of All Time
Can you guess the most popular recipe on Epicurious?
19 Halibut Recipes for Flaky White Fish That Wows
Come for the weeknight halibut recipes, stay for the party-ready fish dinners.
The Most-Saved Recipes in the Epicurious App This Week
You’ll find lots of quick dinner ideas below.
31 Ground Turkey Recipes to Make Your Weeknights Easy-Peasy
Fast-track dinner with quick-cooking ground turkey.