With warmer weather finally arriving, an abundance of spring produce is coming with it. At Milk Street, we put all those asparagus, peas, artichokes and more to good use in recipes that highlight their freshness for light meals that are packed with enough substance to still satisfy. From herbaceous salads and bright vegetable soups to creamy pastas, this collection of nine vibrant and bright spring recipes, inspired by our travels, will help show off everything you pick up at the farmer’s market.

Tuscan style spring vegetable soup milk street

TUSCAN-STYLE SPRING VEGETABLE SOUP

In Tuscany, garmugia is a seasonal soup that celebrates the vegetables of spring: peas, asparagus, artichokes and fava beans. But it’s not typically vegetarian—pancetta, meat stock and chunks of ground beef or veal lend the soup meaty backbone. For our garmugia-inspired soup, we omitted the ground meat but use pancetta and beef broth so the finished dish is satisfying yet light.

CAMPANELLE PASTA WITH ASPARAGUS, LEMON AND PARMESAN

Consider this springtime pasta dish an elegant supper yet a quick one-pot affair. The pasta and asparagus start independently but finish together, simmered with half-and-half, so their flavors mix and meld. And the pop of lemon does wonders to brighten everything up.

CAMPANELLE PASTA WITH ASPARAGUS LEMON AND PARMESAN milk street
Baked persian herb omelette kuku sabzi milk street

BAKED PERSIAN HERB OMELET (KUKU SABZI)

This egg dish, traditionally served at Persian New Year’s feasts, is packed with herbs to symbolize rebirth, making it the perfect springtime meal to celebrate the change of the season. Pulsed herbs and scallions add great texture while dried cranberries are a good stand-in for traditional Persian barberries—lending a sweet-and-savory balance.

CARROT-LIME SOUP WITH CILANTRO

Our creamy yet cream-free carrot soup riffs on a recipe by Alice Waters, where carrot sweetness is grounded by shallot and herbal cilantro and boldly accented with coriander, lime and chili. For a colorful, aromatic flourish, we make a simple relish-like garnish with some of the same ingredients in the soup, then drizzle individual bowlfuls with olive oil to add fruity richness.

CARROT LIME SOUP WITH CILANTRO milk street
SUGAR SNAP AND RADISH SALAD WITH OLIVE OIL TUNA milk street

SUGAR SNAP AND RADISH SALAD WITH OLIVE-OIL TUNA

Inspired by Portland, Oregon, chef Joshua McFadden, this recipe plays fast and loose with convention. Northern Italian tonnato, a silky, savory sauce made with tuna, typically is served with veal, but we like to balance the puree's rich, meaty flavor with sweet snap peas and peppery radishes. Asian fish sauce may be a surprise ingredient, but just a couple teaspoons bolsters the flavor of the tuna.

VIETNAMESE MEATBALL LETTUCE WRAPS

Vietnamese meatballs are often skewered and grilled, but for a quick weeknight meal, a skillet does a fine job to lock in the flavors of fresh springtime herbs and pork. You can serve these over steamed rice or rice vermicelli, but we like them with a handful of herbs and lettuce leaves for wrapping, along with a mixture of lime juice and fish sauce for drizzling.

Vietnamese meatball lettuce wraps milk street
Linguine artichokes asparagus lemon mint ricotta milk street

LINGUINE WITH ARTICHOKES, ASPARAGUS AND LEMON-MINT RICOTTA

This simple one-skillet pasta dish is full of earthy, springtime flavors and a pleasing mix of textures. We picked asparagus and artichokes, both available fresh in the spring, to add brightness, and then combine them with store-bought fresh linguine and a quick sauce that comes together with a bit of pasta water.

MINTY GREEN PEA SALAD WITH LEMON AND FETA

Featuring peas and fresh mint, this simple no-cook salad is aptly described as “springtime in a bowl.” Beautifully vibrant green and pulled together in minutes, salty feta acts as the perfect complement to sweet peas and fresh mint. And the cheese’s creaminess ties all the elements together. Of course, this time of year, sub fresh peas for the frozen in the recipe.

Minty green pea salad lemon feta milk street
Avocado pineapple arugula salad fresh chili lime milk street

AVOCADO, PINEAPPLE AND ARUGULA SALAD WITH FRESH CHILI AND LIME

This bright, beautifully balanced salad of creamy avocado, fruity pineapple and peppery greens is our version of Cuban ensalada de aguacate, berro y piña, a dish we first learned about from Cuba-born chef Maricel Presilla. In our recipe, we use both lime zest and juice for citrusy notes, plus white vinegar for an extra shot of acidity.


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