21 Spring Vegetables That Are Bursting With Flavor!

Wondering what vegetables are in season in the spring? We’re covering our favorite spring vegetables (and how to use them!)

Spring is here and with it comes a bounty of fresh and delicious vegetables. As the weather warms up and the days get longer, farmers are bringing in a variety of greens, root vegetables, and delicate shoots that are perfect for incorporating into your meals.

From asparagus and artichokes to peas and radishes, there are so many delicious options to choose from.

Our focus today is on Northern American spring vegetables. Many vegetables can be bought year-round because they are shipped from around the world. But there is something to be said for buying locally grown veggies in peak season, or even better just growing some of these yourself!

Popular Spring Vegetables

There are hundreds of types of vegetables popping up in the spring, but these are the most popular 21 types of spring vegetables to enjoy this season!

Artichoke

Artichoke’s prime season in California is February until June. We will use California as the standard for our seasonal descriptions because so much of U.S. produce comes from California. Artichoke is native to the Mediterranean Sea Region, and the top four producers in the world are still Mediterranean nations (Italy, Egypt, Spain, and Algiers). 

Artichoke is actually a species of thistle, but don’t let that lead you into thinking it isn’t a healthy vegetable. Artichoke contains two bioactive agents apigenin and luteolin, giving it one of the highest antioxidant contents of any vegetable. But if you need any more inducement to eat artichokes, give this Healthy Spinach Artichoke Dip a try.

Arugula

Arugula is a leafy green that brings a lot of nutrition with it, and has a ton of great uses. Arugula is also commonly called Rocket because of its pointy leaves. It originated in the Mediterranean before the Roman era (about 2,500 years ago). It was used then for medicinal purposes and as an aphrodisiac. 

Arugula is slightly bitter with a bit of a peppery taste, and can be used in many of the same ways that you would use other leafy greens. It forms a great salad base, sandwich topping, or recipe addition, and can be eaten both raw or cooked! Try it in these Arugula Grain Bowls, or on a Rocket Pizza. Just be sure to put it on your pizza immediately after cooking, not before you cook it. 

Asparagus

Asparagus’ prime season is February until May, and potentially longer in northern climates. Asparagus is harvested while it is fairly young. Once the tips of the asparagus begin to open, the stalks turn very woody and it is game over for use in most recipes. Generally the thinner the stalk, the younger and more tender the asparagus. There are three prime types differentiated by color:

• Green: The most popular variety in the USA, these should be available in most supermarkets during the spring.
• White: This is grown by covering the asparagus completely with soil so that they never see sunlight and begin to photosynthesize. White asparagus is more tender and less bitter. It is harder to find in the USA than in Europe where they, particularly the Germans, love it.
• Purple: This variety, hailing from Italy, is said to have a slightly nuttier flavor than green asparagus and is less fibrous.

Avocados

You can buy avocados year-round, but they peak in the USA from April to June, just in time for a lot of great cookout uses. T

Oh, and yes, we know it is technically a fruit, but we eat it more like a veggie, as in this  Avocado Corn Salad or Mediterranean Quinoa Salad. Either is a great side dish to take along to your next cookout invite. You won’t likely bring much home!

America’s love for avocados is actually fairly recent. Avocados are native to Mexico, and Mexican fruits were banned in the USA until the 1990s. Once the door opened to importing them, the floodgates opened as we love our avocados. You might say we have gone avo-control on this fruit.  

Broccoli

Broccoli is generally planted in the spring for early summer harvesting, making it both a spring and summer veggie. Fortunately it is available in the grocery year round as it is great in cuisines of all seasons.

On chilly spring days, this Healthy Broccoli Casserole is always a hit, and as it warms up into cookout season, give these three sides/salads a look. You might just find your go-to salad for cookouts.

• Grilled Broccoli Salad    
• Roasted Broccoli with Lemon  
• Lighten Up Broccoli Salad

Cabbage

Cabbage is typically in season right through June in most regions. Cabbage is in the same family as Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and kale, and is considered a cruciferous vegetable.

There are different varieties of cabbage, to include green, red, savoy, and napa. Green and red are the most common with red being a European favorite used in both salads, main courses, and as a side dish.

Give the green a try in this Thai Cabbage Salad, and if you want to try a healthy new smoothie give this Berry Cabbage Smoothie a shot.

Carrots

Carrots are one of the most versatile yet under appreciated veggies in the grocery or garden. If you want to try something different, try these Carrot Noodles as a low-carb alternative to ordinary pasta. Our favorite use of carrots may, however, be in smoothies. Give one of these a try:

• Carrot Smoothie with Ginger and Citrus
• Carrot Cake Smoothie

Collard Greens

Collard greens are in season through May and are as great for your health as they are in your cooking. They don’t have the bitter taste you can get from kale or spinach, making them ideal for a range of recipes. You can sauté ’em up and enjoy them in lemon juice and garlic seasoned deliciousness. But, an even better use is in wraps the same way you’d use lettuce. Veggie wraps are even better with these greens because their thick texture makes them less prone to tearing! Here’s our step-by-step guide on how to make collard wraps.

Delicate Herbs: Basil

Basil has a peppery flavor with just a hint of anise (licorice), though different varieties of basil have differing levels of sweet and peppery flavor. Some great spring and summer cooking uses include:

• Lemon Basil Risotto
• Fresh Tomato Marinara
• Homemade Pesto
• Raspberry Basil Nice Cream
• Corn Succotash

Delicate Herbs: Chives

Chives can easily be mistaken for green onions, but they have a milder taste than onions. Chives are a great garnish for use in all your savory recipes to include vegetables, potatoes, omelets, soups, etc. They can also be cooked into recipes to provide a flavor boost, but should be added toward the end of the cooking process to preserve their flavor, and so they don’t end up wilted mush.

Delicate Herbs: Parsley

Parsley has a mild taste that compliments a variety of recipes to include salads, soups, veggies, and more. While parsley is primarily an additive to recipes, it can also take center stage (like in this Parsley Salad!)

Fava Beans

Fava Beans are also known as Broad Beans, and are a type of bean commonly used in Mediterranean cuisine. They have been cultivated around the Mediterranean Region for thousands of years, and were eaten by the ancient Greeks and Romans. They require a bit of work to cook with as you have to first depod then blanch them to remove their tough skin. They can be sautéed, boiled, steamed, roasted, fried, put into salads, made into pesto or even eaten raw in their pods. 

Garlic

If I could keep just one herb, spice, or flavoring in my kitchen, it would be garlic, and I don’t think I am alone in this. China is the world’s leading producer of garlic, but you’ll find garlic in most cuisines — American, Mexican, Eastern European, and Mediterranean, to name a few!

Leeks

Leeks are in the same family as garlic, shallot, and onions, and are similar to green onions. They do rather resemble large green onions, but their flavor is a bit milder with sweet undertones.

The white and light green parts of leeks are generally eaten while the darker ends of the stems are cut and discarded. The ends are edible, but just too bitter for most people’s liking. Their bitter flavor often relegates them to the garbage vs use in a good Goat Cheese Leek Quiche, or Leek Risotto.

Mushrooms

There are a wide variety of mushrooms peaking almost year round both in the wild and under cultivation, so you can generally find them fresh. They have a surprisingly great nutrition profile with only about 6 calories per ounce with one of the highest levels of protein per calorie of all veggies.

You can spend about any amount on mushrooms. To give your friends or family a fancy treat check out Truffle Mushrooms. You can use everyday white mushrooms in these Mushroom Carnitas Tacos, and when you have friends over who don’t eat meat pick up some large portobellos and grill up a few of these Portobello Mushroom Burgers. Or, use oyster mushrooms to make these Mushroom Pulled Pork sandwiches.

Peas

Peas are a starchy vegetable that most of us didn’t care for as kids. They are versatile beans used in many soups, stews, and pasta dishes. Snap peas (sugar snap peas) are among our favorite varieties used whole in spring salads. Our favorite early spring feel good use of garden peas is in this Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie, or on a cool early spring day a pea soup.

Radish

Radishes are in season during the winter and up through May. They originated in Asia over 3,000 years ago, but are today grown pretty much worldwide. They are a low-calorie root that is mostly eaten raw, but that isn’t a hard rule.

Rhubarb

Rhubarb can be a spring or summer vegetable depending upon where you live. I grew up in Alaska, where spring was about 4 weeks long, but when the long summer days started Rhubarb grew around the neighborhood like crazy. We cut the thick red stalks and used them in desserts all summer, and had 20 pounds more in the freezer for the winter. (We literally had a whole cookbook devoted to Rhubarb.)

Rhubarb has long, thick, celery-like, bright red stalks, and is great in pies, where the tartness of rhubarb is balanced with sugar to create a great filling. Rhubarb compotes are a great dessert topping, but don’t let desserts be rhubarb’s only domain. It is great in savory recipes like chutneys and sauces, and even as an ingredient in salads.

Its superpower, however, comes when it is paired with strawberries, which helps to balance its sharp taste. Try it in strawberry-rhubarb pie or strawberry rhubarb crisp.  

As to the dog photo, what do you name your dog when you are a vegetarian food blogger from Alaska? Well, rhubarb of course.  Please meet Rhubarb (Ruby, Barbara, Rue, Rubarbara, etc). She is an Aussie & Heeler Mix who is now fully grown and our constant companion.

Spinach

Spinach is in peak season through June, but is sold year round. You can use it in pretty much any use you would use other leafy greens. It is loaded with iron, protein, and a host of vitamins and micronutrients. 

Spinach is infinitely useful in the kitchen. Put it in all your salads, on pizza, in breakfast cuisine like these Egg White Frittatas, and for smoothies. Even if you aren’t a green smoothie fan, you are apt to like this Spinach Nutella Smoothie. We won’t lie to you and say it is low-calorie, but it is oh so good and loaded with spinach-infused nutrition.

Turnips

Turnips are in peak season through April but are generally available year-round. Similar to radishes, they taste rather like potatoes or perhaps a combination of cabbage and potatoes. Turnips are often baked, boiled, or steamed, but the most common use may be to simply slice them into garden salads. After a recent trip to Scotland, however, my indisputable favorite use is in this variation of Scottish Neeps and Tatties (neep is the Scottish nickname for turnip). 

Watercress

Cress is believed to be one of the oldest leafy greens eaten by humans. It is part of the mustard and cabbage family, which is where its spicy, peppery, and pungent flavor comes from. These greens are a good addition to just about any salad but can also form a great salad base on their own, as in this Watercress Citrus Salad. There are four main varieties of cress:

• Watercress: It is grown, as its name suggests, in water and has the most pungent flavor of the varieties. You will want to be particularly diligent in cleaning the watercress as it sometimes comes to the grocery still sandy. And did we say that cress makes a great Tropical Watercress Smoothie?
• Garden Cress: This variety is grown in soil and has a spicy flavor, some liken to horseradish.
• Upland Cress: Is noted for its thinner stem and more delicate flavor. This variety often comes in plastic bags, with the cress still attached to the roots.
• Korean Watercress: This is a distinctly more crunchy and bittercress variety.