40 Light & Healthy Dinner Recipes That'll Spring Clean Your Dinner Routine (2024)

Green goddess is a classic formula for a refreshing salad dressing on goddess bowls, a lovely spread for sandwiches and wraps, and even a spoonable soup. Now, it’s the silky-smooth, pastel green pasta sauce you’ve been looking for, made even better with the addition of gnocchi. This dish is brimming with seasonal veggies and packed full of herbs, including fresh basil, tarragon, chives, and dill. And of course, you’ll get pillowy soft gnocchi in every bite.

Get the Green Goddess Gnocchi recipe.

Put squash, hummus, and pickled shallots in front of me, and I will make one mean taco. These vegetarian tacos have layers of tender summer squash (imagine them picked right from the garden), whipped garlicky hummus, smoky tahini sauce, and za’atar pickled shallots layered in warm corn tortillas. It’s the perfect composition of color, texture, and bold flavor you’ll emulate in every taco hereafter.

Get the Summer Squash Sheet-Pan Tacos recipe.

Featuring tender pieces of dark meat chicken, creamy white beans, and tender veggies, this cozy Greek-inspired chili is the perfect filling-but-not-too-heavy dinner for those slightly chilly spring nights. Flavored with a bouquet of hearty herbs, this stew is easy to throw together in one pot for minimal mess and maximum flavor.

Get the One-Pot Greek Chicken Chili recipe.

Spring calls for vibrant, bountiful bowls of greens. Enter this panzanella salad. Asparagus, snap peas, tender greens, and roasted chicken are tossed with crispy croutons in a light vinaigrette for a salad that’s light but infinitely satisfying.

Get the Spring Chicken Panzanella Salad recipe.

If you love cream of spinach dip, chickpea anything, creamy white pizza, and lots of melty cheeses, you’re going to love this spin on a traditional flatbread. One of the best parts of this recipe is that you’ll buy pre-made flatbread in a package of two, which is great because we love doubling up as an easy-to-make vegetarian dinner or an app for that co*cktail party over the weekend.

Get the Chickpea Florentine Flatbread recipe.

For this recipe, creamy hummus is topped with spiced ground lamb, onions, and fresh herbs. It's served with whole wheat pita to scoop up the hummus and toppings, and pickled veggies to cut through the richness and add a bright pop of flavor. Make it for lunch to spice up your weekday, or throw it together for a veggie-packed, quick dinner—this recipe works any time of day.

Get the Hummus Bowl With Spiced Lamb recipe.

Strawberries, in a pasta salad? Yup, you read that right. News flash: Strawberries aren’t just for dessert; their sweet and slightly tart flavor lends itself perfectly to savory dishes. We took the building blocks of the ever popular strawberry spinach salad, threw in some spiral pasta, and added creamy goat cheese, crunchy toasted almonds, delicate shallots, and fresh mint and basil to make it a real party.

Get the Strawberry Balsamic Pasta Salad recipe.

Not ready to make your own California roll or shrimp tempura roll at home quite yet but craving all of the classic sushi flavors? A homemade sushi bowl is a great place to start. You can practice making restaurant-worthy sushi rice, source best-quality fish, and discover what ingredients, flavors, and textures make your perfect sushi bowl.

Get the Sushi Bowls recipe.

Spicy, creamy, and crunchy—this satisfying chickpea salad is like cowboy caviar took a trip to Baja California! Crispy baked chickpeas are the star, tossed with lime juice and chili powder for a spicy little bite of intrigue, while juicy tomatoes and lightly roasted corn bulk everything out and add a touch of sweetness. To top it all off, creamy avocado makes its way into a green goddess-style dressing that makes for a dynamic salad with tons of flavor and texture in each bite.

Get the Crispy Chili-Lime Chickpea Salad recipe.

We've created countless bowls that we love (we're looking at you, spicy salmon bowl), but when we're craving a chicken dinner (or packed lunch), then we turn to this peanut chicken bowl. With a homemade peanut dressing, sliced chicken, sweet potato, spinach, and avocado, this healthy dinner is one we love to meal prep at the beginning of the week, then assemble and feast on all week long.

Get the Peanut Chicken Protein Bowl recipe.

Full, hearty salads that make a great meal are something we crave on the regular, and that means no boring ones allowed. This one has all of the important components: a well seasoned protein, creamy feta, a little crunch from toasted walnuts, and a burst of sweetness from juicy blackberries.

Get the Blackberry Chicken Salad recipe.

If you’re looking to get dinner on the table in under 30 minutes, this will be your new weeknight go-to. The star of this shrimp recipe relies on Cajun seasoning, which adds a bold, smoky flavor to the entire dish.

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Our bowl starts with a layer of garlic-lemon cauliflower rice. If you're on the fence about cauliflower rice, we highly suggest trying it sautéed. Once most of the moisture has cooked out, it really does take on a rice-like texture, and a dose of garlic and lemon zest complements the earthiness of the veg. It's the perfect foundation for smoky gyro-spiced turkey, bright cucumber-tomato salad, and tangy tzatziki.

Get the Low-Carb Turkey Gyro Bowl recipe.

This lightened-up Cobb salad has lots of crunchy in-season veggies and a creamy lemon-dill dressing spiked with raw garlic. A smattering of croutons (homemade is best if you’ve got the time) add texture, and a healthy serving of eggs and avocado make this salad hearty enough to be dinner.

Get the Spring Cobb Salad recipe.

Here, spaghetti squash is stuffed with chicken breasts and creamy homemade Alfredo sauce before being topped with shredded mozzarella, and baked until bubbly, melty, and golden. The result is a hearty dinner that's low-carb, but doesn't sacrifice on any of the flavor.

Get the Chicken Alfredo Spaghetti Squash recipe.

While we've got plenty of weeknight chicken dinners in our arsenal, this bruschetta-inspired grilled chicken is one of our favorite ways to celebrate fresh summer flavors all season long.

Get the Bruschetta Grilled Chicken recipe.

Looking for a vegetarian centerpiece for your first spring grill-out? Make these teriyaki cauliflower steaks. Slathered in a brown sugar and soy glaze and showered with scallions and toasted sesame seeds, these saucy cauliflower steaks might just upstage the ribs.

Get the Grilled Teriyaki Cauliflower Steaks recipe.

A classic beef cheeseburger (smashed, with lettuce, tomato, pickles, onion, ketchup, and mayo on a toasted potato bun) will always have its place in our hearts, but sometimes you gotta branch out. This Thai-inspired sweet chili turkey burger is just the break from boring you’ve been waiting for.

Get the Thai Sweet Chili Turkey Burger recipe.

Few dishes mean “spring” like pasta primavera. Primavera in the name alone brings to mind fresh veggies, like zucchini, English peas, leeks, and peppers, all of the things beginning to bloom for a vibrant season of produce ahead. Feel free to swap in whatever you can find at the farmer's market.

Get the Pasta Primavera recipe.

Hear us out: While cabbage is a star side dish, it also makes for a perfect main. It’s hearty, substantial, and is surprisingly great on the grill. If you’re looking for an alternative to steak for your summer BBQ, turn to these cabbage “steaks” instead. We give ours the loaded treatment, but these steaks are nothing if not versatile. Grill a few up, add on your toppings, and let the BBQ begin!

Get the Grilled Cabbage Steaks recipe.