As the weather warms up in spring, we get to enjoy a wealth of fresh produce that comes into season. From strawberries and rhubarb to snap peas and radishes, there’s a wide variety of colorful fruits and vegetables that are at their peak in the springtime.
Spring is a great time for leafy greens, as well. Leafy greens are the leaf portion of vegetables that can be enjoyed raw or cooked. Whether they’re sautéed, blanched, pureed or enjoyed raw, these greens add great balance and flavor to any dish.
Benefits of Cooking with Spring Produce
Using fresh seasonal greens and other produce is a great way to infuse seasonal flavors into your meals. By using what’s in season, you can bring new life and excitement into existing recipes, switching up the flavors and ingredients based on the time of year.
How to Pick the Freshest Spring Greens
There’s no shortage of fresh produce that’s in season in springtime, and leafy greens are no exception. You can find a number of greens in season during the spring, including:
- Arugula: Known for its peppery bite, arugula’s unique taste is often enjoyed in salads. More mature arugula has a more intense taste, so look for younger greens if you want a more mild flavor.
- Lettuce: Lettuce encompasses a wide variety of leafy greens, including romaine, iceberg, bibb and endive. Many varieties of lettuce have a great crunch, making them ideal for salads, while others are great to use as lettuce wraps thanks to their shape.
- Kale: Though raw kale can have a bitter taste, cooking this green unlocks its sweetness. Different varieties of kale lend themselves well to different things—tender varieties like baby kale and curly kale are better to use raw in salads, while dinosaur kale and red Russian kale hold up better to cooking.
- Collard Greens: Collard greens have thick leaves that hold up well to cooking. They’re usually prepared by slow-cooking, often along with ham, chicken stock and onions, to soften the greens and infuse plenty of flavor.
- Spinach: Spinach’s sweet taste makes it an incredibly versatile green, enjoyed in everything from salads and soups to smoothies—or simply sautéed with garlic and a touch of lemon juice!
When shopping for fresh spring greens, look for crisp, young leaves that have a vibrant color. Greens tend to turn yellow and slimy when they get old, so avoid any greens showing signs of that. Look for the harvest location on the produce labels, as this shows that the greens were harvested more recently and traveled a shorter distance to arrive on the shelf, so they’ll last longer for you. Your local farmer’s market is a great place to visit to get the freshest possible seasonal greens.
While fresh seasonal greens will yield great-tasting meals, you can also save some time by purchasing pre-packaged, pre-washed greens. Some greens even keep well after being frozen, which can be extremely helpful to save you refrigerator space and ensure that you always have greens on hand no matter the time of year.
Recipes that Make the Most of Springtime Greens
Once you have fresh, springtime greens on-hand, it’s time to create some delicious recipes that highlight the freshness and flavor of this produce! There’s no end to the ways you can enjoy leafy greens, but below are some tasty—and simple—recipes to help you get started.
Fresh Spring Salads with Rice & Quinoa
Enjoying leafy greens in their raw form in a salad is a great way to enjoy the natural flavors of fresh produce. Salads also offer you endless possibilities to creatively combine flavors and ingredients, so you’ll never get bored!
Try this simple Citrus Spinach and Rice Salad for a combination of fresh citrus and Minute Instant Brown Rice that’s both refreshing and hearty—perfect for a full meal or side dish.
This Spinach Artichoke Rice & Quinoa Salad from recipe creator Mama Llama is a great example of how a salad can become a full, filling meal using delicious fresh greens and hearty Minute Instant Rice & Quinoa. Recipe creator Ashley Tutt also uses Minute Instant Rice & Quinoa in this Cranberry Kale Rice & Quinoa Salad, a tasty combination of fresh kale, rice & quinoa, cranberries, feta cheese and candied pecans all topped with a light lemon dressing.
Salads can also incorporate cooked greens, like this Kale Sweet Potato Rice & Quinoa Salad from recipe creator Meaghan Allen. Packed with sweet potatoes, nuts and Minute Instant Rice & Quinoa, this filling salad is a great plant-based meal idea for busy weeknights.
Slow Cooker Tuscan Bean Stew
Break out the slow cooker for this easy, hands-off Slow Cooker Tuscan Bean Stew. This comforting classic combines cannellini beans, tomatoes and fresh kale, vegetable broth and onion in a slow cooker, melding the flavors together over 6 hours. Once cooked, simply mix in prepared Minute Instant White Rice and you’re ready to serve!
Falafel & Rice Pita Pocket
Fresh baby spinach is right at home with other fresh vegetables and herbs in this Falafel & Rice Pita Pocket. Perfect for a quick lunch or a light dinner, this dish combines classic Mediterranean ingredients like falafel, feta cheese, tomatoes, tzatziki and dill with a savory Long Grain & Wild Seasoned Rice Cup, all inside a pita pocket.
Breakfast Bowl
Leafy greens are just as tasty at breakfast as they are for lunch and dinner! This Brown Rice and Egg Breakfast Bowl with Spinach is a great example of the hearty meals you can make with spinach and other greens to help kickstart your day. It’s also incredibly simple to make on a busy morning—simply scramble an egg with spinach, then combine with a Minute Brown & Wild Rice Cup and top with sliced avocado and everything seasoning for a flavorful and filling way to start the day.
Spinach Bread Bowl
Hosting an event this spring? Use fresh springtime greens in this rich, creamy and flavorful, Jalapeño Rice Spinach Bread Bowl that’s sure to impress your guests. A decadent mixture of cheeses, fresh spinach and a Minute Jalapeño Rice Cup is baked inside a bread bowl, then served with bread cubes for dipping. It’s a fun, creative dish for your next gathering that brings just the right amount of heat!
Stuffed Acorn Squash
This colorful Kale and Sausage Multigrain Stuffed Acorn Squash dish is a family-friendly dinner you’ll want to enjoy any day of the week. It’s packed with fresh produce like kale, celery, acorn squash and fresh herbs, along with Minute Instant Rice & Quinoa and Italian sausage for a flavorful and filling dish that will leave everyone satisfied.
“Fried” Rice
If you need a quick meal but still want plenty of flavor, try this Kale and Kimchi “Fried” Rice. This fast meal comes together in just three simple steps, thanks to Minute Jasmine Rice & Red Quinoa, so you can enjoy a filling meal filled with fresh greens in just 5 minutes.
Lettuce Wraps
Lettuce wraps are a great way to enjoy fresh lettuce in the spring, and you can have fun customizing lettuce wraps with your favorite ingredients and flavor combinations. Try these easy Chicken Lettuce Wraps from recipe creator Christina Patricio for a fresh and delicious weeknight dinner. These lettuce wraps consist of Minute Instant White Rice, crunchy Korean-style chicken, shredded carrots, green onions and cucumbers, all on top of fresh lettuce.
Or, try these Asian Lettuce Wraps that use Minute Chicken & Herb Seasoned Rice Cups to bring a savory homestyle taste to this meal. Asian ingredients like soy sauce, chili sauce, water chestnuts and five spice powder pack a lot of flavor into this dish with little effort.
Get Inspired with More Spring Meals from Minute® Rice
Fresh springtime greens are the perfect way to add a fresh element to your meal while enjoying seasonal flavors. Whether sautéed, roasted, blanched or enjoyed raw, there’s no end to the ways you can use fresh greens. Use these recipes to get started preparing your greens this spring, or get creative by combining them with your favorite flavors and ingredients.
Whenever you have a particular ingredient on hand and want to incorporate it into a recipe, get inspiration on Minute Rice’s recipe page. You can search directly by ingredient to help find ideas that suit what’s in your pantry or refrigerator, so you’ll never be without inspiration for your next great meal.
