Next Week’s Meal Plan: 5 Easy Vegetarian Dinners That Celebrate Spring

Welcome to Next Week’s Meal Plan! In the coming weeks, I’ll be sharing how I’m planning and cooking for my growing New York-based family of two — soon to be three! — for the week ahead.

Then I’ll turn it around on you, the readers, and ask: What type of meal plans would you like to see? Maybe you’re looking for a week of budget dinners for a family of four? Or fast 20-minute dinners that you and your roommate can tag-team? Or easy vegan dinners that you can prep solo? If you need dinner inspiration or solutions, I want to help you find them! Tell me what kinds of meal plans you want to see in the comments below.

Spring has finally sprung, and all the heavy hitters — like radishes, asparagus, carrots, and leeks — are back at the farmers market in full force. Right now, there’s nothing I want more than to stock up on fresh, seasonal produce and turn it into weeknight-friendly dinners to fill the meal plan for my family of two for the week ahead.

With a toe in winter and one in spring, this is one of my favorite recipes to make this time of year. I’ll get a head start by cooking the spaghetti squash in my Instant Pot during my weekend meal prep session, then bring it all together on Monday by roasting the asparagus and garlic.

I’ve been eyeing this wholesome one-bowl meal since Grace shared it a few weeks ago. The trio of roasted carrots, herby yogurt sauce, and the jammy egg really won my heart. I’ll pick up a bunch of rainbow carrots to make it extra-colorful, and get a head start by cooking the farro, roasting the vegetables, and making the sauce during weekend meal prep. While those components reheat, I cook the eggs.

This springy pasta is always on the top of my list as soon as radishes make their return. The recipes calls for bacon, but I’ll skip it and instead top it off with the leftover ricotta from Monday’s dinner.

I have some tortillas that need to be used up, and veggie-packed quesadillas feel like the perfect fit. The recipe calls for morels, but I plan to use a mix of cremini and shiitake mushrooms instead. To round out dinner I’ll also toss together a quick slaw.

There are few things more comforting right now than ending the week with pizza. I always think this pizza is best made with thin asparagus; I load on a little more than what’s called for in the recipe.

Your turn! In addition to sharing my own meal plans, I want to put together a week of dinners that are helpful to you! What kind of meal plans do you want to see? What are your meal plan pain points and where do you struggle? Tell me in the comments below!