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What to cook in March: 33 fresh and nourishing recipes to welcome spring

Celebrate the season of renewal with these vibrant meal ideas, perfect for feasts and every day.

Celebrate the season of renewal with these vibrant meal ideas, perfect for feasts and every day

CBC Life ·
3 images side by side. Left: Overhead shot of Kuku Sabzi (Herb and Walnut Frittata) topped with fresh dill, pomegranate arils and walnuts. Middle: Overhead shot of a sliced roast pork loin on a wooden cutting board. Right: Closeup on a grapefruit paloma cocktail garnished with chamomile stems.
(Photo, left to right: Betty Binon, CBC Life, Doan Ly)

March arrives as a promise, a whisper of new beginnings and rejuvenation after the long, cold months. This year, it ushers in the arrival of spring as well as the observances of Ramadan, Nowruz and Easter. As the days grow longer (finally!) and the first green shoots appear, it's hard to contain our excitement over spring meal ideas and the fresh ingredients taking centre stage,  even if spring produce isn't in full swing until April or May.

In this transitional month, you might be craving more herbs, vegetables and green things, but also warm and savoury dishes that fend off the last chill of winter. The recipes we've featured here, like our viral stuffed onions with Middle Eastern flavours by Amina Al-Saigh, hit all the right notes. In keeping with the themes of sacrifice and rebirth of this month's holidays, we've also highlighted symbolic foods like eggs, lamb, and fish — and an ancient Persian noodle soup for new beginnings, Leila Ashtari's Ash-e Reshteh. 

Whether you're preparing satisfying meals for suhoor and iftar, celebrating Nowruz with a feast, planning an Easter weekend brunch or simply looking to breathe new life into your weekly dinner rotation, we hope this collection of meal ideas will help bring some springtime magic to your table.

Sfoglia Verde Agli Spinaci — Spinach Dough

3 photos showing the making of bright green spinach pasta on a wooden countertop.
(Photography by Eric Wolfinger)

Spinach and Gruyere Sourdough Strata

Overhead shot of a spinach and gruyere strata baked in a white enamelled cast iron pot, sitting on a grey kitchen towel.
(Photography by Allison Day)

Baby Bok Choy and Rice Vermicelli Soup

Left: A bowl of soup with vermicelli and baby bok choy. It's sitting on a wood surface with a pair of chopsticks in the background. Right: A portrait of Hetty Lui McKinnon sitting on a couch, holding a mug, and smiling.
(Photo, left: Hetty Lui McKinnon; Right: Shirley Cai, source; Penguin Random House Canada)

Farro and Mushroom Salad

Overhead shot of a serving platter of mushroom and farro salad on a bed of greens. It's sitting on a white table set for dinner.

Lemon Dijon Snow Peas

A light blue serving dish of sautéed snow peas.

Middle Eastern Stuffed Onions

Overhead shot of a blue and white platter with stuffed onions in a tomato sauce. The platter is sitting on a bright blue surface.
(Photography by Amina Al-Saigh)

Corn Pakoras with Sabz Chutney

overhead shot of a turquoise platter of pakoras. it's sitting on a golden yellow cloth napkin, on a white table.

Khorak Bademjoon — Eggplant Stew

Overhead shot of Khorak Bademjoon (Eggplant Stew) on a white serving dish, with small bowls of limu omani (dried Persian lime) and mint leaves next to it.
(Photography by Betty Binon)

Ash-e Reshteh 

Overhead shot of a bowl of Ash-e Reshteh on a pink table. More bowls of the soup sit next to it.
(Photography by Leila Ashtari)

Mast-o Khiar

Yogurt dip garnished with pistachios, mint leaves and dried rose petals, in a blue bowl. The bowl is on a white platter on a pink napkin, on a white tabletop. Torn pieces of pita and a bowl of chips sit beside the dip.

Kuku Sabzi — Herb and Walnut Frittata

Overhead shot of a frittata with lots of herbs topped with fresh dill, pomegranate arils and walnuts. It's sitting on a pink serving platter on a pink table.
(Photography by Betty Binon)

Khoresh Ghormeh Sabzi — Fresh Herb Stew 

Closeup on a blue pot filled with Khoresh Ghormeh Sabzi (Fresh Herb Stew).
(Photography by Eric Wolfinger)

Pork Loin Roast with Spicy Spring Chimichurri

Overhead shot of a sliced roast pork loin on a wooden cutting board sitting on a white table. A bowl of chimichurri sits next to it.

Cider and Mustard Braised Lamb Shanks

Overhead shot of braised lamb shanks sitting on a bed of roast vegetables on a plate. The plate is on a table that's set for a meal and a plate of roast potatoes sits next to the lamb shanks.

Mahi — Sea Bass with Cilantro and Walnut Relish

Overhead shot of 2 whole, roast sea bass topped with herbs. They're on a turquoise serving platter on a grey surface.
(Photography by Betty Binon)

Baked Salmon with Fennel and Blood Orange

Overhead shot of a mint green serving platter with baked salmon, fennel, orange slices and green olives on it.

Fried Tilapia 

Overhead shot of a plate with 2 pieces of Fried Tilapia and a half lime. The plate is on a dark teal background.
(Photography by Christian Lalonde)

Raspberry Chipotle Glazed Ham 

A glazed ham on a wooden cutting board with some slices cut from it.
(Photography by Florence Grunfelder; food styling by Sabrina Falone)

Quiche Lorraine with Gruyère Cheese and Onions

Overhead shot of a quiche made with bacon in a glass pie plate. It's sitting on a striped kitchen towel on top of a grey wooden table. A bowl of salad greens sits in the top left corner. Plates and forks sit in the bottom left corner.
(Photo: David Bagosy; Styling: Melissa Direnzo)

Deviled Egg Dip 

Closeup on a bowl of light yellow dip with orange trout roe on top. The bowl is sitting on a platter with Ritz crackers next to it. Behind it, a person wearing a lime green dress scoops into the dip with a cracker.
(Photography by Laura Murray)

Thai Pork Omelet — Kai Jiew Moo Sub 

A bird's eye view of a plate setting with the main dish being golden brown omelet with sliced green onion on top for garnish. Beside it to the right is a slightly smaller dish with a spoon and fork and steamed rice. To the bottom is much smaller dish filled with a red dipping sauce.
(Photography by Janis Nicolay)

Baked Shakshuka with Butter Beans

Overhead shot of a silver pan with shakshuka made with beans instead of eggs.
(Credit: Nassima Rothacker)

Tofu Benny with Vegan Hollandaise

Closeup on a platter of tofu eggs benedict.
(Photography by Lauren Toyota)

Mini Pavlovas

Overhead shot of mini pavlovas topped with lemon curd and fresh berries on blue dessert plates. A bowl of berries, pavlovas on a cooling rack and a bowl of the lemon curd sit next to the plates.

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

A carrot cake with one slice cut from it. It's sitting on a white plate on a wooden table. The slice of cake is on a blue plate in front of the full cake.

Decadent Shrikhand

A footed glass bowl with a yogurt dessert in it. It's on a blue and white plate with a gold spoon next to it, and sitting on top of a table with a patterned tablecloth.
(Photography by Reena Newman)

3 Caesar recipes to invite to your next brunch 

3 caesar cocktails on a pink tabletop, all garnished with different garnishes.
(Photography by Betty Binon)

Pink Grapefruit and Chamomile Palomas 

Closeup on a glass with a Pink Grapefruit and Chamomile Paloma in it. It's got slices of grapefruit in it and is garnished with stems of chamomile.
(Photography by Doan Ly)

Apple-Mint Tea

Overhead shot of a glass teapot of mint tea on a white tiled countertop. A cup of tea sits next to it.
(Photography by Alan Benson)

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