20 Spring Dinners in 20 Minutes or Less

By

Danielle DeAngelis

Published on April 9, 2023

Quick Chicken Marsala recipe cooking in a skillet — Photo: Caitlin Bensel

In just 20 minutes, you can have a delicious dinner that highlights seasonal flavors on the table. From quick and hearty soups and salads to veggie-packed pasta dishes, these evening meals are quick choices for spring nights. Recipes like our Pea Pesto Gnocchi with Burrata and Quick Chicken Marsala are healthy, satisfying and perfect for the season.

01 of 20

15-Minute White Bean, Kale & Kielbasa Soup

15-Minute White Bean, Kale & Kielbasa Soup — Brie Passano

This quick soup recipe is done in only 15 minutes thanks to convenience products like frozen chopped onion and precooked kielbasa. You'll have a warming winter soup on the table in no time!

02 of 20

Chickpea, Artichoke & Avocado Salad with Apple-Cider Dressing

This delicious 400-calorie salad is a helpful tool for weight loss because it provides a good balance of fiber, protein and healthy fats from loads of veggies and beans, all tossed in a tangy apple-cider vinaigrette. To meal-prep these for lunch throughout the week, pack the dressing and the salad separately and make sure your veggies are thoroughly dried before packing them together.

03 of 20

Pea Pesto Gnocchi with Burrata

Gnocchi with Pea Pesto & Burrata — Jacob Fox

Here we pan-fry gnocchi to get them crispy, then coat them with a pesto-like sauce made with sweet peas, spinach, basil and cashews.

04 of 20

Shrimp Paella

Shrimp Paella in a skillet — Jennifer Causey

Paella is a Spanish seafood and rice dish, prized for the crispy bits of rice that come from letting the rice sizzle in the pan, and the deep yellow color from saffron. We cheat the color with less expensive ground turmeric and speed the process with precooked brown rice. Make sure to spread the rice mixture in an even layer so the bottom can crisp. The shrimp take less than 5 minutes to cook. Rinse well under cold running water until completely thawed, and then pat dry before adding to the pan. Serve with simply steamed asparagus to round out the meal.

05 of 20

Kale, Quinoa & Apple Salad

Kale, Quinoa & Apple Salad — Photographer: Jen Causey, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall

This kale, quinoa and apple salad is perfect for fall. Fresh apples bring crisp autumn flavor, and the kale breaks down when it's massaged with the dressing. Nuts, fennel and quinoa add more layers of texture, while blue cheese lends a savory note.

06 of 20

Easy Pea & Spinach Carbonara

Easy Pea & Spinach Carbonara

Fresh pasta cooks up faster than dried, making it a must-have for fast weeknight dinners like this luscious yet healthy meal. Eggs are the base of the creamy sauce. They don't get fully cooked, so use pasteurized-in-the-shell eggs if you prefer.

07 of 20

Tofu & Watercress Salad with Mango & Avocado

Tofu & Watercress Salad with Mango & Avocado — Eva Kolenko

This tofu-topped watercress salad is a fresh, plant-based meal perfect for when you want something hearty but are looking to cut down on the meat. Salad ingredients like mango and avocado add tangy flavor and creamy texture to bring the dish together and level up your green salad or vegetable salad repertoire.

08 of 20

Chile-Lemon Shrimp Rolls

Chile-Lemon Shrimp Rolls — Johnny Autry

Precooked shrimp gets these lobster-roll-inspired sandwiches on the table in a flash. The shrimp salad travels well—pack it up for a picnic with the buns and lettuce stored separately.

09 of 20

Creamy Garlic Skillet Chicken with Spinach

Creamy Garlic Skillet Chicken with Spinach — Marty Baldwin

Quick-cooking chicken cutlets are coated in a garlic cream sauce, while spinach adds a boost of color and nutrition in this easy, one-skillet recipe.

10 of 20

Stir-Fried Clams with Snow Peas

Stir-Fried Clams with Snow Peas — Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Margret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

Bright green and crispy snow peas combine with clams in this quick and easy stir-fry. Brown rice at the bottom of the bowl soaks up the sweet and savory sauce. Feel free to swap out the rice for rice noodles or udon to change things up!

11 of 20

Quick Chicken Marsala

Quick Chicken Marsala recipe cooking in a skillet — Caitlin Bensel

Marsala cooking wine is a worthy addition to your pantry; it's dry and sweet without being overpowering, and can cut through the richness of cream or stock. The alcohol will cook off as the sauce simmers. Adding butter at the end, a classic technique, gives the sauce its body and gloss. Serve this skillet main over polenta, mashed potatoes or hot cooked brown rice. If you have leftover thyme, try steeping in chicken stock before making a risotto, tossing with roasted vegetables or adding to a frittata.

12 of 20

Salmon Tacos with Pineapple Salsa

An easy-to-make slaw served on the side of these salmon tacos makes for a filling and fast weeknight dinner. If you prefer more heat in these fish tacos, simply add a pinch or two of chipotle chile powder or cayenne with the chili powder.

13 of 20

Kale & Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad with Avocado Caesar Dressing

Kale and Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad — Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Margret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

This salad combines the flavors of a Caesar salad with tender green lacinato kale and the crunch of raw, shaved Brussels sprouts. The brown-butter breadcrumbs add additional crunch and a nutty, toasted flavor. Serve with grilled chicken for an added boost of protein.

14 of 20

Egg Drop Soup with Instant Noodles, Spinach & Scallions

Egg Drop Soup with Instant Noodles, Spinach & Scallions

Whisking a beaten egg into simmering broth is a quick and easy way to add creaminess and protein to noodle soup mix. Add freshness with a handful of baby spinach at the end. This recipe can easily be doubled to serve 2 and use the whole package of noodles. To cut back on sodium, look for noodle varieties with less than 600 mg sodium per serving or use less of the seasoning packet.

15 of 20

Mixed Greens with Lentils & Sliced Apple

This salad with lentils, feta and apple is a satisfying vegetarian entree to whip together for lunch. To save time, swap in drained canned lentils--just make sure to look for low-sodium and give them a rinse before adding them to the salad.

16 of 20

Old Bay Salmon with Lemony Mashed Peas

salmon on a plate with lemon wedges

Cooking butter until it browns adds a toasty, nutty flavor to this easy skillet salmon recipe. Here it gives Old Bay-rubbed salmon a chef-worthy finish—not bad for 20 minutes!

17 of 20

Thai-Style Salad

Pork tenderloin slices provide the protein in this quick and colorful Thai-inspired dinner salad. It's full of crunchy romaine lettuce, carrots, cabbage and pea pods and is flavored with a delicious peanut satay sauce and fresh basil.

18 of 20

Spinach & Artichoke Dip Pasta

If you've ever wanted to make a meal out of warm spinach and artichoke dip, this creamy pasta is for you. And here's what's almost as good as the flavor of this comforting dish: the fact that this healthy dinner takes just 20 minutes to prepare.

19 of 20

Roasted Red Pepper, Spinach & Feta Penne Pasta

In this quick 20-minute dinner recipe, tender penne pasta is combined with garlic, roasted red peppers and spinach and topped with crumbled feta cheese for a fast and easy Mediterranean-inspired meal. This recipe was graciously shared by EatingWell reader Dottie Carpenter, who states, "Recipes are no good if they're not shared!"

20 of 20

Cabbage, Tofu & Edamame Salad

Craving crunch? Bite into this salad loaded with crisp red cabbage, edamame, bamboo shoots, and chow mein noodles. This salad is slightly sweetened with baked tofu, mandarin oranges and sesame vinaigrette.

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