The Best Spring Meal Prep Guide: 5 Seasonal Recipes for Your Busiest Weeks

New month? New Meal Prep Guide!

As Spring arrives, so does our April Meal Prep Guide! Our monthly meal prep guide series unlocks seasonal ingredients to help you plan for the month. This time around, we’re focusing on your Spring Meal Prep with 5 new and delicious recipes!

Lemon & Elderflower Spritz

Kicking off April’s meal prep guide is our Lemon & Elderflower Spritz. This is the kind of drink that does a lot with very little. Three ingredients, a handful of ice, and a lemon slice are all it takes to make something that feels genuinely celebratory — floral and bright, with just the right amount of sparkle.

Elderflower liqueur has a delicate, almost honeyed quality that lifts the sharpness of fresh lemon beautifully, while the sparkling water keeps things light and refreshing. It comes together in minutes, scales effortlessly for a crowd, and is the kind of thing guests will ask you for the recipe for. A perfect warm-weather pour.

Ingredients

• 1 cup elderflower liqueur
• ½ cup fresh lemon juice
• 1½ cups sparkling water
• Ice
• Lemon slices, to garnish

Method

Combine the elderflower liqueur, lemon juice, and sparkling water in a large jug and stir gently to combine. Fill four glasses generously with ice, pour the spritz over, and garnish each with a lemon slice. Serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

For a non-alcoholic version, replace the elderflower liqueur with elderflower cordial and reduce the sparkling water slightly, as cordial is sweeter and more concentrated. Start with 3 oz. cordial per serving and adjust to taste.

This spritz is best made and served immediately so the sparkling water stays lively. If you’re making it for a crowd, mix the liqueur and lemon juice ahead of time and add the sparkling water just before serving.

A sprig of fresh mint or a few thin cucumber slices make a lovely alternative garnish.

Farmer’s Bowl

This is the kind of salad that actually fills you up — and makes you feel genuinely good for eating it. Crisp baby gem lettuce forms the base, layered with protein-rich chickpeas and black lentils, crunchy toasted walnuts, sweet golden raisins, and snappy radish and cucumber. Finished with nutty flax seeds and crumbled farmers cheese, it’s a bowl that has texture, colour, and substance in every bite. It comes together quickly from mostly pantry and fridge staples, making it an ideal weekday lunch or an impressive addition to a spread when you’re entertaining. This is the perfect meal prep guide recipe.

Ingredients

Salad

• 4 to 5 heads baby gem lettuce, washed, dried, and roughly chopped
• ¾ cup cucumber, halved and thinly sliced
• ¾ cup radishes, halved and thinly sliced
• ¾ cup cooked chickpeas
• ¾ cup cooked black lentils
• ¾ cup snap peas, trimmed
• ¾ cup golden raisins
• ¾ cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped
• ⅓ cup farmers cheese, crumbled
• ¼ cup flax seeds

Balsamic Vinaigrette

• 1½ teaspoons honey
• ¾ teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons good quality olive oil

Method

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the honey, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper until well combined. Slowly drizzle in the oil, whisking continuously, until the dressing is fully emulsified and glossy. Alternatively, add everything to a food processor or jar and blitz or shake until combined. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Set aside.

Wash and thoroughly dry the baby gem lettuce, then roughly chop into bite-sized pieces. Spread on a clean tea towel or use a salad spinner to remove as much moisture as possible — dry leaves hold dressing much better than wet ones.

Place the chopped lettuce into a large mixing bowl. Add the cucumber, radishes, chickpeas, black lentils, snap peas, golden raisins, and flax seeds. Toss gently to distribute everything evenly.

Transfer to individual serving bowls. Top each with the toasted walnuts and crumbled farmers cheese. Drizzle with the balsamic vinaigrette just before serving, or serve it on the side.

Recipe Notes

Cooked chickpeas and black lentils can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, making this bowl very quick to assemble. To cook dried chickpeas, soak them overnight in plenty of cold water, then drain, rinse, and simmer in fresh unsalted water for 45 minutes to 1 hour until tender. For the lentils, look for beluga lentils at the grocery store — small, shiny, and black, they’re sometimes labelled black beluga lentils and can usually be found in the dried pulses aisle or at a health food store. No soaking is needed — simply rinse and simmer in unsalted water for 20 to 25 minutes until just tender but still holding their shape. Season both with salt after cooking, not before, as salt can toughen the skins. Tinned chickpeas and tinned lentils work just as well in a pinch — drain and rinse well before using.

Toasting the walnuts makes a real difference here. Simply toss them in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant and lightly golden.

This bowl is very adaptable — swap the farmers cheese for feta or a soft goat cheese, or use sunflower seeds in place of flax seeds if that’s what you have.

For a fully plant-based version, omit the farmers cheese or replace with a good vegan feta alternative.

Baby gem lettuce can sometimes be tricky to find. Little gem lettuce is the same thing under a different name and is a direct swap. Romaine hearts are the easiest supermarket alternative — they have a similar crisp texture and mild flavour and are widely available. Butter lettuce also works beautifully for a softer, more delicate result.

Dressed salad does not keep well. If making ahead, store all components separately and assemble just before serving.

Charred Mixed Asparagus

Asparagus season is fleeting, and this recipe is one of the best ways to honour it. We can’t forget to include your veggies in your meal prep guide. Blanching first and finishing on a hot grill gives you the best of both worlds — a tender, vibrant spear with beautiful char and a faint smokiness that you simply can’t get from roasting alone. Using both purple and green asparagus makes for a striking plate with almost no extra effort. It’s the kind of side dish that holds its own next to anything, from a simple roast to a laid-back weekend barbecue.

Instructions

• 1 bunch purple asparagus, woody ends trimmed
• 1 bunch green asparagus, woody ends trimmed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
• 1 lemon
• Chilli flakes, to garnish

Preheat your grill to high. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and prepare a large bowl of ice water nearby. Add the trimmed asparagus and blanch for 2 minutes, until just tender and a vivid, deep green. Remove immediately with tongs and transfer to the ice bath. Leave for 5 minutes to cool completely, then drain well and pat dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper towels.

Toss the drained asparagus with the oil and a generous pinch of salt and pepper until evenly coated. Lay the spears in a single layer on the hot grill and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, turning once, until nicely charred and caramelized in places — adjust the time depending on the heat of your grill.

Transfer to a serving platter and finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, a little lemon zest, and a pinch of chilli flakes. Serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

Lemon zest and juice are listed in the method as a finishing garnish rather than a measured ingredient — use as much or as little as you like depending on how bright you want the final dish to taste.

Both purple and green asparagus work equally well here. Purple asparagus tends to fade to green once cooked, but it brings a slightly sweeter, more delicate flavour that’s worth seeking out in spring.

A griddle pan on the stovetop works just as well as an outdoor grill — get it very hot before adding the asparagus and don’t move the spears too soon, so they develop proper char marks.

Serve the day it’s made, ideally straight from the grill. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days and are delicious chopped through a grain salad or frittata.

Goat Cheese & Spring Vegetable Galette

A galette is one of those recipes that looks far more impressive than the effort it requires — and that’s exactly why we love it. With its rustic, free-form crust and jewel-bright filling of spring vegetables, this is the kind of dish that earns genuine compliments without a fussy tart tin in sight. Rainbow carrots, asparagus, sugar snap peas, and yellow squash are sautéed with garlic and thyme before being layered over crumbled goat cheese, then wrapped in a buttery, flaky pastry that you fold and pleat by hand. It’s weeknight-approachable, endlessly adaptable to whatever looks good at the market, and equally at home on a lunch table or as a light dinner with a green salad alongside. This is a vital recipe in your recipe and meal prep guide bank.

Ingredients

Pastry

• 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
• ¼ cup ice water

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ cup rainbow carrots, thinly sliced
• 1 small yellow squash, thinly sliced
• 1 cup asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 cup sugar snap peas, halved
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• ¾ cup goat cheese, crumbled
• 1 egg, lightly beaten, for egg wash
• Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Method

In a food processor, pulse together the flour and salt. Add the cold cubed butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal with a few pea-sized pieces of butter remaining — don’t overwork it. Drizzle in the ice water a little at a time, pulsing just until the dough comes together. Turn it out, shape into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the yellow squash, carrots, asparagus, sugar snap peas, and red onion. Sauté, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 6 minutes until just tender. Add the garlic, thyme, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper, and cook for 1 minute more. Remove from the heat and allow the vegetables to cool slightly before assembling.

Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled pastry into a rough 12-inch circle — it doesn’t need to be perfect. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Scatter half the goat cheese over the centre of the pastry, leaving a 2-inch border. Spoon the sautéed vegetables evenly over the cheese, then crumble the remaining goat cheese on top.

Fold the pastry edges up and over the filling, pleating as you go to create a rustic border. Brush the folded pastry generously with the beaten egg. Transfer the baking sheet to the freezer or refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes, until the dough feels firm again — this helps it hold its shape in the oven and keeps the crust flaky.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the crust is deep golden and crisp on the base. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Recipe Notes

If store-bought pie crust is what you have on hand, it works beautifully here — simply unroll, fill, fold, and bake as directed.

The vegetable filling is very adaptable. Swap in whatever spring or summer produce looks good: thinly sliced courgette, cherry tomatoes, roasted peppers, or corn all work well. The key is not to overload the centre, as too much filling can make the base soggy.

For a vegan version, replace the butter in the pastry with a good vegan block butter (kept very cold), skip the egg wash in favour of a brush of plant milk, and use a soft vegan cream cheese or cashew-based alternative in place of the goat cheese.

The galette is best eaten the day it’s made, when the pastry is at its crispiest. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days and reheated in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 10 minutes to revive the crust.

Polenta Cupcakes With Vanilla Buttercream, Fresh Blueberries & Micro Basil

Topping off our April meal prep guide is a decadent dessert. There’s something quietly special about a cupcake that manages to be both tender and a little rustic. These lemon polenta cupcakes have a beautifully golden crumb with just enough texture from the cornmeal to make them feel interesting — not quite a cake, not quite a muffin, but entirely their own thing. Bright with lemon zest and finished with a cloud of vanilla buttercream, they’re equally at home on a celebration table or alongside an afternoon coffee. The blueberry and micro basil garnish makes them look bakery-worthy with almost no effort.

Ingredients

Cupcakes

• 1 cup / 200g granulated sugar
• Zest of 1 large lemon
• ½ cup neutral oil (such as vegetable or sunflower)
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup plain yogurt, buttermilk, or sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1¼ cups / 160g all-purpose flour
• ½ cup / 80g polenta or stone-ground cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Vanilla Buttercream

• 1 cup / 225g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3½ cups / 420g powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons whole milk, plus more as needed

Garnish

• Fresh blueberries
• Micro basil

Method

Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners and set aside.

Add the sugar to a large mixing bowl and grate the lemon zest directly over it. Use your fingertips to rub the zest into the sugar until fragrant and slightly damp — this releases the essential oils and gives the cupcakes their bright citrus flavour. Add the oil, eggs, yogurt, and vanilla and whisk until smooth and well combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, polenta, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and whisk until just smooth and no streaks of flour remain. Take care not to overmix.

Divide the batter evenly between the lined cups — each should be about two-thirds full. Bake for 20 minutes, rotating the tin halfway through, until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Turn the cupcakes out onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely before frosting.

Beat the butter in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using a handheld electric mixer, until pale and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the sifted powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, and milk, and beat on low until combined, then increase to medium-high and beat until the buttercream is thick, smooth, and glossy. If it seems too stiff, add more milk one tablespoon at a time until it reaches a pipeable consistency.

Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with your tip of choice, or use an offset spatula to spread it generously over each cupcake. Finish with a few fresh blueberries and a small sprig of micro basil.

Recipe Notes

The yogurt, buttermilk, or sour cream in this recipe all work equally well — use whatever you have on hand. Each lends a slight tang and keeps the crumb tender and moist.

For a dairy-free version, swap the yogurt for a thick coconut yogurt and use a plant-based butter for the buttercream, adding the milk gradually as plant-based buttercreams can vary in consistency.

These cupcakes are best enjoyed the day they’re baked, but will keep well stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. If refrigerated, allow them to come to room temperature before serving.

The polenta gives the crumb a subtle golden colour and slight bite. If you prefer a more tender, cake-like texture, you can reduce the polenta to ⅓ cup and increase the flour by the same amount.

Looking For More Recipes?

Check out Salt & Honey’s Youtube channel for more recipe, meal prep, and even a behind-the-scenes look of S&H!

Meal Prep Guides

Not only do we empower your recipe bank with gems like the Breakfast Smoothies and Beef Bourguignon but we have also developed a monthly meal prep guide. We utilize seasonal ingredients and the entire guide is centered around dishes with similar components.

Through the use of batch cooking, we want to make cooking easy, delicious and affordable. You can create the entire meal prep guide to plan your whole week or simply pick and choose which dishes resonate with you!

Make sure to check out our Youtube to find which we meal prep guide dishes we’re cooking for the week!

Check out our latest meal prep here: March Lego Meal Prep!

Additional Resources

Pinterest Board: Check out our mood board designed to provide even more inspiration for hors d’oeuvres. Here you can find more photos and videos covering our wide range of catering and event planning expertise. Whether you’re searching for food inspiration, food recipes, homemade decor, wedding planning ideas, and more, our mood boards will have your creativity soaring!

Instagram: Our feed provides a plethora of photo inspiration as well as DIY’s and tutorials on projects you can embark on at home. Whether it’s food recipes or even home decor, we will have what you’re searching for!

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Substack: Monthly notes on slow living and seasonal flavors from Salt & Honey Catering and Events. Discover the recipes, garden tasks, and hosting tips that define our own event production. Here we will provide exclusive recipes, tips, and tricks only available on our free Substack!

Youtube Vlog: Ever wonder what the Catering and Event Production side of world looks like? Our “Beyond The Banquet” vlog series provides a peak through the curtain! We drop monthly short videos of the chaos and serenity behind the business. Come check it out now!