5 spring dinner ideas to make from your freezer

1. Asparagus & pea risotto

A bag of frozen peas is surely the number-one freezer staple, and is perfect for putting to use in all sorts of quick dinners – soups, easy pastas, veggie curries and so much more. Here, chef Tom Kerridge pairs peas with spring asparagus for a light, zingy risotto that makes veg the star of the show – you could use fresh peas if you have them, but frozen peas do the same job of adding a pop of colour and sweetness. The rest of the ingredients make the most of your storecupboard with stock, rice and butter for an easy midweek meal. You can also add leftover cooked chicken or frozen prawns for a protein boost.

Check out more frozen pea recipes for further ideas.

2. Prawn tagliatelle with courgettes

Frozen prawns are one of our favourite freezer essentials – just make sure you defrost them safely. They make the perfect shortcut for curries, risotto, pasta sauces and stir-fries. This pasta dish is ready in just 20 minutes, combining juicy prawns with grated courgettes, garlic, chilli and parsley. Frozen packets of chilli and parsley are available, or next time you have leftover fresh chillies, pop them in the freezer: you can grate them into meals straight from frozen. You could even swap the fresh courgettes in this pasta for a bag of frozen Mediterranean roasted veg, often a combination of courgettes, peppers and aubergine, and an easy way to get more plant foods into your diet.

Next, try our easy prawn fried rice or spicy prawn harissa spaghetti.

3. Spinach and goat's cheese puff

Next time you're in the freezer aisle in the supermarket, pick up a packet of puff pastry. It's a great shortcut for pies, tarts and picnic snacks like cheesy twists or sausage rolls. This simple tart is topped with another great freezer essential for spring, frozen spinach. It's blitzed into a vibrant sauce and topped with creamy goat's cheese for a quick, great-value dinner that also makes great lunchbox leftovers. Serve with a colourful salad on the side.

Try more puff pastry recipes next, from jalapeño pinwheels to chicken and ham pie.

4. Tuna and sweetcorn fritters

Tinned sweetcorn is a familiar favourite, and the frozen version is just as cheap, versatile and family-friendly. Tuna and sweetcorn is a timeless combination that can go beyond jacket potatoes or pasta salad. Raid your storecupboard for some tins of tuna and dig out your bag of frozen sweetcorn for these crisp tuna and sweetcorn fritters that are sure to be a new family favourite dinner for warmer spring nights, ready in just half an hour. They also make a simple brunch or lunch.

For more sweetcorn recipes, try our chorizo and sweetcorn summer stew or tuna and sweetcorn slice.

5. Herby broccoli and pea soup

Don't let peas be the only frozen veg in your freezer. Frozen broccoli is available in larger supermarkets, as are packets of frozen herbs – they're a great way to give dinners an instant flavour boost when the fridge is looking bare. A bowl of this vibrant green soup combines both and is comforting as well as refreshing, ideal for those spring days when you're never quite sure what the weather will be. Instead of the fresh chard, you could use frozen spinach, and for a full-circle freezer moment, this soup is a great one to batch-cook and freeze for future busy weeks.

See more vegetarian soup recipes.

Enjoyed this? For more inspiration, explore these collections:

Freezable recipes
Freezable vegetarian recipes
Healthy freezable recipes