Spring is the best excuse to gather your people and feed them well. This spring lunch menu is built around spring recipes I have tested, tweaked, and served to my own guests, so you know they work. Browse, pick your favorites, and start planning.
So You Want to Host a Spring Lunch (Yes, You Can Do This)
There is something about spring that makes me want to call up my girlfriends, throw open the windows, and set a pretty table. Last month I hosted my Bible study gals for a spring lunch, and let me tell you, my Classic Carol Chicken Salad disappeared fast, my Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad had everyone asking for seconds, and my orange scones (regular AND gluten-free!) had my friends nicely tugging at the plate. It was one of those afternoons where nobody wanted to leave, and honestly, that is the whole point.
Here is what I want you to hear: you do not have to do it all yourself. I am still learning this! People love to help, so ask someone to bring their favorite lunch treat, pick two or three recipes from this post that excite you, and call your people. Your mom, your sisters-in-law, your Bible study crew, whoever fills your cup. A spring lunch menu does not have to be fancy or fussy. It just has to be delicious, relaxed, and full of people you love. And nobody, I promise, is looking at your floors.
How to Build Your Spring Lunch Menu
Feeling overwhelmed by all the options? Here is my simple formula: pick one chicken salad, one fresh salad or side, one scone or bread, one sweet, and one drink. That is a complete, beautiful spring lunch that will have your guests raving, and you will not spend three days in the kitchen pulling it off. Mix and match from the categories below, trust your instincts, and remember that the best ingredient at any gathering is the fact that you showed up and invited people in.
Chicken Salads for a Spring Lunch
Chicken Salad Chick Classic Carol
Craving that Chicken Salad Chick Classic Carol Chicken Salad? You’re in luck! No need for fancy ingredients—just tender white meat chicken, crunchy celery, creamy mayo, and a hint of my secret seasoning blend.
Easy Apple Pecan Chicken Salad with Tarragon
Classic Apple Pecan Chicken salad will become one of your favorite go-to chicken salad recipes. Loaded with must-have crunchies like apples, buttery pecans, shallots, and celery; then lightly dressed in a bright lemon, tarragon mayonnaise dressing.
Green Goddess Chicken Salad
This Green Goddess Chicken Salad comes together in just 20 minutes and is perfect for meal prepping during a busy week. With lots of fresh herb flavor in a creamy dressing, it's delicious and never dry.
Southern Tuna and Egg Salad Recipe
This classic Southern tuna salad with egg is creamy, flavorful, and protein-packed! Quick to make in about 10 minutes and ideal for meal prepping, it's perfect for sandwiches, salads, or a quick snack. With just a single bowl and simple ingredients like canned tuna, hard-boiled eggs, mayonnaise, and pickle relish, it's a weekly staple in our house.
Chicken Salad with Grapes
Enjoy this flavorful chicken salad with grapes, crunchy almonds, and green onions in a creamy sherry dressing. Perfect for meal prep or entertaining, this versatile salad is delicious in sandwiches, on lettuce, or with crackers!
Fresh Salads and Sides
Panera Green Goddess Salad
Copycat Panera Green Goddess Cobb salad recipe! This Panera Cobb salad is packed with fresh veggies, tender chicken, and a creamy basil dressing, a healthy and delicious option for lunch or dinner.
Strawberry and Goat Cheese Salad
This Strawberry and Goat Cheese Salad is the perfect starter or entrée salad that is sweet, tangy, and fresh with each bite. With about 10 simple ingredients, it’s easy to make in advance for meal prep or when entertaining, and a delicious addition to any menu.
Blackberry Grilled Chicken Salad with Fried Goat Cheese
Best Italian Pasta Salad with Sun Dried Tomatoes
All the right flavors, bright and colorful, packed into this beautiful pasta salad. Great for a crowd or your family, the leftovers are even better!
Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad Recipe
This Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad recipe is loaded with chicken, bacon, vegetables, ranch dressing, and perfectly cooked farfalle pasta.
Easy Strawberry Rhubarb Salad with Rhubarb Dressing
Try our Strawberry Rhubarb Salad with a homemade dressing that perfectly complements the flavors of the fruits. It’s a perfect dish for a summer lunch or dinner.
Sweet Maple Apple Pecan Salad Recipe
A delightfully light and filling salad, with bright colors and a light dressing. Wonderful for any season, throughout the year, easily adapt to seasonal fruits and flavors.
Copycat Chicken Salad Chick Broccoli Salad
This Chicken Salad Chick Broccoli Salad Recipe is just like the real deal—lighter than most, with a sweet vinegar-based dressing.
Asian Ramen Salad (with Coleslaw)
This crunchy Asian Ramen Noodle Salad is one of those fresh sides or main courses that never lets you down. Made with coleslaw mix, plus a handful of simple, flavorful ingredients, it’s quick to throw together and always a hit—especially at potlucks, picnics, and BBQs.
Copycat Chicken Salad Chick Grape Salad Recipe
A seriously addictive Chicken Salad Chick Grape Salad recipe! This Southern Grape Salad uses real food ingredients and tastes delicious, no it tastes amazing!
Easy Cream Cheese Fruit Dip Recipe Without Marshmallow Fluff
You’ll never buy store-bought fruit dip after making this simple 3-Ingredient Cream Cheese Fruit Dip served with all your favorite fruit platters!
Deviled Strawberries
These Deviled Strawberries are an easy, no-bake dessert made with fresh strawberries, a fluffy cheesecake filling, and a buttery graham cracker crumble. Ready in under 30 minutes, they’re a sweet treat that looks fancy but couldn’t be simpler to make!
Scones, Breads & Bites
Easy Glazed Orange Scones Recipe (Panera)
Light, tender, moist, and flaky Orange Scones are the best orange scone recipe! Cream scones are made with fresh orange juice and zest.
Glazed with fresh orange icing, tastes like spring!
Easy White Chocolate Raspberry Scones Recipe
Want to master bakery-style scones? In a few easy steps, I’ll show you how to make these White Chocolate Raspberry Scones! I mean, who doesn’t love tender scones with white chocolate chunks and juicy raspberries?
Plus I share the tricks I’ve learned to make the perfect scones!
Cinnamon Chip Scones
These Cinnamon Chip Scones are a spot on Panera or Starbucks copycat! A bakery-style breakfast or snack that's easy to make at home with buttery, flaky layers studded with cinnamon chips. I love to make a batch and keep them in the freezer for an easy morning bite during a busy week.
Strawberry Biscuits
These Strawberry Biscuits have dreamy, flaky warm layers of biscuit dough with fresh strawberries studded in between. Baked until lightly golden and drizzled with a sweet glaze, they’re the perfect breakfast or snack during peak berry season.
Easy Lemon Curd Recipe
Homemade Luscious Lemon Curd is made using wholesome, all natural ingredients using a foolproof technique, plus I’ll give you 20+ ways to use this delectable citrus-y curd.
Homemade Yeast Rolls Recipe
Light, fluffy, piping hot, no knead easy yeast rolls for beginners! Easily started in your bread machine, then finished in the oven, for perfect, hot, soft buttery yeast rolls.
These are the ideal rolls for beginner breadbakers!
Something Sweet to Finish
Lemon Blueberry Cookies
Easy no-chill Lemon Blueberry Cookies are soft and chewy and filled with fresh blueberries and lemon. The fruity and refreshing flavor combination makes them perfect for Easter and summertime!
Key Lime Pie (Award Winning Recipe)
Describe your BEST Key Lime Pie…is it citrusy, sweet-tart, creamy — with the perfect sweet to-pucker ratio; light and easy with a crisp not-to-sweet graham cracker crust? Look no further…you found it!
Lemon Shortbread Sandwich Cookies
Lemon Sandwich Cookies are a light, buttery slice and bake cookie with a bright lemon flavor, they are tender, not overly sweet, with a delicious sweet-tart lemon-cream frosting sandwiched between. These might possibly be my favorite cookie.
Easy Traditional Shortbread Recipe (Scottish Recipe)
Traditional Scottish Shortbread Recipe from a dear Scottish family friend! Delight in the buttery richness and irresistibly crumbly texture, a beloved treat for generations. An easy shortbread recipe!
Plus I’ll show you how to make molded shortbread for beautiful cookie gifts.
Best Lemon Squares Recipe
This Old Fashioned Lemon Squares recipe starts with a delicious buttery shortbread crust, is filled with a gooey, oh-so lemony center, and is finished with a thick layer of powdered sugar lemon glaze.
It’s the essential Lemon Bar recipe!
Gluten-Free Lemon Olive Oil Cake (Almond Flour)
This Almond Flour Olive Oil Cake is moist, dense, and so rich with every bite. It’s completely gluten-free, but you’d never know! With 15 minutes of prep time, it’s a treat fit for any brunch, tea, or just as an afternoon snack or dessert. Be cautious, my family finds it truly addicting.
Lemon Raspberry Cookies
These Lemon Raspberry Cookies are bursting with berry and citrus flavor in every bite. Chewy and soft, these cookies are perfect for spring or summer gatherings and use about 10 ingredients.
Strawberry and Rhubarb Crisp
Sweet, tangy, and topped with a golden buttery crumble, this Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp is a simple, seasonal dessert that’s perfect for spring and summer. Great for rhubarb lovers and first-timers alike.
Strawberry Banana Pudding
This easy Strawberry Banana Pudding recipe is a make-ahead dessert where every bite is layered with whipped cream, ripe bananas, fresh strawberries, plus buttery cookies too!
Chocolate Chocolate Chip Nothing Bundt Cake Recipe
Make your own Nothing Bundt Cake with this moist, easy, and delicious recipe. This is a copycat Nothing Bundt Cake Chocolate Chocolate Chip recipe. I started with cake mix and finished with oo’s and ah’s!
Drinks to Set the Mood
Skinny Grapefruit Paloma Mocktail
This skinny non-alcoholic sparkling grapefruit mocktail surprises you with a bright citrus flavor, using fresh grapefruit juice, fresh lime juice, topped with ginger beer. A Paloma mocktail that is bubbly, crisp, and oh-so-refreshing!
Strawberry Refresher Mocktail
The Strawberry Refresher is a light non-alcoholic drink made with summer fresh strawberry syrup, lime juice and your favorite mixer. Perfect for a warm spring or summer day, refreshing and delicious.
Easy Blueberry Limeade Drink
Using a homemade blueberry syrup, make this easy, refreshing Blueberry Limeade drink, or use lemonade for a blueberry lemonade either way, this is a sweet and easy, non-alcoholic summer drink recipe!
Passion Tea Lemonade Recipe
Copycat Starbucks Passion Tea Lemonade is so refreshing with passion fruit flavors. Today I’m showing you how to make one at home for a fraction of the cost. It is my favorite drink, full of refreshing tart flavor perfect for summertime. This herbal tea will become your favorite summer drink!
Iced Chai Tea Latte Recipe (Copycat)
Create your own Starbucks Iced Chai Tea Latte recipe at home with just a few simple ingredients! Learn how to make it three easy ways and start saving money today.
Best Hibiscus Cocktail Mojito Recipe
This All-Natural Hibiscus Mojito is the ideal summer/spring patio cocktail! Tangy, floral hibiscus syrup, refreshing mint, zesty lime, a a kick of rum, you’ll feel like you’ve been transported to the tropics! Omit the rum for a refreshing mocktail!
Texas Tea Punch Recipe
Texas Tea is a wonderful, fresh recipe to have in your collection for a luncheon or party. I love it's bright red color, hint of mint, and the sweet and sour combo of lemon and pineapple. Perfect any time of year!
Copycat Chick-Fil-A Frosted Lemonade
Creamy, sweet-tart frosted lemonade, how could you go wrong! This could also be a great finisher!
Tips for Hosting a Spring Lunch Like a Pro
Hosting does not have to be stressful or perfect. I promise you, it does not. Here are my tried and true tips after years of hosting girlfriends, my mom, my sisters-in-law, and my Bible study gals.
- Put fresh flowers on the table. A simple bunch of tulips or ranunculus from the grocery store in a mason jar is all you need. Nobody needs a florist. Just a little something that says “I’m glad you’re here.”
- Think through your menu ahead of time. Set out your serving dishes, utensils, plates, and glasses the night before. Knowing exactly where everything goes saves you so much scrambling the day of.
- Ask someone to bring something. I cannot say this enough. People genuinely love to be asked, and it takes something off your plate, literally. Ask a friend to bring a dessert, a salad, or a fun drink. You do not have to do it all.
- Make as much as you can ahead of time. Chicken salad, scones, desserts, and drinks can all be prepped in advance. The morning of your lunch should feel calm, not chaotic.
- Broom sweep, that’s it. No deep clean required. Pick up, straighten, stash anything that needs to be hidden in the laundry room (we all do it), and call it done. Nobody is looking at your baseboards.
- Freshen up your powder room. Clean hand towels, stocked toilet paper, a lit candle. That’s the whole list.
- Dress at least an hour before your guests arrive. You deserve to feel ready and relaxed when that doorbell rings, not still in your apron.
- Set the mood with music. A Michael Bublé or Harry Connick Jr. Spotify or Alexa station is my go-to. It’s warm, easy, and makes everyone feel like they walked into somewhere special.
Spring Lunch Make Ahead Game Plan
One of the best things you can do for yourself as a hostess is plan what gets made when. Here is a simple timeline that works beautifully from this spring lunch menu.
Two days before:
- Make the chicken salad; it actually tastes better after a day in the fridge as the flavors meld together
- Bake and freeze scones if making ahead, they reheat beautifully at 300°F for 8-10 minutes
- Make the Key Lime Pie; it needs time to chill and set anyway
The day before:
- Make the pasta salad; again, better the next day
- Prep your fruit platter and fruit dip, store covered in the fridge
- Set the table and lay out all your serving dishes
- Make the hibiscus syrup or tea base for drinks
Morning of:
- Bake scones fresh if you prefer (30 minutes, totally doable)
- Assemble any fresh green salads, keep dressing on the side
- Fill your drink pitchers and get them in the fridge
- Light a candle, put on your playlist, and go enjoy getting ready
One hour before guests arrive:
- Pull chicken salad from the fridge to take the chill off
- Set out crackers, bread, and any dips
- Do one final broom sweep and check the powder room
- Pour yourself something cold and take a breath. You’ve got this.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, and honestly you should! Chicken salad tastes even better after a night in the fridge as the flavors have time to come together. Make it up to two days ahead, store it covered, and pull it out about 30 minutes before serving so it’s not ice cold.
For a crowd, stick to dishes that can be made ahead and served at room temperature. A big batch of chicken salad, a pasta salad, a fruit platter with dip, a tray of scones, and a pitcher of lemonade or hibiscus tea covers everyone beautifully without keeping you stuck in the kitchen. Ask two or three guests to each bring something and you have a feast with very little effort.
My Panera Orange Scones are the most requested at every gathering I host, and they come in a gluten-free version too so nobody feels left out. Strawberry Buttermilk Scones are a close second when strawberries are in season. Both can be baked ahead and reheated at 300°F for about 8 minutes.
Now close this tab, text your people, and pick a date. Your spring lunch does not need to be perfect. It just needs to happen. The recipes are here, the plan is ready, and your friends are waiting to be invited. Go on, be the one who gathers.
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