Dare we say it? We’re leaving the comfort-food months behind us. Hearty soups and cheese-covered carbs sustained us all winter, but it’s lighter fare that gives us (yet another) reason to look forward to spring. Between farmer’s market finds and fresh flavors, the first signs of the new season often appear in the kitchen.
So give it a little push: Whip up some pasta primavera, put asparagus in everything, and between dinners, think décor. Nothing says hang in there like a cheery batch of dyed Easter eggs.
This year, we’re loving plant-based dyes for pretty pastels that still feel natural (inspired by Le Creuset’s colorful lineup, obviously). Pro tip: Use your Le Creuset enamel-on-steel stockpot – bright dyes will leave permanent marks on the wrong surface.
Read on for our fave all-natural ingredients (that you probably already have on hand).
Red Cabbage
Don’t be led astray by the name – this veggie will turn things blue. Boil one cup, chopped, for clear-skies color.
Turmeric
If your detox smoothie can spare it, this superfood will give you a sunshiny yellow. Two tablespoons should do it.
Beets
Think pink. Half a cup shredded will give you a pale, millennial-approved hue; one cup punches things way up.
Yellow-Onion Skins
One man’s trash is another’s gorgeous orange glow. The scraps are just one more reason to make that fresh salad.
Red-Onion Skins
It may not smell as pretty as lilacs, but the light purple will give you all the flower vibes. Boil a handful to round out your rainbow.
All measurements are estimates per one cup of water and one tablespoon white vinegar. For the brightest colors, use white eggs, and for every dozen eggs plan on using about four cups of liquid.
By Grady Ross, Staff Writer
