Picnic Recipes You Have To Try This Spring

This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy here.

Planning your meals for the perfect picnic is always a fun experience. Picnicking can be a fun activity for the family or for your friends, and getting together to sit in the sunshine with great food and great company is a brilliant way to spend a spring day. 

If you are looking to plan a picnic in the near future, today we want to share some simple recipe ideas that you can bring along for the ride. All of these recipes are packed full of flavour, are easy to carry, and will fill everyone up. 

Try some of these simple recipes and bring them to your next picnic to wow all of your guests. 

Picnic Recipes You Have To Try This Spring

Italian side salad 

Salad might sometimes seem boring, but this herby salad is the perfect accompaniment to your sandwiches and other nibbles at a picnic. Simple and full of flavour; this is a salad that will win over even the toughest of audiences. 

Ingredients: 

  • 7 oz. mixed leaves 
  • 3.5 oz. kale
  • 3.5 oz. baby spinach 
  • 1 tbsp olive oil 
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar 
  • 1 tsp mixed herbs 
  • 1 tsp chives 
  • 1 tsp pesto
  • 2 tbsp Parmesan 
  • 8 baby corn – chopped diagonally, roughly 
  1. In a small frying pan, add your baby corn and lightly char on each side for a few minutes. Remove and allow to cool. 
  2. In a small Tupperware or jar with a lid, add your olive oil, vinegar, pesto, herbs, and a pinch of salt. Shake until emulsified. 
  3. In a salad bowl, add your leaves and drizzle on the dressing. Massage in with your hands to ensure even coverage and also to make the kale more tender when eating. 
  4. Add the Parmesan and corn and toss to combine. 
  5. Enjoy with grilled chicken, thinly sliced steak, or at a picnic! 

Chickpea salad sandwiches 

One of the things it’s important to ensure when cooking for a picnic is that the food is easy to transport. Whether you are using a picnic basket, a rucksack, or even wheelchair walker bags for those who are disabled – these sandwiches are easy to carry around and they pack a punch of flavor too. 

Ingredients: 

  • 1 can chickpeas (400g)
  • 8 oz. mayonnaise (or yogurt)
  • 1 tbsp garam masala 
  • 1 tsp salt 
  • 1 tsp ginger 
  • 1 tsp coriander leaf 
  • 1 large french baguette or your favorite wheat bread
  • 1 large beef tomato 
  • 1 cucumber 
  • Romaine lettuce 
  • Butter or margarine
  1. In a frying pan, heat up a small amount of oil. Drain the chickpeas and add them to the pan, adding half of your garam masala. Toast for 3-4 minutes until golden. 
  2. Mix your chickpeas, spices, and mayonnaise or yogurt and taste. You can adjust seasoning to taste here. 
  3. Take a large baguette and slice it in half. Spread with butter or margarine before adding a few romaine leaves to the bottom of the baguette until covered. Slice your tomatoes and cucumber thinly and do the same. Finally, spread your chickpea mixture onto the baguette. Cut the baguette into 4-6 pieces. 

Grilled halloumi bagel 

As we know, a picnic is all about the sandwiches – and we have a delicious offering for you here next. This yummy bagel is packed with flavor and it will be the perfect way to fill you up during your day out in the sun. 

Ingredients:

  • 14 oz halloumi 
  • 4 sesame seed bagels 
  • 4 slices beef tomato 
  • 1 avocado
  • Lime juice 
  • Salt 
  • Chipotle sauce 
  • Hummus
  1. Start off by heating a frying pan to medium high with a small amount of oil. Slice your halloumi into thin slices and add to the pan. Fry on each side for about 3-4 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. 
  2. Lightly toast the bagels. 
  3. Half, core, and slice your avocado into thin slices and sprinkle with a little salt as well as drizzling with some lime juice. 
  4. To assemble: Spread a thin layer of houmous onto the bottom part of the bagel. Add some avocado slices to the bagel, followed by halloumi, and finally a tomato slice. Drizzle with chipotle sauce, top, and slice in half. 

Herby tabbouleh 

If you have never tried bulgur wheat now is the perfect time to do so. This grain is the ideal replacement for couscous and has fewer carbs to ensure you are having a healthy and refreshing snack. This tabbouleh is super simple and a great picnic side dish. 

Ingredients:

  • 7 oz. bulgur wheat  
  • 10 oz. boiling water 
  • Juice of 1 lemon 
  • Salt 
  • 1 bunch mint 
  • 1 bunch coriander 
  • 1 bunch flat leaf parsley 
  • 1 grated carrot 
  • 8-10 cherry tomatoes, diced 
  • 1 tbsp olive oil 
  • ½ tbsp white wine vinegar 
  • 1 tsp cumin
  1. To cook your bulgur wheat, add it to a bowl with the water, lemon juice, and salt, and cover with cling film. Leave for 5-10 minutes and you should be left with beautifully fluffy bulgur wheat. 
  2. In a large bowl combine your bulgur wheat alongside finely chopped herbs, tomato and carrot, and the rest of the ingredients. Stir until well combined and season to taste with a little more salt. 

Salmon fishcakes 

Who said that a picnic food had to be boring? These simple salmon fishcakes are easy to make, are packed with vitamins, and are the perfect accompaniment to fresh salad or tabbouleh. You’ll be coming back for more and more once you try these, and they are ideal for a summer’s day. 

Ingredients:

  • 4 fillets salmon, cooked 
  • 1 large potato 
  • 1 tbsp flour, plus extra for pane
  • 1 tbsp chives
  • 1 tbsp basil 
  • Zest of half a lemon 
  • 3.5 oz. golden breadcrumbs 
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil 
  1. Place your potato on a microwave safe plate and stab with a knife a couple of times. Microwave on full power for 8-10 minutes or until soft. 
  2. In a large bowl, add your salmon, the inside of the potato, herbs, and 1 tbsp flour. Add lemon zest and mix well. 
  3. Form into patties that are approximately the size of your palm and place on a baking sheet. Leave in the fridge for 30 minutes. 
  4. On a plate, mix some flour with your breadcrumbs and season with salt and pepper. 
  5. Preheat a frying pan with vegetable oil. 
  6. Take your fishcakes from the fridge and coat them lightly in flour and breadcrumbs. Once all coated, add 4 into your frying pan at a time and fry on high for 2-3 minutes on each side. 
  7. Enjoy with your favourite sides!

Chicken tikka wraps 

There is nothing more summery than a nice tikka chicken wrap. These ones are packed with flavor, with melt-in-the-mouth chicken, and they are low-carb to help you keep that perfect summer figure. 

Ingredients:

  • 2 chicken breasts 
  • 7 oz. yogurt 
  • 1 tbsp garam masala 
  • 1 tsp ginger 
  • 1 tsp garlic salt 
  • 1 tsp cumin 
  • 1tsp coriander leaf 
  • 1 tsp hot chili powder
  • 4 wholewheat tortilla wraps 
  • Cucumber 
  • Beef tomato 
  • Mango chutney 
  • ½ bunch fresh mint 
  1. Chop up your chicken into small bitesize chunks. Add into a Tupperware tub with 100ml yogurt, and all of the spices. Mix well and allow to marinate ideally overnight, but for at least one hour. This step is important because the protein in the yogurt will help to break down the chicken and it will be much more tender when cooked. 
  2. Once marinated, add your chicken to a foil-lined tray and place in the oven under the grill setting. Grill for 8-10 minutes until charred and cooked through. 
  3. Chop some mint finely and add to a bowl with the rest of your yogurt. Mix well and add lemon juice if you like. 
  4. Slice a beef tomato thinly. Slice your cucumber lengthways and cut out the core. What you will be left with is a crescent moon shape. Slice thinly. 
  5. To assemble the wrap, add a small dollop of mint yogurt, then your veggies, chicken, and finish with an optional dollop of mango chutney for sweetness. 

More You'll Love!