Ahhh, spring! It's the time when all my favorite veggies are in season at the local farmer's market. Artichokes, broccoli, green beans, spinach ... raw, steamed or cooked, it's all green and good. If you love your crockpot, spring veggies are perfect in savory dishes to serve for lunch, dinner or even as an appetizer. Here are six slow cooker recipes that I think look particularly delectable.

Theperfectpantry.com

Ratatouille

This spin on a classic French stew is both vegan and gluten-free. The beauty of ratatouille is that you can toss in pretty much whatever veggies you want. It's great alone as a stew or use it as a side dish or even pasta sauce.

Getcrocked.com

Corn and Red Pepper Chowder

You can use almond or soy milk in this chowder recipe to keep it dairy-free, and either fresh or frozen corn is fine. I especially like the combination of cumin, cayenne and paprika for the seasonings.

Centercutcook.com

Green Bean Casserole

Who says this classic side dish has to be reserved for Thanksgiving? Instead of using the typical can of condensed soup, you'll learn how to make a cream sauce from scratch that is oh. so. good.

lecremedelacrumb.com

Broccoli and Cheese Soup

The secret ingredient combo in this tasty, creamy soup that makes it even tastier and creamier is cream cheese and sharp cheddar. Comfort food at its finest!

365daysofcrockpot.com

Pesto Minestrone

Basil and cubes of pork add some extra special flavor to the chicken broth for the base of this soup. And it has kale, so that means it's super healthy, right?

Damndelicious.net

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

More cheese, please! This iconic appetizer recipe credits its success to a self-stirring crockpot. Plus it has three different kinds of cheese — the feta gives it a really nice zing.