With the last harvest of asparagus approaching, I felt a post exclusively on asparagus was fitting. Although I did a recipe with asparagus to celebrate my first spotting of it in April, the post didn’t seem to do it justice.
At 3 calories a spear, asparagus is a great vegetable to bulk up a meal without adding many calories. It’s also a fairly popular, palatable vegetable that most people (and kids) will enjoy. A cup of asparagus, while only 27 calories, packs in 70% of your daily value of vitamin K, 20% of vitamin A, and 16% of iron, as well as other vitamins and minerals.
When buying asparagus, look for vibrant green and tender (but not mushy) spears. Both thin and thick spears can be tender, so don’t immediately write off thick spears! With this said, a thin spears do tend to be less watery and a bit more flavorful. Before cooking, trim the stalky, woody ends of the spears (usually about two inches or so).
Roasted Asparagus with Dijon Vinaigrette
So this is a bit of a misnomer, since the asparagus is broiled, not roasted. But broiled asparagus just doesn’t sound as tasty. You can easily go to the roasting route if you want; the main reason I broiled was to cut down on time. Instead of taking about 30-40 minutes, it takes about 5.
Serves 3-4
1 bunch thin asparagus, woody ends chopped off (about the last 2 inches)
scant 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
sea salt, to taste (about 1/3 teaspoon or so)
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
large pinch black pepper
Preheat oven to broiler setting. Toss asparagus in olive oil and sea salt and place in oven until a bit shriveled and brown, about 5-6 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine mustard, honey, vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined. Drizzle mustard vinaigrette over asparagus right before serving.
Side Note: This mustard vinaigrette is pretty tangy, so you may want to taste test it before drizzling over all the asparagus. To taste, don’t just taste it alone, because it will definitely seem too tangy! Instead, dip a spear in it. If it’s too tangy, add a bit more extra virgin olive oil.
