Grilled Asparagus

This Grilled Asparagus  is one of the easiest, fastest and tastiest ways to cook asparagus in under 15 minutes! A delicious healthy vegan-adaptable side dish everyone will love. Video. 

Grilled Asparagus. Everybody loves it!  At least, that was the case when we had our catering business, it was the most requested vegetable for weddings and events, and believe me when I tell you, we grilled a TON of it. Literally. Actually probably more like 10 tons, over the course of ten years!

And I get it! It’s so green and vibrant and looks good on just about any plate of food. But it’s the flavor I love. Something magical happens to asparagus when you grill it just right. It’s perfectly tender-crisp with a little bit of char. Heavenly. 

Here we are serving it over a Preserved Lemon Aioli (which can be vegan-ized) but truly, this grilled asparagus can stand alone- no sauce needed. But of course, I like to give you creatives out there some fun ideas…

Grilled Asparagus Recipe Video!

Ingredients in Grilled Asparagus

• Asparagus
• olive oil
• garlic 
• lemon- zest and juice
• salt and pepper 

How make grilled asparagus

Trim off the fibrous ends.  The ends of the asparagus can be tough, woody, and often inedible. Break off an end with your fingers- and use this as a guide for where to cut the rest of the stalks.

Season. Place asparagus in a bowl or baking dish. Toss lightly with olive oil, salt and pepper.  A good rule of thumb is 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt per bunch of asparagus.

Add garlic and lemon zest- but wait until after grilling to add the lemon juice. This is key to getting the char.

Toss well, coating each piece. At this point, you could refrigerate for up to 4 days before grilling.

Grill. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.

Place asparagus on the grill, across the grates,  and grill for 2 minutes, or until asparagus turns vibrant green and light grill marks appear. Turn.

How long to grill asparagus?

The time it takes to grill asparagus depends on the thickness of the spears. Very thin spears may only take 1-2 minutes, while very thick spears can take 5-7 minutes. The key is to watch the color– look for the point in time where the asparagus turns really vibrant green.   A little char tastes good here!

If you have different sizes of asparagus, move any thinner stalks to the edges or cooler parts of the grill.  Remove spears as they are done.

When the asparagus is tender- yet still a tiny bit crisp with nice grill marks- they are done.

Look how green they turn!

Squeeze with lemon juice and adjust salt to taste. They are good to go!

Ways to Dress up Grilled Asparagus

Feel free to keep them plain and simple with a squeeze of lemon – or embellish them with these sauces:

1. Serve over Preserved Lemon Aoili (see recipe below)
2. Vegan Hollandaise Sauce
3. Simple Romesco Sauce 
4. Gremolata (a zesty Italian herb sauce)
5. Green Tahini Sauce
6. Simple Tahini Sauce
7. Creamy Herby Hemp Dressing
8. Dilly Ranch Dressing

The Preserved Lemon Aioli

Place Mayo or vegan Mayo in a food processor along with preserved lemons, garlic and a few herbs. You can also finely chop everything and whisk.

Blend until smooth.

Spread out the sauce on a platter or large plate.

Top with the asparagus and a few lemon wedges.

More Asparagus Recipes You Will Love!

• Easy Oven Roasted Asparagus
• Asparagus Tart with Chives, Tarragon and Gruyere
• Fennel Asparagus Salad
• Asparagus Risotto
• Charred Asparagus Kale Pasta with Lemony Cannellini Beans

Have a great day ❤️

Sylvia

The Best Grilled Asparagus

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review

• Author: Sylvia Fountaine | Feasting at Home
• Prep Time: 10
• Cook Time: 5
• Total Time: 15 minutes
• Yield: 4 1x
• Category: side dish
• Method: grilled
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegan

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Description

How to make The Best Grilled Asparagus– one of the easiest, fastest and tastiest ways to cook asparagus in under 15 minutes! A delicious healthy vegan side dish, everyone will love.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1/2x1x2x

• 12–16 ounces asparagus (one extra-large bunch)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 garlic cloves (or 1 teaspoon granulated garlic), finely minced
• 1 lemon- zest and juice
• optional garnish: lemon wedges, torn herbs, Aleppo chili flakes

Preserved Lemon Aioli

• 1/2 cup mayo (or vegan mayo)
• one tablespoon of preserved lemon, more to taste
• 1 garlic clove
• 1–2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley (or basil, or dill)
• 1–2 teaspoons water

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Instructions

1. Preheat Grill to Medium-High heat
2. Trim off the tough ends of the asparagus, removing any tough or fibrous ends. Place in a large baking dish or bowl.
3. Add olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and zest from one lemon. Give a really good toss, mixing and coating each spear well.
4. Make the Preserved Lemon Aioli. Ether very finely chop the preserved lemon (including peel), garlic and herbs and stir with the mayo and water in a bowl,  or place all in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Add a tiny bit of water to loosen, scrape down the sides as needed. Making a double batch is easier in the food processor. Leftovers will keep up to 4days.
5. Once the grill is hot, place the asparagus on the grill across the grates, uncovered. Turn after 1-2 minutes, moving any thinner ones to a cooler spot. Grill 1-2 more minutes. Asparagus will begin to turn bright green- and at this point, test one for doneness.
6. I prefer them tender-crisp, with a tiny bit of snap, and a little char. Place them back in the baking dish, squeeze with lemon and juice and give another toss.
7. Serve immediately. If serving with the Preserved Lemon Aioli,  spread the aioli down on a platter or large plate and pile the asparagus over the top (tips pointing in the same direction). Garnish with a few flat-leaf parsley leaves and Aleppo chili flakes if you like.
8. Dive in!

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Notes

Feel free to keep marinated asparagus in the fridge up to 4 days before grilling, and grilled asparagus will keep 3-4 days after grilling.

Use Grilled Asparagus as a side dish, or as an addition to pasta or pasta salads, buddha bowls,  salads, etc.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: Without the Aioli
• Calories: 57
• Sugar: 2.3 g
• Sodium: 293.4 mg
• Fat: 3.7 g
• Saturated Fat: 0.6 g
• Carbohydrates: 5.6 g
• Fiber: 2.7 g
• Protein: 2.7 g
• Cholesterol: 0 mg