This Shrimp Asparagus Stir Fry with lemon and basil is a light and healthy skillet meal that can be made in just 15 minutes! Serve it on it’s own, over rice or creamy polenta, or risotto!
Step into the fire of self-discovery. This fire will not burn you, it will only burn what you are not. -Mooji
This 15-minute, Shrimp Asparagus Stir Fry with Lemon and Basil is very simple to make, yet surprisingly tasty! Instead of using Asian flavors here, we are keeping it very light and springy with lemon and basil. Vegan adaptable, this can be made with tofu and is gluten-free.
It’s a quick skillet meal that is low in carbs with a huge proportion of veggies- in this case, delicious spring asparagus, which just so happens to be in season! Of course, you can serve it over rice, quinoa, polenta or risotto.
Meals at home, become more and more simple. I try to pick one seasonal veggie- in this case, asparagus and build a meal around it using what’s in my pantry or freezer.
In this recipe, you can use raw or cooked shrimp, tofu or even chicken! The main focus here is the fresh spring asparagus.
Ingredients in Shrimp Asparagus Stir Fry
- olive oil
- shallot
- garlic cloves
- fresh asparagus
- shrimp (raw or cooked) or use crispy tofu (see notes) or chicken
- kosher salt and pepper to taste
- 1 lemon – zest and juice
- Fresh Basil leaves, cut into ribbons ( or try Thai Basil!)
- chili flakes- optional but delicious
How to make Shrimp Asparagus Stir fry
What I love about this Shrimp Asparagus Stir fry is how fast and easy it is to make! Once the ingredients are prepped, cooking just takes a few minutes.
- Heat oil in an extra-large skillet over medium heat. Saute shallot until tender about 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the asparagus. Stir frequently and season generously with salt and pepper for about 2-3 minutes or longer if extra thick. Add shrimp to the middle of the pan, season with salt and pepper and cook until cooked through.
- Squeeze with lemon juice from 1/2 -1 lemon, toss, and cover the pan for 1-2 minutes until the asparagus is tender and vibrant green. Taste, adjust salt and lemon to taste.
- Right before serving, stir in the fresh basil ribbons.
Set a simple table. Pour yourself a nice glass of wine. It doesn’t have to be fancy to be special. Every meal, even simple ones can be a way to celebrate the day!
Enjoy this simple happy meal.
xoxo
More Recipes you may enjoy:
- Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta
- Shrimp Stir fry
- Asparagus Risotto
- Creamy Asparagus Soup
- Asparagus, Mushroom and Tofu Stir-Fry
- Lemony Roasted Asparagus
Shrimp Asparagus Stir Fry
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 15
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 2
- Category: Main
- Method: Stir-Fry
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
- Diet: Low Fat
Description
Shrimp Asparagus Stir Fry with Lemon and Basil -a delicious and healthy skillet meal that can be made in just 15-minutes! Low-carb and GF.
Ingredients
- 10–12 ounces shrimp (raw or cooked, peeled and deveined) or use pan-seared tofu (see notes)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 shallot- diced
- 4–6 garlic fat cloves- rough chopped
- 10–16 ounces asparagus, tough ends removed, cut into 1 1/2- inch pieces.
- kosher salt and pepper to taste ( start with 1/2 teaspoon)
- 1 small lemon – zest and juice
- 10 basil leaves, cut into ribbons ( or try Thai Basil!)
- chili flakes- optional but delicious
Serve over creamy polenta, rice, quinoa or on its own. 🙂
Instructions
- Thaw shrimp in cold water, drain and pat dry.
- Heat oil in an extra-large skillet over medium heat. Saute shallot until tender about 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add asparagus. Stir frequently and season generously with salt and pepper for about 2-3 minutes or longer if extra thick. Add shrimp to the middle of the pan, season with salt and pepper and cook until cooked through.
- Squeeze with lemon juice from 1/2 -1 lemon, toss, and cover the pan for 1-2 minutes until the asparagus is tender and vibrant green. Taste, adjust salt and lemon to taste.
- Right before serving, stir in the fresh basil ribbons. Divide among two bowls and top with lemon zest and chili flakes. Serve with chopsticks. Enjoy!
- Feel free to serve over rice, polenta, quinoa or on its own.
Notes
If making this with pan-seared tofu or chicken, pan-sear it first in olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper. Set aside, then add it back to the pan after the asparagus is cooked.
For extra richness, add a pat of butter at the very end of cooking- for example- I’ll often add this to my husband’s portion after I take mine out. This way, he’s happy with his buttery shrimp and I’m happy with my lighter version. 🙂
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ½ cups
- Calories: 272
- Sugar: 4.6 g
- Sodium: 34.2 mg
- Fat: 19.7 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 15.7 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Might be helpful to specify that shrimp should be shelled and deveined and that asparagus is cut (as shown in the photo). Typo here: “Squeeze with lemon juice form one lemon toss,…”
Got it Sue!
Super simple and delicious recipe. One of our go-tos when we’re low on food in the house since it also works well with frozen asparagus.
Thanks Susie, Good to know!
Cooking this tonight. Thank you for your recipes they are absolute trustworthy gold! I wanted to take a moment to thank you for your “on the home front” portion of the post along with the recipe of course. I thought it was beautiful and gave me pause to think …which I am most grateful for at this time.
Awww… thanks Tati. Glad it resonated.
Super simple but amazing flavors!!
Thanks Megan!
Amazing dish! Simple and full of flavor. This is now one of our quick go-to recipes! Thank you, Sylvia! 😊
Hi Sylvia– do you think this would be good served on top of a grain or pasta? I’m looking for a bit more calories but don’t want to mess up the flavors or textures. Any suggestions? If it’s best unadulterated, I’m thinking just paired with some homemade bread rolls? Any spices or herbs that would go well in the bread for this dish? You’re the expert and have never steered me wrong so I’ll defer to you 🙂 Also…pre adding 5-stars because I have NEVER made one of your recipes that deserved less and I’ve made a ton of them.
Awww thanks Nikki~! I think it would be fine over a grain or pasta! Or even just rice!
Made it for Valentine’s dinner. We loved it.
We don’t use a lot of salt, so I will decrease to 1/4 teaspoon to start next time. The amounts of ingredients and cooking times were right on.
Yay!!! Glad you liked it!
Sooo good! bright flavors and the chili flakes gave it a perfect kick! Quick week night dinner!
This looks so tasty, Sylvia. Can’t wait to try it.
Thanks Pamela- it’s super fast and easy too! Hope you enjoy and welcome to the blog!