Sauteed asparagus is a healthy easy side dish perfect for spring! Tender spears are cooked in olive oil with salt, pepper, and lemon. Simple yet vibrant! Vegan.
Sautéed asparagus is one of our favorite side dish recipes! It’s quick and easy and highlights the fresh, grassy flavor of one of spring’s quintessential vegetables. Asparagus spears are trimmed to remove the tough ends, cut into bite-sized pieces, and quickly sauteed and ready in under 10 minutes! Seasoning is kept simple with just salt and pepper, allowing the natural flavors of the asparagus to shine through. Feel free to enrich with a squeeze of lemon, garlic, shallot, fresh herbs, toasted nuts, or a sprinkle of cheese.
Why You’ll Love This
- Quick & easy! A healthy vegetable dish ready in just 10 minutes.
- Simple ingredients. Only 5 ingredients, most of which you already have!
- Nutritious & seasonal! This spring veggie is a great way to add vitamins and minerals to any meal!
- Versatile. Add fresh herbs, toasted nuts, or a sprinkle of grated cheese.
Ingredients
- Asparagus: Grab a fresh bunch from your local farmers market! Medium to small stems work best for sautéing. Thick spears work better for grilling or roasting.
- Olive oil: Use a high quality olive oil here to help soften the asparagus and add rich, fruity flavor.
- Lemon juice: Use freshly squeezed lemon juice to add a bright, vibrant flavor to the asparagus.
- Salt and pepper: Simple spices to to bring out each flavor, while adding a zesty bite. Feel free to add additional spices if desired. Flakey salt is nice for serving.
- Optional garnishes: Fresh herbs like dill, chives, or parsley, toasted, slivered almonds, pine nuts, lemon zest, or a sprinkle of parmesan cheese, goat cheese, or feta cheese.
How to Make Sautéed Asparagus
Step 1: Prep the asparagus. Rinse and trim the asparagus, removing tough ends. Cut into 2-3 inch pieces.
Chef’s Tip: Straight cuts are quick and easy, or cut in a diagonal julienne for a fancier look!
Step 2: Saute asparagus. Bring a large skillet or frying pan to medium-high heat and add olive oil and asparagus. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring every minute. Add kosher salt and pepper, cooking a couple more minutes. Check for tenderness and cook longer if needed.
Chef’s Tip #2: Keep asparagus tender crisp by removing from heat just a bit before it reaches desired softness. It will continue to soften a bit as it cools.
Step 3: Serve with a squeeze of fresh lemon and any garnishes desired!
Expert Tips
- Store asparagus correctly. Store your fresh asparagus bunch in shallow water, like a bouquet of flowers! Cook within 3 days of bringing it home.
- Use medium asparagus stalks. Medium asparagus stalks work better for sautéing. The tiny pencil sized can sometimes get mushy and large asparagus is best for the grill.
- Recipe variations: Toss in minced garlic or shallot near the end of sautéing, or sauté in butter instead of oil for garlic butter asparagus. Toasted nuts like slivered almonds or pine nuts can be added to the pan during the last 2-3 minutes as well!
- How to serve sautéed asparagus: Serve as a side dish with grilled meats, seafood dishes, chicken dishes, and pasta! Or toss with a salad or whole grains!
Storage
You can store leftover asparagus in an airtight container for up to 4 days!
FAQs
You can tell where the woody ends are by snapping off the end of an asparagus stalk with your fingers. Use this stalk as your guide for where to trim the rest of the asparagus ends.
No, asparagus is surprisingly tender and will cook just fine in the skillet.
Springtime! Asparagus is typically in season between February and June.
Health Benefits of Asparagus
Asparagus is not only a versatile and delicious vegetable, it’s also brimming with health benefits!
- Rich in antioxidants: Asparagus contains various antioxidants, including vitamin E, vitamin C, and flavonoids. These help to combat free radicals in your body and can reduce oxidative stress and inflammation.
- Good source of fiber: With 2 grams of fiber per half-cup serving, asparagus can help you feel full longer and supports a healthy digestive system.
- Supports heart health: The high levels of vitamin K found in asparagus help with blood clotting and could assist in keeping your heart healthy by reducing blood pressure and arterial stiffness.
- Contains folate: A vital nutrient for various body processes, including cell growth and DNA formation, folate (vitamin B9) is found abundantly in asparagus. It is particularly important for pregnant women as it can help in the prevention of neural tube defects during pregnancy.
- Source of vitamins and minerals: Asparagus is a rich source of vitamins A, C, E, K, and B6, as well as folate, iron, copper, calcium, protein, and fiber.
Enjoy this easy Sauteed Asparagus recipe and let us know what you think in the comments!
xoxo
More Asparagus Recipes you may enjoy!
Sauteed Asparagus
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: side dish, vegetable
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Sauteed asparagus is a quick and easy side dish perfect for spring! Tender spears are cooked in olive oil and simply seasoned with salt, pepper, and lemon.
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh asparagus stalks, medium stems work best here *see notes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
- black pepper to taste
- optional- a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to taste, finely minced garlic, or shallot
Elevated garnish suggestions: fresh herbs such as dill, chives, and parsley. Toasted slivered almonds, pinenuts, lemon zest, a sprinkle of parmesan cheese, goat cheese, or feta cheese.
Instructions
- Rinse and trim asparagus, cutting the woody ends off. Cut the stalks into roughly into 2-3 inch pieces. Straight cuts are faster, or cut at a diagonal- julienne, for a fancy look.
- In a large skillet or large frying pan, over medium-high heat, add olive oil and asparagus. Stir to coat with oil, and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring every minute. Add salt and pepper cooking asparagus a couple minutes more. Check for tenderness, continue cooking if needed. TIP: To keep the asparagus tender crisp, remove from heat just a touch before it reaches the desired softness, as it will continue to soften a bit as it cools. Cooking time varies with asparagus thickness.
- Delicious as is or serve with a squeeze of lemon and a few suggested garnishes if desired!
Notes
Garlic or shallot- feel free to add ½ way through cooking the asparagus.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 days. Great for meal prep add to salads, pasta dishes, grain salads etc.
Medium asparagus stalks work better for sautéing. The tiny pencil sized can sometimes get mushy and large asparagus is best for the grill.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 83
- Sugar: 2.1 g
- Sodium: 41 mg
- Fat: 7.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 4.4 g
- Fiber: 2.4 g
- Protein: 2.5 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
