Sauteed Asparagus

Sauteed asparagus is the fastest way to turn this veggie into a healthy side dish! Cook it simply with lemon, or customize with herbs or garlic.

Here’s a simple way to get a side dish on the table…fast: sauteed asparagus! When you’re trying to get dinner on the table, you don’t want to get stuck on a side dish. Trust us, Alex and I been there! We’ve held up dinnertime just to try to finish that pesky side dish that seemed simple when we read the recipe. So here’s an easy side dish that requires little prep and almost no thought. This healthy veggie perfect for adding bright green to the plate — and vitamins and fiber, too! Use the basic method, then pick from any of our flavor adders below.

A few other great ways to cook it? Try Baked Asparagus, Roasted Asparagus or Broiled Asparagus!

How to make sauteed asparagus (the basic steps)

Here’s a recipe for when you don’t have time to preheat your oven for roasted or baked asparagus! It’s so quick and you only need 5 minutes for prep and 5 to 8 minutes for cooking. Here are the basic steps for how to make this bright green veggie taste incredible (or go right to the recipe):

• Prep: Start with 1 pound of asparagus (1 large bunch). Chop off the end parts that are very thick. That part is tough and woody, and is hard to chew. Then chop the stalks into bite-sized pieces.
• Saute: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet. Add the asparagus with ½ teaspoon kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Saute 5 to 8 minutes, until tender! The exact timing will depend on the size of the stalks and the maturity (fresher asparagus cooks faster).
• Add lemon juice & zest: Stir in lemon juice and zest until the flavor pops!

Another quick way to cook asparagus? Try Easy Steamed Asparagus.

7 ways to add flavor to sauteed asparagus!

There are lots of ways to turn this basic recipe into something people will be talking about for years! Now, it’s delicious as is. But here are our favorite ways to amp the flavor in this sauteed asparagus so that it really shines:

1. Shredded Parmesan cheese: Add at the end as as garnish!
2. Feta crumbles: Another garnish to add a salty pop!
3. Garlic: Add 1 clove minced garlic to the pan after 3 minutes
4. Shallot: Add 1 small minced shallot with the asparagus
5. Butter: Use 2 tablespoons butter instead of 1 tablespoon olive oil
6. Herbs: Add 1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs at the end: chives, dill, parsley, etc
7. Italian seasoning: Add 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning with the asparagus

Ideas for using sauteed asparagus

You’re probably thinking about getting your meal on the table, and sauteed asparagus is here to help! But once you have a little breathing room to ponder, there are some other creative ways to serve this asparagus. Here are a few ways you could use this recipe as a component of another:

• Asparagus Salad Our favorite way to serve this sauteed asparagus is part of a salad! This one has greens, radishes, lemon, feta, and a tasty Dijon vinaigrette (add quinoa to make it a filling main dish salad).
• Lemon Asparagus Pasta Throw it into pasta! Here it’s paired with Parmesan and lemon, made into a main dish. Combine this sauteed asparagus recipe with 1 pound pasta.

When is asparagus in season?

Asparagus is a fresh and delicious spring vegetable! Here in the US, asparagus is available year round in most grocery stores. But it’s tastiest in the spring. April is prime asparagus month. Depending on where you’re located, it can be available February through June. Try to find it at a local farmers market if you can!

This recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free, gluten-free.

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