How many of you are like me and think grilled asparagus is a finger food vs. a side?
Back in the day, my intention when making grilled asparagus was to get those nice grill marks and then serve it right along with the chicken breasts or steak that I had grilled. My thinking was while the chicken/steaks rested for those few minutes, I could quickly throw the asparagus on the still hot grill and be done just in time to serve the meats.
I don’t know bout you, but my grilled asparagus rarely makes the full trek from the grill to the kitchen. I lift those bad boys right off the grill and eat them on the way. I’m not alone as my kids’ fingers are snatching them up before I can set the pan down on the counter. All I can do is watch them and SMILE, as I recall doing the same thing in my middle school days when my gramps would grill green onions during one of the last times he was healthy enough to man the grill.
Nowadays, I just cook a large batch factoring in those spears lost in transit. I figure 6-8 will be consumed as finger food. The remainder I can serve as a side, so in reality the grilled asparagus is both appetizer and side in the same meal. I got no issues with this, after all what’s not to love about eating extra asparagus. Occasionally I will dress the sides portion up a lil bit. I keep it simple – just some good parmesan or Mexican cotija cheese with fresh lemon juice. Feel free to be as fancy or simple as you wish, but in my humble opinion grilled asparagus only needs oil and sea salt. The rest of the flavor comes from the caramelization and charring.
If you’ve visited the site a few times, you’d know of my fondness for grilling vegetables. Asparagus is one of my favorites as it requires little to no planning, cooking is simple, and it’s healthy. As if I needed anymore reasons, you just can’t beat the ease in which you can coax out sweet, charred and smokey flavor.
Grilled Asparagus Meal Planning and Cooking Tips
- Choose firm, crisp stalks with tight
- Try to buy as local as possible. Visit your local farmer’s market or read the labels fixed to your bunch. The labels typically have point of origin info; the lesser the travel distance the better.
- Choose fatter spears for grilling. They stand up well to high heat and allow you to get that important exterior caramelization while also maintaining its crisp sweetness.
- Toss the asparagus in oil before grilling to make sure that they don’t dry out on the grill and get all shriveled and rubbery
Grilled Asparagus Health Benefits
Asparagus is considered one of many superfoods. It’s loaded with fiber and is a great source for several different vitamins and minerals. For more information regarding it’s health benefits see this link for “10 Reasons You Should Eat More Asparagus.”
Dope beats, fresh eats, best life. Enjoy this delicious and super simple grilled asparagus.
For other grilled vegetable recipes try these Grilled Portobello Mushrooms.
Keep up with my food exploits as well as original recipes! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
Grilled Asparagus w/ Lemon
Ingredients
- 1 pound asparagus trimmed
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 lemon
- Parmesan or Cotija cheese optional
Instructions
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Preheat grill for high heat.
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Lightly coat the asparagus spears with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
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Grill over high heat for 2 to 3 minutes, or to desired tenderness. Drizzle with lemon juice.
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