3 Quick and Delicious Asparagus Side Dish Recipes

Asparagus season is here to the delight of those love this fresh spring vegetable. Available in the produce section, farmer's market, or your own garden, asparagus is an excellent pairing with other foods given its mild taste and quality of taking on other flavors. The added bonus to this tasty meal accompaniment is that it's high in many vitamins and minerals, making it a very healthy side dish option.

3 Quick and Delicious Asparagus Recipes

The most important part of the preparation process is using fresh asparagus. Stems should be stiff, bright in color with a possible purple tinge on the tips. If the stems are limp or the tips begin to turn black, then the asparagus is no longer fresh and won't yield the sought after flavor.

Before you begin, be sure to rinse the asparagus under cold running water to clean it off. You'll also want to snap the very bottom of the stems off by about an inch. After this, dry the spears off on paper towels so they will be ready to use.

Oven Roasted Asparagus

List of Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of thin, fresh asparagus spears (2 lbs)
• 2-3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• freshly ground black pepper
• salt
• garlic powder
• paprika
• lemon

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. After preparing your asparagus, arrange them on a baking sheet. Drizzle evenly with the olive oil. Then, sprinkle with the freshly ground black pepper, salt, garlic powder, and paprika, in accordance to your taste. 

Place asparagus in the oven for about 20 minutes, give or take a few depending on thickness. They are ready when they just begin to feel tender. About midway through baking time, be sure to turn the asparagus.

Once finished, move asparagus to a platter and spritz with fresh squeezed lemon. In roughly half an hour, this side dish is ready for dinner.

Sauteed Asparagus and Mushrooms

List of Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb of fresh asparagus, snapped into 2"-3" pieces
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1/2 lb of fresh mushrooms, sliced lengthwise
• 1/4 cup of finely chopped onion
• salt
• pepper
• grated parmesan cheese
• lemon

Heat olive oil in the pan and add the onions. Over medium-high heat, stir and cook the onions for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the asparagus and mushrooms to the pan and reduce heat to medium. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper to suit your taste.

Continue to stir and cook for about 5 minutes or until the asparagus starts to feel tender. Remove pan from heat; freshly squeeze a lemon over the top and garnish with grated parmesan cheese. This savory side dish is done in 15 minutes or less.

Deep-Fried Asparagus

List of Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of fresh asparagus, trim ends
• 1 1/2 cup of baking mix
• 1 cup of milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp celery seed
• 2 cups of vegetable oil for frying

Heat oil in large frying pan over medium heat. While the oil is heating up, put the milk and eggs in a bowl and whisk together. In a separate bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients; stir them together. Dip the asparagus in the egg and milk mixture. Then, roll the asparagus in the dry mix, making sure all sides are coated. Dip again in the egg and milk before coating the asparagus for a second time in the dry mix.

Once the oil is hot enough, place the asparagus into the pan. Fry for up to 4 minutes, or until they look crispy and golden brown. Remove from pan set on paper towel to absorb excess oil. Serve with a dipping sauce, like ranch dressing or garlic aioli. This deep-fried favorite is easy to prepare and ready in less than 30 minutes. 

To keep things simple yet healthy at dinner, it helps to have fresh produce on hand - like asparagus - to make a quick and tasty side dish. Requiring minimal preparation and a short cooking time, asparagus is the perfect complement to any meal.