These Sesame Asparagus are cooked until crisp tender, and then they are tossed with an Asian style sesame butter.
Asparagus makes a great vegetable side dish. Plan to serve these sesame asparagus with an Asian-style dish such as Hoisin and Honey Glazed Pork Chops, Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin or Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken. They would make a delicious pairing with any protein.
Ingredients needed to make Sesame Asparagus:
- fresh asparagus
- unsalted butter
- sesame oil
- freshly squeezed lemon juice
- soy sauce
- salt/pepper
- toasted sesame seeds
How do you toast sesame seeds?
Toasting sesame seeds enhances their flavor and give them a crunchy texture. To toast sesame seeds, place them in a dry skillet over medium heat. Shake the skillet until the seeds have reached a golden hue (toasted). That should take about 2 minutes. Don’t leave them to heat on their own or they might burn. Remove the sesame seeds from the pan to a paper towel to cool.
How to cook asparagus:
The best way to cook asparagus is either boil them or steam them. To boil, place in a skillet of boiling, salted water and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes until the asparagus are tender. Drain. To steam, place the asparagus on a steamer insert above a pan of simmering water and place the lid on top. Steam for 3 to 5 minutes, until the asparagus are tender.
We like to plunge our cooked asparagus in a bowl of ice water after cooking. That stops them from cooking further, and then you can just warm them up in the pan with the sauce.
Transfer the asparagus with the sauce to a platter. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds on top. Enjoy!
How do you trim asparagus?
Asparagus are easy to trim before cooking. Lay them out on a cutting board, and line them up so that all of the tough ends are even. Then take a sharp knife and cut off one to two inches of the ends. This will take care of getting rid of the tough ends that are not pleasant to eat.
If you enjoy asparagus, you might also like to try Chilled Asparagus with Feta Vinaigrette, Drunken Asparagus with Honey Garlic Sauce or Asparagus Casserole.
If you happen to be following the Weight Watchers WW plan, you’ll find a link to the WW Points on the recipe card below.
Sesame Asparagus
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds fresh asparagus, trimmed
- 2 tablespoons (¼ stick) unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 4 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Cook the asparagus in large skillet of boiling salted water until almost crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Drain the asparagus. Transfer to a bowl of ice water and cool. Drain and pat dry. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead; cover and chill).
- Melt the butter with sesame oil in a heavy, large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the asparagus and saute until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Mix in the lemon juice and soy sauce and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Transfer to a platter. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.
Notes
- If you are preparing this recipe as gluten free, just be sure to use a brand of soy sauce that is know to be GF.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
