Best roasted asparagus. Roasted asparagus is delicious with this easy lemon tahini sauce. It's the perfect side dish for anytime of year.
Roasted asparagus is the perfect side dish and is oh so easy. Even though it’s technically a spring vegetable, it’s great any time of the year. Roasted asparagus is delicious with just some salt and pepper, but it’s even better with this easy lemon tahini sauce!
What is Tahini?
Tahini is made from ground up sesame seeds; you could almost call it sesame seed butter. It can be made from roasted or raw sesame seeds and has a nice nutty flavor.
Quality brands should be creamy and have the same consistency and texture as natural nut butters. I like Whole Foods 365 brand and Pepperwood Organics tahini. Essentially, look for a one that only has sesame seeds or sesame seeds and salt as the ingredient(s).
How do I Prepare the Asparagus?
Asparagus spears are super easy to prep… and are fun to prep too. Simply rinse, pat dry, and break off the ends of the spears. Breaking of the ends is the fun part (and fun for kids too)… just snap the bottom inch or so from each spear. You could cut them too, but snapping is more fun.
When all have been rinsed, dried and snapped, place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with a little extra-virgin olive oil and roll the spears around in the oil so they are evenly coated. Next, sprinkle with some fine sea salt and you’re ready for roasting.
Buying Asparagus
Asparagus is on EWG’s (Environmental Working Group) 2019 clean 15 list, so go ahead save some money and buy conventional! Also, I prefer thin asparagus spears – they are sweeter and less tough. I highly recommend buying asparagus that’s on the thin side.
Its’ best to use asparagus right away after buying, but if you aren’t planning to use it within the first day or two, store upright in the fridge using a mason jar (or similar shaped jar) with a little bit of water in the bottom. This will help to retain the freshness.
Is Asparagus Good for Me?
Oh, yes, my friend! If you’re a lucky one, it will make your pee smell, but it will do much more than that too!
- Asparagus is nutrient packed with a dose of folate, vitamins A, C, E, K, and is a great source of fiber (4 grams per 1 cup cooked).
- It may help protect against certain forms of cancer due to its rich source of glutathione, which helps to break down carcinogens and other harmful compounds.
- These green spears are a great source of antioxidants - they rank extremely high in ability to neutralize cell-damaging free radicals.
- May help our brains fight cognitive decline (I need this!)
What Keeps This Clean?
Well, it is a vegetable, so at the core it’s a clean, real food. However, adding some additional flavors isn’t always clean. But this tahini lemon sauce is made from tahini, fresh lemon juice, garlic, and water. Real food all around!
Looking For More Jazzed Up Veggie Dishes?
Try my Brussels sprouts with goat cheese and honey or roasted cauliflower steaks!
Eat Clean. Be Healthy!
Did you make this easy roasted asparagus with lemon tahini sauce? please let me know what you think! Leave a comment below, give me a star rating, and/or share a photo on Instagram and mention @CleanPlateMama!
Easy Roasted Asparagus with Lemon Tahini
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Ingredients
For the Asparagus
- 2 bunches of asparagus about 2 pounds
- 1-2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp. fine sea salt
For the Tahini Sauce
- 1 tbsp. tahini
- ¼ tsp. garlic powder
- 1.5 tbsp. fresh lemon juice plus more to taste - see notes
- 1.5 tbsp. water plus more to thin - see notes
- 1 tbsp. hemp seeds optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400.
- Prepare the asparagus by rinsing, drying, and snapping (or cutting) the ends of each spear. It's super easy to just snap the ends off - the asparagus spears will naturally break off about 1 inch from bottom.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment and evenly place asparagus spears on parchment paper.
- Drizzle with 1-2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil. Roll spears in oil until evenly coated.
- Bake asparagus for 10-15 minutes. If your asparagus is on the thin side it should only take about 10 minutes. When you can easily pierce with a fork the asparagus is cooked. You want it cooked through, but still with a slight crunch.
- While the asparagus is roasting, prepare the tahini sauce. Combine the tahini, garlic powder, lemon juice, and water in small bowl and mix until combined. You want to be able to drizzle the sauce over the asparagus. Add a few more drops of water if sauce is too thick.
- Lay roasted asparagus on serving tray and drizzle tahini sauce over asparagus. Drizzle with additional lemon juice.
- I also sprinkle hemp seeds to add some texture and for the visual appeal. Totally up to you if you want to add.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- You want the tahini sauce to be smooth and creamy - if it's too thick/paste like, continue to add a few drops of water until you reach the desired consistency (a little water goes a long way so add slowly).
- I like to squeeze a little extra lemon juice over asparagus prior to serving.
- This recipe makes enough for 8-10 people. Simply cut the recipe in half/use only one bunch asparagus if making for a smaller group.
Nutrition
Resources: http://www.eatingwell.com/article/17129/5-powerful-health-benefits-of-asparagus-you-probably-didnt-know/
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Kari
We made this over the weekend and loved the tahini with the asparagus. Great combo!
Fitoru Keto
Wow! Looks very good! Can't wait to try this! Thanks a lot for posting!
Sara
Hope you enjoy!