Asparagus Garnish and Steamed Asparagus

Asparagus Garnish and Steamed Asparagus has a splash of delicious fresh citrus. The garnish is crispy, easy to make and great way to use the whole vegetable! The garnish brightens and enhances almost any dish. Beautiful asparagus can brighten and enhance almost any plate of food. The flavor is delicate and refreshing — and it’s so pretty!

How to Steam Asparagus in Foil

• Rinse, dry and snap the tough bottoms off the asparagus.
• Gently peel the asparagus spears and set the peels aside to make the Crispy Asparagus Garnish. (Unless I’m using very thin asparagus, I almost always peel it for a smoother texture and better mouth feel.)
• Cover a baking sheet with a large sheet of heavy-duty foil and add the asparagus in a single layer, if possible. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Wrap the asparagus in the foil so that it’s completely sealed.
• Steam the asparagus in a 400 degree F oven just until it’s tender.

(More detailed instructions are below, and this recipe includes one hour of marinating in citrus.)

And we’re going to make a really pretty and delicious asparagus garnish with our peels.

No need to even put them in the compost!

How to Make crispy Asparagus Garnish

• Add the asparagus peels to a very hot pan lightly coated with olive oil.
• Sauté the peels until they begin to turn golden brown, just a couple of minutes.
• Season with salt and pepper and set aside on a couple layers of paper towels to drain.

If you glance at the recipe below, you might think it’s fairly involved — but, it’s not at all.  It’s very simple, I promise!

And the Crispy Asparagus Garnish is so fun and it can take a plate from pretty to incredibly pretty!

More recipes with asparagus:

• Vegan Asparagus Soup
• Parmesan Asparagus Salad
• Purple Asparagus Recipe
• Asparagus Aussie Lamb Crostini
• Lemon-Dill White Asparagus Recipe
• Sausage Cheese Asparagus Bake

Print

Crispy Asparagus Garnish and Steamed Asparagus

Prep Time

1 hr 12 mins

Cook Time

8 mins

Total Time

1 hr 20 mins

 

Crispy Asparagus Garnish and Steamed Asparagus is easy to make and great way to use more of the vegetable! The garnish brightens and enhances almost any dish.

Please note that most of the prep time is inactive, marinating time.

Course: Side Dish, Garnish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: vegan side dishes, great for garnishing

Servings: 4 to 6

Calories: 132 kcal

Author: Valentina K. Wein

Ingredients

For the steamed asparagus

• zest of 1 lemon
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1½ pounds asparagus
• ½ teaspoon salt
• freshly ground black pepper

For the garnish

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• asparagus peels from the above 1½-pounds asparagus
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

To make the asparagus

1. Zest 1 lemon and set it aside in a small dish in the refrigerator for later.
2. In a small mixing bowl, combine the lime juice, lemon juice, vinegar and olive oil. Pour this citrus mixture into a large zip-lock bag. Set aside.

3. Rinse and dry the asparagus.Then cut the bottom few inches (the tough portion), off of the spears and discard.

4. Gently peel the asparagus spears and set the peels aside for the garnish.

5. Place the peeled asparagus spears into the bag with the citrus mixture and let them marinate for about 1 hour, in the refrigerator.
   

6. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

7. Cover a baking sheet with a large sheet of heavy-duty foil and add the marinated asparagus in a single layer, if possible. Sprinkle with the 1/2 teaspoon of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Wrap the asparagus in the foil so that it's completely sealed.

8. Steam the asparagus in the preheated 400°F oven just until it's tender, 8 to 10 minutes.

While the asparagus is steaming, make the garnish

1. Coat the bottom of a small to medium-sized skillet with the olive oil. Once it's very hot, add the asparagus peels. (They should sizzle when you add them -- if you don't hear the sizzle, wait until the oil is hotter.)

2. Sauté the peels until they begin to turn golden brown, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and set aside on a couple layers of paper towels to drain.

3. Remove the asparagus from the oven and open the foil. Let it cool and serve as a side dish, garnished with the lemon zest.
4. Add the asparagus garnish to whatever else you're serving -- or just eat it!

Recipe Notes

It's not always necessary to peel asparagus -- though it ultimately creates a lovely texture, especially on thicker spears. And it's a great opportunity to make the fun garnish.

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