If you haven’t tried grilled asparagus yet, then you’ve never really had asparagus. Follow this recipe below for a fresh, amazing take on a vegetable you might think you know really well, until you taste the rich, delicious flavor grilling it imparts.
If you’ve never grilled vegetables you have no idea the flavor storm you are missing out on by not trying these. From zucchini, to yellow squash, onions, bell peppers, corn, and especially tomatoes–vegetables take on an entirely different flavor and variety of flavors when you throw them on the grill and let that grill cast the magic spell it does over vegetables.
Every time we had a mock party to cater at the end of a cooking class in cooking school, I don’t remember vegetables ever being served that weren’t a. turned into a fancy salad with current takes of vegetable curls and designs or b. grilled.
That’s because you cannot impart more flavor to a vegetable than you can by grilling it. Why? Because grilling does something to food mere baking cannot–it caramelizes the sugars and starches in them, coating them in an almost-brown, delicious sauce made out of their own sweet juices. You don’t even need butter on grilled vegetables. They have enough flavor to be served the shining star all by themselves. But do coat them in a bit of olive oil to prevent them from sticking to the grill!
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh asparagus spears, trimmed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
Instructions
Prep time – 10 minutes
Cooking time – 5 minutes
Yields – 4 servings
Step 1: Preheat your grill to high heat and brush the grate with a little oil to prevent sticking.
Step 2: . Toss the asparagus spears with olive oil in a bowl, ensuring they are lightly and evenly coated.
Step 3: Season the oiled asparagus with salt and pepper according to your preference.
Step 4: Place the asparagus on the grill and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, turning occasionally, until they are lightly charred and tender.
FAQs & Tips
How to Make Ahead and Store?
Asparagus will keep three more days after you grill them. There’s not much to do here to make them ahead except for trimming them.
Can I marinate them?
If you like salads with a vinaigrette-style dressing, you are a candidate for loving balsamic-marinated asparagus.
Can I make on a charcoal grill?
If you love grilled asparagus and are cooking the spears on a gas or electric grill, try a smoking charcoal grill on your asparagus spears. It gives them an even richer, more complex, smoky flavor that’s absolutely delicious.
Anything else I can add?
For an even more delicious treat, slather them with butter and sprinkle them with real grated Parmesan cheese while they’re still hot. Talk about yummy!
Serving Suggestions
You can place these atop a salad for tender contrast to all your crisp lettuces. Or, even better, try them beside my Easy Seared Ahi Tuna Steak. For other sides with steak, try my Twice-Baked Potato Casserole. I know you might get bored with the usual old takes on potatoes, so this potato creation is unusually scrumptious.
Grilled Asparagus
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh asparagus spears trimmed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your grill to high heat and brush the grate with a little oil to prevent sticking.
- Toss the asparagus spears with olive oil in a bowl, ensuring they are lightly and evenly coated.
- Season the oiled asparagus with salt and pepper according to your preference.
- Place the asparagus on the grill and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, turning occasionally, until they are lightly charred and tender.
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