Make the most out of asparagus this spring season! Sautéed to crisp-tender perfection, then topped with toasted almonds and a flavorful, garlicky, lemon goat cheese sauce, this sautéed asparagus recipe makes for the tastiest side-dish to go along with your fresh spring and summer meals. We like to serve it with grilled chicken, fish, or steak over a bed of cooked brown rice or quinoa.
Sautéed Asparagus – a simple side dish with an upgraded twist!
Sautéed ssparagus alone is quite tasty and a dish we make on the regular! We upgraded this simple veggie dish with a few simple additions that add a ton of flavor but still kept it light, springy, and simple.
Insert Lemon Goat Cheese Sauce and toasted almonds.
The addition of these two components takes sautéed asparagus over the top and we know you’ll love it. PS: You’ll want to put the lemon goat cheese sauce on everything!
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Ingredients for Sautéed Asparagus with Lemon Goat Cheese Sauce
- Avocado oil or olive oil – we like Primal Kitchen Olive Oil or Avocado Oil
- Asparagus spears – ends trimmed and stalks cut in half to make approximately 3-inch pieces
- Garlic cloves
- Sliced almonds – omit for nut-free
- Fresh lemon juice – we recommend squeezing fresh lemon juice. Check out this manual juicer.
- Fine salt and pepper
- Soft goat cheese – room temperature
- Plain yogurt – we recommend full-fat or 2%
- Honey – you can easily omit it for no-added-sugar
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How to toast almonds on the stovetop
The first step of the recipe is toasting the almonds. Toasting nuts brings out their best flavor and adds that nice crunch we all crave.
How to Toast Almonds:
- Place a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add almonds to the hot skillet, and then cook for 6-8 minutes or until they give off a toasted aroma. Make sure to watch them closely and stir often to avoid burning!
- Once nuts are fragrant, transfer the almonds to a plate to cool.
How to make Sautéed Asparagus
Sautéeing asparagus is one of our favorite methods for making it. It’s a great way to enjoy this spring vegetable, whether you’re harvesting it from your backyard, your local farmers market, or on sale at your local grocery store.
How to Cook Asparagus:
- After toasting the almonds, wipe out the skillet and then place over medium-high heat. Once the skillet is hot, add the oil and swirl to coat the bottom.
- When the oil starts to shimmer, add the asparagus. Cook for 7-8 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender to your liking, stirring every 1-2 minutes.
- Once cooked, add a squeeze of lemon juice and a dash of salt and pepper to taste. Turn off heat while you prepare the Lemon Goat Cheese Sauce.
- Transfer the asparagus to a serving platter, and then top with a little sauce and toasted almonds. Finish by garnishing with lemon zest and fresh chopped parsley, if desired.
The Easiest Lemon Goat Cheese Sauce
This sauce is everything – it’s super flavorful, and a little bit goes a long way! If you’re lucky, you might wind up with some leftover sauce — which we promise, is a good problem to have. This sauce is also delicious when drizzled over a lettuce wrap or sandwich. Additionally, you can use it as a dip for sweet potato fries, roasted root vegetable fries, or even chicken or fish.
How to Make the Lemon Goat Cheese Sauce:
- In a small food processor or blender combine all of the sauce ingredients.
- Process or blend until the sauce is smooth. Add extra oil if necessary to achieve a smooth consistency
What to serve with this Sautéed Asparagus recipe?
This asparagus side dish is incredibly flavorful, especially once you add that delicious lemon goat cheese sauce. When choosing what to serve it with, try keeping the other components of the meal simple to really allow those flavors to shine! We love to add a protein and then serve over a bed of brown rice to round out the meal.
Our favorite recipes to serve with this Sautéed Asparagus recipe include:
- Juicy, grilled chicken breast (Don’t want to fire up the grill? Check out this post: How to Make the Perfect Chicken Breast)
- Flaky grilled fish
- Italian Turkey Zucchini Meatballs
- Grilled Steak Kebabs.
Other asparagus recipes you’ll love:
Grilled Asparagus with Parmesan
Creamy Chicken Spaghetti Squash with Bacon and Asparagus
Crustless Asparagus, Leek and Feta Quiche
Sautéed Asparagus with Goat Cheese Sauce
Crisp-tender, perfectly sautéed asparagus is topped with toasted almonds and a garlicky, lemon goat cheese sauce. A tasty Spring side-dish!
Ingredients
For the Sautéed Asparagus:
- ⅓ cup sliced almonds, toasted
- 2 teaspoons avocado oil or olive
- 1 – 1 1/4 pound asparagus spears, ends trimmed and cut in half (about 3-inch pieces)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- Lemon juice
- Fine salt and pepper
- Optional for garnish: lemon zest and/or fresh chopped parsley
For the Lemon Goat Cheese Sauce
- 2 ounces soft goat cheese, room temperature
- 2 tablespoon plain yogurt (full fat or 2%)
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1–2 teaspoon avocado oil or olive oil
Instructions
- Placing a large skillet over medium heat. When the skillet is hot, add the almonds and toast, stirring often, for 6-8 minutes or until they are golden and give off a toasted aroma. Transfer the almonds to a plate to cool.
- Wipe out the skillet and place over medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, add the oil and swirl to coat the bottom. When the oil starts to shimmer, add the asparagus. Cook for 6 minutes, stirring every 1-2 minutes. Then add the garlic and continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender to your liking. Once cooked, add a squeeze of lemon juice and a dash of salt and pepper to taste. Turn off heat while you prepare the Lemon Goat Cheese Sauce.
- For the Lemon Goat Cheese Sauce: In a small food processor or blender combine all of the sauce ingredients. Process or blend until smooth adding extra oil if necessary to achieve a smooth consistency.
- Transfer the asparagus to a serving platter and top with a drizzle of the sauce and sprinkle of the toasted almonds. Garnish with lemon zest and fresh chopped parsley, if desired.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
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Nutrition Information
- Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe + 1 tablespoon sauce
- Calories: 90
- Fat: 7 g
- (Sat Fat: 2 g)
- Sodium: 160 mg
- Carbohydrate: 4 g
- (Fiber: 1 g
- Sugar: 2 g)
- Protein: 4 g
Dietary
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