Asparagus with Lemon, MInt, and Red Peppers

This asparagus with lemon, mint, and red peppers takes what might be considered a bland vegetable and amps it up into a spicy and flavorful side dish. 

This asparagus can be served hot or at room temperature and is a wonderful side dish to go with steaks, chops, and chicken. It has so much flavor. 

My favorite way to serve this asparagus is with grilled or oven roasted tri-tip, herb-roasted fingerling potatoes, and a Caesar salad. 

These asparagus are blanched and then grilled in a grill pan in a mixture of lemon, mint, crushed red peppers, and a bit of oil. I could eat these with my fingers like French fries.

Shopping List to Make this Asparagus:

Asparagus: You'll need about 10 to 12 ounces of asparagus spears. If you get the super thin asparagus, Adjust the cooking time slightly. 

Seasonings: Salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. For the red peppers, I'm in love with the four pepper blend from the Flatiron Pepper Company. I've also bought their Sweet Heat, Dark and Smoky, and Hatch Chile blends. 

I first discovered this company at a local artisan pizza place. I pretty much want all of the blends but I'm trying to restrain myself. There's definitely a difference between these and grocery store crushed red pepper flakes. 

Fresh flavorings: Mint leaves and fresh lemons (both zest and juice). I used Meyer lemons for their bright yellow skin and their tart/sweet juice. 

For finishing: Freshly grated Parmesan cheese. 

Equipment You May Need:

For zesting the lemons, my favorite tool is a Microplane zester grater or a Deiss zester/cheese grater. These are great for getting ever last bit of zest from citrus without any of the bitter pith. 

For quick grilling the asparagus, I used a cast iron grill pan. A reversible grill pan/griddle is also handy and can actually multi-task. If you don't have a grill pan, you can certainly use a standard cast iron pan or heavy duty skillet... 

... OR, if you are serving this asparagus with grilled steak or chicken, while your meat is resting, you can give these a quick turn on the already hot grill. 

Tip for Success:

My favorite trick for this asparagus side dish is "blanching." 

What is blanching? It's cooking vegetables, especially green vegetables, in boiling water for a very short period of time. After you boil the vegetables, you immediately plunge them into ice water to stop the cooking. 

This helps to preserve the bright green color of the asparagus or other green veggies before you grill them. It's also a great trick for preparing asparagus for pickling or freezing. 

Typically, you drain the asparagus and immediately plunge the spears into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. To save on dishes, I drained the asparagus, ran them under cold water in the same pan until the pan cooled, and then added a pile of ice to the pan. 

Make-Ahead Tips:

You can prepare the mint, zest, and pepper sauce in advance and keep it overnight in the refrigerator. You can also blanche the asparagus a couple of hours in advance before grilling if you like. 

In addition, grate the Parmesan in advance and stash it in the refrigerator. 

More Great Asparagus Recipes You May Also Enjoy:

Asparagus and Pancetta Tarts

Roasted Asparagus with Bacon and Parmesan

Asparagus Potato Chowder

Shaved Asparagus Pizza with Brie

Asparagus, Leek, and Pea Stir Fry

Asparagus and Goat Cheese Tart

Asparagus Frittata with Cherry Tomatoes

Ham and Asparagus Quiche

Asparagus Recipes from the Sunday Funday Group:

• Asparagus and Herbed Ricotta Tart from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Roasted Asparagus with Tangerine Gastrique from Palatable Pastime
• Asparagus Pesto from Sneha’s Recipe
• Quick Pickled Asparagus from Culinary Cam
• Asparagus with Lemon, Mint, and Red Peppers from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Asparagus Soup from Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Prosciutto-wrapped Asparagus with Garlicky Baked Brie from Food Lust People Love

Asparagus with Lemon, MInt, and Red Peppers

Yield: 4 servings

Author: Karen's Kitchen Stories

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 10 MinTotal time: 20 Min

This asparagus with lemon, mint, and red peppers takes what might be a bland vegetable and amps it up into a spicy and flavorful side dish.

Ingredients

• Zest of one lemon
• Juice of one lemon
• 1 small handful of mint leaves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red peppers, plus more for sprinkling
• 1 bunch (about 12 ounces) thin asparagus, woody ends removed
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Extra lemon slices
• 2 to 3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Prepare a large bowl with ice water.
2. Mix the lemon zest, lemon juice, mint, and crushed red pepper in a small bowl.
3. In a large saucepan or saute pan, bring about 4 quarts of water to a boil. Salt the water and add the asparagus. Cook for two minutes. Remove the asparagus to the ice water and allow it to cool for 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels to dry.
4. Heat a grill pan on high heat and brush with the oil. Reduce the heat to medium and add the asparagus.
5. Sprinkle half of the lemon/mint mixture over the asparagus and cook for two minutes.
6. Using tongs, turn the asparagus over and add the rest of the lemon/mint mixture. Cook for another two minutes.
7. Remove the asparagus from the pan to a serving plate, drain the juices from the pan over the asparagus, and sprinkle the asparagus with more black pepper and crushed red peppers.
8. Garnish with lemon slices and sprinkle with the grated Parmesan cheese.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

67

Fat (grams)

4 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

1 g

Carbs (grams)

6 g

Fiber (grams)

3 g

Net carbs

3 g

Sugar (grams)

3 g

Protein (grams)

4 g

Cholesterol (grams)

0 mg

https://www.karenskitchenstories.com/2014/01/asparagus-with-lemon-mint-and-red.html

Karen's Kitchen Stories

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Recipe adapted from the completely gorgeous cookbook published in 2012, What Katie Ate. You will be inspired. 

This post was originally published January 2014. Updated March, 2024 with new photos, story, and updated recipe.