Charred Smoky Asparagus

As much as I love making the main protein the star of the meal, I never neglect the side dishes. After all, the vegetables should just be just as flavorful. In fact, sometimes I pay so much attention to the sides that they steal the show. Take this charred smoky asparagus for example. The asparagus is marinated and roasted until charred, then topped with a fennel radish salad, chopped egg, and jalapeno tahini dressing. It's incredibly flavorful, so much so that I wouldn't mind having this as an entree!

Recipe

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Charred Smoky Asparagus

Total Time45 minutes mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: vegetarian

Servings: 4

Author: Christine Ma

Ingredients

Asparagus

• 1 lb asparagus
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest

Jalapeno tahini dressing

• 1 jalapeno
• ¼ cup tahini
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• ¼ cup water
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper

Remaining ingredients

• ½ medium fennel thinly shaved
• ¼ cup thinly sliced radish
• ¼ cup parsley leaves
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• salt and pepper
• 4 boiled eggs chopped

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Marinate asparagus. Whisk together mayo with olive oil, paprika, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, turmeric, lemon juice and zest until smooth. Pour sauce over asparagus, tossing to coat. Let sit for 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make dressing. Place jalapeno on a baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes, turning halfway. Remove from oven and let cool. Discard stem and seeds if desired. Blend together roasted jalapeno with tahini, lemon juice, water, cilantro, and olive oil until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. If dressing is very thick, add another tablespoon of water. Set aside.
• Make fennel salad. Toss together shaved fennel with radish, parsley, sesame seeds, olive oil, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Arrange asparagus on baking sheet in an even layer. Roast for 12-15 minutes or until tender.
• Spread jalapeno tahini dressing on serving platter. Place roasted asparagus on top and sprinkle chopped egg and fennel salad on top. Serve immediately.

**Helpful tips and common mistakes

When I was trying to think of a fun asparagus recipe, I knew that I wanted the asparagus itself to be loaded with flavor. By marinating the vegetable in a combination of spices, lemon juice and zest, and mayonnaise, you achieve just that.

The mayonnaise might seem like an odd ingredient but it helps the flavors really adhere to the asparagus. It also helps give the vegetable that beautiful char. Ever roast chicken marinated in a mayo-based sauce? The skin crisps up just perfectly.

While the asparagus is marinating, make the jalapeno tahini dressing. Roast the jalapeno in the oven until charred, turning it halfway through the baking time.

Discard the stem and remove the seeds if you want a mild sauce. If you like the heat, go ahead and keep the seeds. Then, blend the jalapeno with the remaining ingredients and season it with salt and pepper. If the dressing is too thick, add a tablespoon or two of water. You can make the jalapeno tahini dressing up to two days in advance.

Next, prepare the fennel radish salad. If you're not a fan of fennel, you can use just radish or do a combination of radish and cucumber.

Thinly shave the fennel, as thinly as possible. I like to use a mandoline to get the right thickness since fennel has a very strong flavor.

Toss the shaved fennel with radish, parsley, sesame seeds, olive oil, and lemon juice and set it aside. You don't want to make the salad too far in advance or it can get soggy.

By now the asparagus should be ready. Spread it evenly on a baking sheet and roast it in the oven for about 12-15 minutes or until tender.

Spread the jalapeno tahini dressing on a serving platter and arrange the asparagus on top. Top the vegetable with chopped boiled egg and the shaved fennel salad and serve immediately.

This charred roasted asparagus dish is a lovely combination of smoky, creamy, and fresh all in one. If you're looking for a great Easter side dish, I think you found the right one!

For more side dish inspiration check out these pomegranate balsamic roasted carrots!