Two steps to choosing great greens for your Sesame Asparagus: 1. Pick asparagus with tight heads and stalks that are firm. 2. Thinner stalks aren’t more tender, so just choose the bunch—thinner or thicker—that looks the best.
When it’s time to trim your asparagus ends, simply snap the ends off by bending the stalks. That way, you’ll remove the woody part that’s unpleasantly stringy. (Losing too much of the stalk? Instead, peel off the outer layer using a vegetable peeler.)
This recipe was developed by Kate Sherwood, The Healthy Cook. Have a comment, question, or idea? Email Kate at healthycook@cspinet.org.
Serves: 4
Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 Tbs. tahini or any nut butter
- 2 tsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tsp. rice vinegar
- 1 tsp. grated ginger
- 1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
- ¼ tsp. honey
- 1 lb. asparagus, trimmed
- 1 Tbs. toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the tahini, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, sesame oil, and honey with 1 tsp. water. Add more water, 1 tsp. at a time, as needed to get a smooth, pourable sauce.
- Steam the asparagus until bright green and tender-crisp, 2-3 minutes.
- Transfer the asparagus to a serving platter. Drizzle the sauce over the asparagus. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds.
Nutrition Information
Per serving (½ cup):
- Calories: 90
- Total fat: 6 g
- Sat fat: 1 g
- Carbs: 6 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Total sugar: 2 g
- Added sugar: 0.5 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Sodium: 100 mg
