Grilled Asparagus with Charred Lemon

This quick, easy and nutritious side dish elevates asparagus with the bright and sweet flavor of grilled lemon and a drizzle of fresh olive oil. It’s great for an easy weeknight side and for entertaining too.

I love simple vegetables in fresh olive oil, there’s something so rustic about it. And that generous drizzle of olive oil is especially anti-inflammatory. This side dish requires minimal prep time or effort and takes only about 10 minutes on the grill. I’d imagine you could broil the asparagus in a cast iron pan for a few minutes to get a char if you aren’t able to grill, but admittedly, I haven’t tried this method.

This healthy asparagus side dish is also great for meal prep; you can add it to salads, grain bowls or reheat for an easy side later in the week. If you’re meal prepping this grilled asparagus, hold the the lemon, olive oil and sea salt for right before you’re serving it.

Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 pound of asparagus

• 1 lemon, halved

• Good extra virgin olive oil for drizzling, measure with your heart

• A few pinches of flaked sea salt (I’m using Maldon’s)

Directions

1. Rinse the asparagus. Snap off the tough, woody ends and discard.

2. Place asparagus and lemon, sliced side down, on the grill heated to medium-high heat until tender and a bit charred. I can’t take credit for this step because Evan does the grilling. He told me that it took about 3ish minutes per side, but this will depend on the size of your asparagus! The lemon is done when its sliced side down is browned after a few minutes (you only grill that one side, then remove it).

3. Place cooked asparagus on a plate, then squeeze the charred lemon over the top. You can start with half, some lemons are juicier than others, add more to taste. Drizzle with fresh olive oil and top with sprinkles of flaked sea salt.

4. We served this with couscous and grilled salmon for an easy weeknight dinner.