Delicious Sautéed Asparagus
This sautéed asparagus recipe is the perfect side dish with almost any main course, such as leg of lamb, roast chicken, or roast beef. It’s made with crunchy nuts and tart cranberries and takes less than 15 minutes to make.
One of the good things about asparagus as a side dish is that it is perfect with almost any main course. Today, I made these sauteed with cranberries and cashews. And yet, you can also use any other dry fruit and nuts, such as raisins and almonds.
Why make this dish?
- It takes minutes to make and is perfect with almost any side dish.
- The nuts add a nice crunch, while the cranberries add an element of tartness, which works perfectly beside meat dishes.
- You can even sprinkle these on a pizza to make asparagus pizza.
- Asparagus is seasonal, and this recipe is lightly seasoned, so it really brings out the vegetable rather than hiding it behind sauces and gravies.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Asparagus – Always look for fresh asparagus with a bright green color. The stalk needs to be tender and not too woody. The bottom woody part that needs to be trimmed should usually be no more than 3 inches long. That way, you get a good, long, tender stem.
- Cleaning the asparagus – Asparagus is a very delicate and versatile vegetable. And yet, it can also be quite dirty with mud and other dirt stuck to it. So, always wash it clean before you use it. Some groceries do a good job of making them presentable for sale. But it’s always best to clean every stem under cold running water, rubbing with your hands to remove any dirt you see. Then, place them in a bowl of water (if necessary, hot water) to remove anything stuck between the small leaves.
- Garlic – I have used fresh garlic, but often I use roasted garlic, which really adds a ton of flavor.
- Lemon juice – A little goes a long way, but it really brings out the flavor.
- Cranberry – I like to use semi-dry cranberries, but you can also use dry ones.
- Nuts – You can use cashews, almonds, pecans, or whatever nuts you have on hand.
Step-by-step: Sautéed Asparagus
- First, rinse the asparagus under running water to remove any dirt. Using your fingers, snap off the bottom woody part of the stem; the tender part will naturally break away when bent. Cut the asparagus into 3 or 4-inch lengths.
- In a skillet, heat the oil and butter. Sauté the nuts for a minute, then add the cranberries and sauté for another minute. Remove the nuts and cranberries from the pan and set them aside.
- In the same pan, add the onions and garlic, and sauté until the onions become translucent. Then, add the asparagus and mix well. Pour in the water, cover, and cook on medium heat for 3 minutes. Afterward, uncover and continue cooking until the asparagus is tender.
- Season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Add the nuts and cranberries back to the pan, then remove from the heat. Sprinkle with fresh parsley before serving.
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Frequently asked questions
This sauteed asparagus will keep in the fridge for up to a week.
Depending on how small you cut the pieces, asparagus takes between 8 and 15 minutes. I kept these at approximately 3 inches long, so they took about 8 minutes. The tips usually get more tender than the stalks, so check the stalks by pricking with the tip of a knife.
The stalk of the asparagus can be quite woody. If left, it will take longer to cook and still not get tender. You can use a vegetable peeler to peel some of the green woody parts to help cook the stalks. While you can’t eat the tough stalk, you can still add it to chicken stalks and soups for flavor. When making sauteed veggies like this, it is best to keep the tender parts that will cook evenly.
Sautéed Asparagus with Cranberry and Nuts
This sautéed asparagus recipe is the perfect side dish with almost any main course, such as leg of lamb, roast chicken, or roast beef. With crunchy nuts and tart cranberries, it takes less than 15 minutes to make.
Video
Ingredients
- 1 lb (450 g) Asparagus
- ½ cup (40 g) Nuts cashews, almonds, pecans
- ¼ cup (25 g) Cranberries dried or semi-dried
- 1 tbsp Oil
- 1 tbsp Butter unsalted,
- 1 small Onions Spanish finely chopped
- 1 med Garlic sliced
- ½ tsp Salt to taste
- ½ tsp Pepper
- 1 tbsp Lemon juice fresh squeezed
- ¼ cup (60 ml) Water
Method
- First, rinse the asparagus under running water to remove any dirt. Using your fingers, snap off the bottom woody part of the stem; the tender part will naturally break away when bent. Cut the asparagus into 3 or 4-inch lengths.1 lb Asparagus
- In a skillet, heat the oil and butter. Sauté the nuts for a minute, then add the cranberries and sauté for another minute. Remove the nuts and cranberries from the pan and set them aside.½ cup Nuts, ¼ cup Cranberries, 1 tbsp Oil, 1 tbsp Butter
- In the same pan, add the onions and garlic, and sauté until the onions become translucent. Then, add the asparagus and mix well. Pour in the water, cover, and cook on medium heat for 3 minutes. Afterward, uncover and continue cooking until the asparagus is tender.1 small Onions, 1 med Garlic, ¼ cup Water
- Season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Add the nuts and cranberries back to the pan, then remove from the heat. Sprinkle with fresh parsley before serving.½ tsp Salt, ½ tsp Pepper, 1 tbsp Lemon juice
Notes
- Use tender asparagus for dishes such as this saute.
- Make sure to cut the stalk at the correct point so you don’t lose too much of the vegetable, and don’t have the woody stalks that don’t taste good.
- Don’t throw away the woody stalks; they are still good for adding flavor to spoons and broths.
- I am using cashews and cranberries, but other fruits and nuts are wonderful too.
Equipment you will need
Nutrition
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I forgot to say that there is also not a measurement for the garlic.
Thanks, Claire. I just added. I hope it was delicious.
Such a simple side dish and I love it! Great idea
Thank you for including a cleaning step! I feel like a lot of people forget to do this simply because they assume that the store has done it for them. 🙂
This is perfect for our dinner idea this weekend <3
This asparagus dish looks so good! I love your tip about salting after the asparagus are tender!
What an incredibly wonderful way to enjoy asparagus! Love how there cranberries and onions to add a gorgeous sweetness. Thanks for sharing!
This is such a delicious side dish with wonderful flavours – perfect for our festive table.
I never thought about mixing dried fruit and nuts with asparagus. Thank you so much for the recipe and genius idea!!