Barely Steamed Asparagus with Basil Vinaigrette

Combine the best of spring and summer in this Barely-Steamed Asparagus with Basil Vinaigrette, and don’t miss my trick for using more of the asparagus stems! This amazing recipe for asparagus is low-carb, Keto, low-glycemic, dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan, Paleo, Whole 30, and South Beach Diet friendly.Use the Diet-Type Index to find more recipes like this one.

Click here to PIN Barely Steamed Asparagus with Basil Vinaigrette!

Over the last ten years so many foods that used to be strictly seasonal have now become available much longer, and while nothing can replace the fresh goodness of early spring asparagus, having asparagus available into the summer makes it possible to pair it with fresh summer basil for amazing combinations like this Barely Steamed Asparagus with Basil Vinaigrette.

If you’re a regular reader you know I’m a huge fan of Basil Vinaigrette for drizzling on tomatoes, and I promise this asparagus with basil vinaigrette is just as wonderful. If you don’t have fresh basil available you can use purchased basil pesto to make the dressing, although I love the intense basil flavor of the dressing made with basil puree.

And you may want to make extra basil vinaigrette because it’s good on so many things like Artichoke Antipasto Salad, Tomato, Olive, and Fresh Mozzarella Salad, Grilled Halibut, Green Bean Summer Salad, Hearts of Palm Salad, and Grilled Zucchini Caprese Stacks, to name just a few. (Check the search results for basil vinaigrette for even more ideas if you really get hooked on the basil vinaigrette!)

(This recipe was first posted as part of a month-long asparagus event hosted by blogger Kevin Weeks, whose blog is no longer online. Kevin passed away in 2012, and is greatly missed in the food blogging community.)

Peel the bottom part of the asparagus and cut into 2 inch pieces. Steam until the asparagus is barely cooked, probably about 5-6 minutes from the time the steam starts. Drain asparagus well.

Puree the fresh basil and mix with your favorite no-sugar vinaigrette dressing to make the basil vinaigrette. Arrange asparagus on a plate, season with salt and fresh-ground black pepper, and drizzle over desired amount of basil vinaigrette.

Serve hot or room temperature, with a little more basil vinaigrette on the side to spoon over at the table. Enjoy!

More Meatless Asparagus Recipes You Might Like:

Low-Carb Breakfast Casserole with Asparagus, Mushrooms, and Goat Cheese ~ Kalyn’s Kitchen
Cheesy Asparagus Tart ~ Ezra Pound Cake
Baked Eggs and Asparagus with Parmesan ~ Kalyn’s Kitchen
Asparagus Salad with Sesame Chile and Lime Dressing ~ The First Mess
Vegan Asparagus Salad with Tomatoes, Hearts of Palm, and Chives ~ Kalyn’s Kitchen
Linguine with Asparagus, Tomatoes, and Goat Cheese ~ Blue Kitchen

Print Recipe

Barely Steamed Asparagus with Basil Vinaigrette

Yield: 3-4 servings

Total Time: 30-31 minutes

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 5-6 minutes

Combine the best of spring and summer in this Barely-Steamed Asparagus with Basil Vinaigrette!

Ingredients:

• 1 pound asparagus
• salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste

Basil puree ingredients:

• 1 cup fresh basil leaves (packed)
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• (Freeze the leftovers for another use. You could make half this much if you’re short on basil.)

Basil vinaigrette ingredients:

• 6 T your favorite no-sugar vinaigrette dressing (I used Newman’s Own Olive Oil and Vinegar Dressing; be sure to use a dressing that’s Paleo, Gluten-Free, or Vegan if you’re following one of those diets.)
• 2 T basil puree

Directions:

1. Trim off the woody ends of the asparagus, and then lightly peel the lower part of each stalk with a vegetable peeler. This allows you to use more of the asparagus than if you just break off the pieces, and it helps the stems cook as quickly as the asparagus tips. (You may still have to trim off a few inches if the ends are very woody.)
2. After peeling, cut each spear into pieces about 2 inches long, cutting on the diagonal.
3. Steam asparagus until barely tender, being careful not to overcook. (I would start checking about 5 minutes after the steam starts; total cooking time is probably not more than 5-6 minutes, depending on how crisp you like it.)
4. While asparagus steams, first combine fresh basil leaves and olive oil in food processor and process until basil is in very small pieces and fairly well integrated into olive oil.
5. Remove puree, scraping sides of food processor. Then measure 6 T vinaigrette dressing and 2 T basil puree into food processor and pulse about one minute. (This can also be combined in a jar and shaken.)
6. To serve, drain asparagus well and arrange on plate.
7. Season with salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste, and drizzle Basil Vinaigrette over. Enjoy!

Notes:

You can make the basil vinaigrette with purchased basil pesto if you don’t have any fresh basil, but that version will not be Paleo or Vegan.

Recipe created by Kalyn.

All images and text ©Kalyn Denny for Kalyn's Kitchen.

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This is a perfect side dish for low-carb and low-glycemic eating plans and any phase of the South Beach Diet and with the right ingredient choices this dish is also vegan and Paleo.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use the Diet Type photo index pages to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to Follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Nutritional Information?
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