Gelatin Free Steamed Asparagus with Olive Oil & Lemon
Fresh asparagus gets the spotlight it deserves here — steamed just until bright green and tender, then finished with a drizzle of good olive oil and a squeeze of lemon that makes every bite taste clean and vibrant. It's the kind of side dish that looks effortlessly elegant on a platter without requiring much effort at all. Many packaged sauces and dressings sneak in unexpected thickening agents, so keeping things this simple means you know exactly what's going into your food. The lemon zest is optional, but if you have one sitting on the counter, use it — it adds a fragrant citrus punch that takes the whole dish up a notch. Steaming rather than boiling keeps the spears from getting waterlogged, so you get that satisfying snap and vivid color every time. Serve it immediately straight from the platter and watch it disappear.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
- 1 ½ lb fresh asparagus, tough ends snapped off
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt, or to taste
- 1 tsp lemon zest (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Pour about 1 inch of water into a large skillet or wide saucepan and set a steamer basket inside. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat.
- 2
Arrange the asparagus in the steamer basket in a single layer. Cover and steam until the spears are bright green and just tender when pierced at the thickest point with a paring knife, 4–6 minutes for medium spears or 6–7 minutes for thick spears.
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