Paleo Steamed Asparagus with Olive Oil & Lemon
Fresh asparagus gets the respect it deserves here — steamed just until bright green and tender, then finished with a generous drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. The result is clean, vibrant, and genuinely satisfying without a single unnecessary ingredient. Steaming rather than boiling keeps the spears from going limp and preserves that gorgeous color, so it looks as good on the platter as it tastes. A pinch of sea salt and optional lemon zest pull everything together in a way that feels almost effortlessly elegant. This is exactly the kind of side dish that fits naturally into a whole-foods way of eating — nothing processed, nothing hidden, just real ingredients doing their job beautifully. It pairs well with practically any protein and comes together in minutes, making it an easy weeknight staple or a polished addition to a dinner spread.
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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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