This really is the best grilled asparagus ever… honestly. Grilled asparagus with balsamic red onion and scattered with crunchy walnuts. I can honestly make a batch of this and just eat it on it’s own. The grilling gives a lovely deep taste whilst caramelized balsamic red onions add a sweet taste to the dish. It’s also so versatile – I ate this batch with this salmon & fennel foil packet – but it will also go easily as well with red meat, chicken, other types of fish…
Grilled Asparagus for One
As you can scale the recipe up and down very easily it’s perfect for making for one. It’s also good for batch cooking as you can make it in advance and reheat (instructions below).
If you are cooking for one then most likely you are interested in cooking things that are fairly quick and easy. This recipe takes about 20 minutes of cooking – and around 5 minutes of that time is ‘hands on’. With only about 5 minutes of prep it’s easy enough to slot in making this while you are cooking your main dish and it won’t add a great deal of extra kitchen time.
Is Grilled Asparagus with Balsamic Red Onion Healthy?
Asparagus is a really healthy vegetable. It contains a multitude of vitamins and antioxidants whilst being low in calories and fat. It’s also rich in folic acids and is a fibrous vegetable which is good for your digestive health.
This recipe does add a few extra calories and fat in the olive oil, walnuts and sugar. However olive oil and walnuts both have health benefits due to the fact they both contain essential fatty acids and they are high in healthy monounsaturated Fats
How Long Do You Need to Grill Asparagus?
One of the great things about this dish is that it’s pretty quick to make. Grilled asparagus only takes around 5 minutes. (Give or take a couple of minutes based on the thickness of the spear and how much you personally like it cooked). I generally find that 5 minutes is a good time for a pretty chunky piece to result in a tender stem which still has a little bit of ‘crunch’.
How Long Does This Grilled Asparagus With Balsamic Red Onion Keep?
The asparagus will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge. Reheating couldn’t be easier. You can either microwave in a bowl covered with a plate, in a pan with a few drops of olive oil added or in a hot oven for 5 minutes.
If you are intending on reheating the asparagus then it can be worth undercooking it slightly. That way when you come to heat it up you don’t end up overcooking it.
Products that work well for this recipe
Tabletop Portable Grill
Beeswax Food Wraps
Lodge Cast Iron Grill Pan
Grilled Asparagus with Balsamic Red Onion
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 1 1x
Description
An absolutely stunning side dish – tender grilled asparagus topped with sweet balsamic glazed onions and scattered with crunchy walnuts. A perfect accompaniment to meats, fish or chicken.
Ingredients
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1/4 medium red onion, thickly diced (around 30 g)
- 150g asparagus, ends ‘clicked’ off
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 10g walnuts, roughly chopped
Instructions
1. In a medium saucepan add half the olive oil and warm over a medium heat
2. When hot, add the red onion and cook for 15 minutes. You want it to soften but not brown – make sure that the heat is not too high.
3. Meanwhile heat a griddle pan over a high heat with the remainder of the olive oil. Use a brush or some kitchen towel to make sure that the olive oil coats the whole pan.
4. When the onions have been cooking for 15 minutes add the balsamic and the sugar and stir everything together well. Keep the heat on medium.
5. Season the asparagus well and add to the griddle pan and cook for around 5 minutes – turning often so it cooks evenly. You may need a minute or so longer for really chunky pieces. Ideally the asparagus should be cooked through but not overly ‘floppy’.
6. Serve the asparagus topped with the onion mixture with the walnuts scattered over the top. Absolutely delicious!
Notes
- If you prefer softer or firmer asparagus adjust the cooking time as required. 5 minutes should give a tender yet al dente spear on a fairly thick piece.
- Use the thickest asparagus you can find for grilling – so that you can get great dark grill lines without drying it out or overcooking.
- If you aren’t a fan of asparagus you could make this with green beans or steam some tenderstem broccoli.
- If you don’t have a griddle pan you could roast it in the oven or under the grill, but those charred grill marks honestly add so much flavour. I’d recommend investing in one – you will get so much use out of it I promise!
- This would be a perfect recipe for the BBQ
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Side
- Method: Griddle
- Cuisine: Vegetables
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 200
- Fat: 16g
- Carbohydrates: 9g
- Protein: 7g
Keywords: asparagus, side, vegetables, vegetarian, balsamic,, red onion, walnut
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