A fast and easy summer side dish recipe, asparagus is grilled until slightly charred then drizzled with a creamy tahini lemon sauce.
My boys are getting more and more into cooking and I’m so thrilled. Truly, as a mom who cooks for a living, I can’t tell you how much joy it brings me to see them light up when they help sprinkle salt or squeeze a lemon while I’m making dinner.
When Dole approached to help spread the word about their Get Up and Grow! Together summer campaign, I was immediately on board. After all, I am a firm believer that staying active and eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can go a long way in helping you live a healthy and happy lifestyle.
If you’re not familiar, the tour is traveling across the country to give families the chance to enjoy fresh fruit and vegetable recipe samples, receive healthy living insights, a Kid’s Corner, free recipe booklets, coupons and more. What’s not to love, right?
Now that the temps have warmed up, we have been using our grill to maximize the flavor of a variety of vegetables including this grilled asparagus that I drizzled with a simple tahini lemon sauce. To get the kids involved, I place the asparagus spears in a resealable plastic bag then let them drizzle in the olive oil and sprinkle with salt. After that, we seal and shake, shake, shake!
For the tahini lemon sauce you simply whisk together tahini with fresh lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper plus a little warm water to thin it out. Do yourself a favor and make extra sauce to use as a veggie dip the next day. Trust me on this one.
Your fork is waiting.
Grilled Asparagus with Tahini Lemon Sauce
Ingredients
- 20 Asparagus spears (trimmed)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt (divided)
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Tahini Lemon Sauce
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 1 clove grated garlic
- slices toasted almond (optional garnish)
Instructions
- Pre-heat the grill on high head and place trimmed asparagus spears in a resealable plastic bag. Add olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and black pepper to the bag. Seal and shake well to coat.
- Grill asparagus on high heat until charred on both sides, about 5-6 minutes flipping once halfway through.
- While the asparagus is grilled, begin making the lemon tahini sauce. To start, whisk together the lemon juice, tahini, garlic and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Working 1 tablespoon at a time, whisk in warm water until sauce becomes smooth and you’ve reached designed consistency.
- Arrange grilled asparagus on a platter and drizzle with the lemon tahini sauce before topping with toasted almond slices to serve.
Recipe looks great.
I just think chefs etc.. need to help reduce plastic consumption. You can easily put the spears in a bowl or pan to coat them in the oil. No need for the one time use of a ziploc bag.
Any recipe involving tahini gets my mouth watering, such a creative recipe.
haha I’m with you on that!
Give me ALL the asparagus. Beautiful recipe! (And I love the Dole Get Up and Grow campaign!)
Isn’t this the best time of year? I’ll trade you for your strawberries!!
Perfect side for when we fire up the grill for dinner. Your tahini sauce sounds terrific!!
YES!! We are doing so many grilling dinners these days!
This is genius, what awesome flavours!
Aww thank you lady!
This sounds delicious!! Roasted asparagus is my fave. And I love anything with tahini.
I am such a tahini lover – I can’t quit it!!
We make grilled asparagus all the time, so I’m always looking for new ways to dress it up. This is right up our alley!
Let me know what you think when you try it!
I love lemon tahini sauce! It’s actually on my menu this week to put on roasted eggplant. It would definitely be wonderful on asparagus.
I am such a tahini sauce addict! Love the eggplant idea!
Love that your sons are into cooking too! Clearly it runs in the family! ;)They’re going to be excellent cooks for sure.
I really hope they continue to love cooking!!