Springtime is the perfect season to eat light – and healthy! Try this crowd-pleasing, tasty dish at your next get-together:
Asparagus with Lemon Sauce
Ingredients
- 20 medium asparagus spears, rinsed and trimmed
- 1 fresh lemon, rinsed (for peel and juice)
- 2 Tbsp reduced-fat mayonnaise
- 1 Tbsp dried parsley
- 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/16 tsp salt
Preparation
- Place 1 inch of water in a 4-quart pot with a lid.
- Place a steamer basket inside the pot, and add asparagus.
- Cover and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Reduce heat to medium. Cook for 5-10 minutes, until asparagus is easily pierced with a sharp knife. Do not overcook.
- While the asparagus cooks, grate the lemon zest into a small bowl.
- Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice into the bowl. Use the back of a spoon to press out extra juice and remove pits.
- Add mayonnaise, parsley, pepper and salt. Stir well. Set aside.
- When the asparagus is tender, remove the pot from the heat.
- Place asparagus spears in a serving bowl.
- Drizzle the lemon sauce evenly over the asparagus (about 1.5 tsp per portion) and serve.
*Alternate option: Roast the asparagus at 400 degrees F for 10-12 minutes (rather than steaming) for a different flavor and texture.
Nutritional information – per serving
- 39 calories
- 0 g total fat
- 0 mg cholesterol
- 107 mg sodium
- 2 g protein
- 7 g carbohydrates
- 2 g fiber
Serves 4
Recipes reviewed by Mary Lindsey Jackson, RD, LDN, Clinical Nutritionist Educator for Mission Weight Management — missionweight.org or (828) 213-4100
Recipes courtesy National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.
