Lemon Butter Asparagus Almonds (Printable Version)

Bright asparagus, lemon butter, toasted almonds create a vibrant, spring-inspired vegetarian side dish.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed

→ Dairy

02 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

→ Nuts

03 - 1/3 cup sliced almonds

→ Citrus

04 - 1 lemon, zest and juice

→ Seasonings

05 - 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
06 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

→ Optional Garnish

07 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

# How To Make It:

01 - Bring a large skillet of salted water to a boil. Add asparagus and blanch for 2 to 3 minutes until crisp-tender. Drain and immediately transfer to a bowl of ice water to halt cooking. Drain again and pat dry.
02 - In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Add almonds and toast, stirring frequently, until golden brown, roughly 2 to 3 minutes. Remove almonds and set aside.
03 - In the same skillet, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the blanched asparagus and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until fully warmed.
04 - Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, sea salt, and black pepper. Toss to coat the asparagus evenly.
05 - Transfer asparagus to a serving platter. Top with toasted almonds and parsley if desired. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Bursting with bright flavors, this dish tastes like spring packed onto your plate.
  • The crisp almonds add texture that makes the asparagus irresistible every single time.
02 -
  • If you skip the ice water bath after blanching, the asparagus can turn mushy and lose its lovely color.
  • Toasting the almonds separately stops them from absorbing too much butter and getting soggy.
03 -
  • Keep butter over medium heat to avoid browning—this keeps the sauce silky and tastes pure.
  • Blanching asparagus just until it bends without breaking preserves both flavor and texture.
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