The ancients knew the benefits of asparagus, with the Greeks, Romans and Egyptians highly valuing this member of the Lily family.

Asparagus is loaded with vitamins and minerals and exceptionally low in calories and sodium.

As a young adult, it seems that I could never afford to buy asparagus. It seemed to be such an indulgence; sometimes it was $3.99/lb! It is still just as expensive today (off season) with some organic varieties running about $6.99/lb. (In season, it can be very inexpensive at about $.99/lb.) But now I see the benefits: nutrition and taste, of splurging on fresh asparagus.

This recipe is great as a weekday side because it is easy and quick, but is also fancy enough for a dinner party. And it tastes fantastic. I usually serve it with a protein, like some tofu cutlets or lentil loaf and a carbohydrate like quinoa or brown rice. The cooking liquid from the asparagus makes a great sauce.

Swanky Asparagus

• 1 lb Fresh Asparagus
• 1 large Beef steak tomato or 2 romas, chopped
• 1 spring onion with bulb, sliced thinly
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
• ½ cup prepared vegan no-chicken broth (or chicken broth, if omni)
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• ½ tsp salt, or more to taste
• ½ tsp fresh ground pepper

Pre-heat oven to 425 F.

It is very important to thoroughly clean the asparagus because they grow in sandy soil and the sand can get trapped in the tips. To trim the asparagus, hold each end of the spear and break off the woody ends. The spear will naturally break in the right spot.

Then to clean: fill sink about half full with water and submerge the trimmed spears. They will float, so you will need to swish them around to get the sand out. The sand will fall to the bottom. Next, remove the spears and strain.

In an oven-safe baking dish (I use a glass 9”x 9”), place asparagus spears, tomatoes, onions, garlic, broth and spices. Mix with your hands so that the spices are evenly distributed. Bake uncovered for 15-18 minutes until tender crisp. Thicker spears will need longer.

To serve: place spears on plate and ladle tomatoes and sauce over them.

That’s it! Super simple, tasty and it looks really elegant.

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Editor: Renée Picard

Photo: courtesy of the author