Roasted Asparagus with Lemon Ginger Sauce is the perfect side dish to any dinner! It is ready in about 20 minutes and is totally vegan and oil-free. The perfect Spring dish with a sauce made with fresh lemon, ginger, turmeric, garlic and almond butter that is so good, you will want to drink it!
ROASTED ASPARAGUS WITH LEMON GINGER SAUCE
I can’t think of a more perfect Spring dish than roasted asparagus with a lemon sauce. Serve this beautiful dish next time for your guests and watch them ooh and aah and think you are all kinds of amazing. Especially after their first bite of this sauce. I make a lot of sauce recipes, a lot. They are always some of my most popular recipes and I’m here to tell you this one is one of the best I’ve ever created. This will be especially true for those who love lemon, ginger and almond butter. It is tart, slightly sweet, creamy and a wonderful kick of fresh ginger, with a touch of turmeric.
Do not worry if you aren’t a big fan of turmeric. There is just enough to give it this gorgeous color and only a hint of turmeric flavor. The lemon and ginger are really front and center, but it’s all perfectly balanced. It’s so so so good I was legit eating it with a spoon. I have a roasted asparagus with a dijon sauce in my cookbook that is phenomenal as well, but this sauce is completely different than that one, so I urge you to try it immediately.
This is totally an oil-free roasted asparagus too. You don’t need oil whatsoever. For more oil-free tips, see How to Cook and Bake Without Oil!
HOW TO ROAST ASPARAGUS
Add the washed asparagus spears to a large paper towel and pat them dry.
Trim off the ends, about 2-3 inches. Place them on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Squeeze the juice of 1/4 of a lemon over the asparagus and season with salt and pepper.
Bake at 425°F for 8-9 minutes until fork tender, but still firm. You don’t want them overcooked and limp, but not raw either. Depending on the thickness of the spears, time may need adjustment by a minute or so.
HOW TO MAKE LEMON GINGER SAUCE
This sauce is so easy to make, you just need 6 ingredients (+salt, pepper, water):
- fresh lemon juice
- roasted creamy almond butter
- ground turmeric
- fresh ginger
- garlic cloves
- agave or maple syrup
Add the water, lemon juice, almond butter, ginger, agave, garlic, turmeric, salt & pepper to a food processor or a Vitamix, if you have one.
Blend everything until smooth. It will be a fairly runny sauce, like a salad dressing. This is so it drizzles easily over the asparagus.
When you are done eating this Roasted Asparagus with Lemon Ginger Sauce, be sure to eat these incredibly popular Vegan Lemon Cookies for dessert!
OTHER VEGAN SIDE DISHES TO TRY
- Fluffy Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes
- Vegan Oil-free Zucchini Fritters
- Best Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Vegan Scalloped Potatoes
- Skillet BBQ Baked Beans
If you make this recipe, be sure to leave feedback below and share your pic on Instagram or Facebook and tag me @thevegan8 #thevegan8!
Roasted Asparagus With Lemon Ginger Sauce
Ingredients
- 12 oz asparagus spears, washed and patted dry
- salt and pepper
- 1/4 of a lemon
LEMON GINGER SAUCE (makes 1/2 cup)
- 1/4 cup (60g) water
- 2 tablespoons (30g) fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup (64g) roasted creamy almond butter
- 2 teaspoons (8g) peeled and finely grated fresh ginger
- 2 teaspoons (10g) agave or maple syrup
- 2 medium garlic cloves (5g)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric powder
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt + 1/8 teaspoon pepper
NOTE
- Do not worry about this sauce being spicy. The ginger gives amazing ginger flavor, but it is not spicy at all. The lemon juice, almond butter and agave all balance it out like a dream. My daughter LOVED the sauce!
Instructions
- I'd suggest making the sauce early in the day or the day before. While it's not totally necessary, it does thicken as it sits. But it's delicious immediately.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a pan with parchment paper.
- Trim the ends off of each asparagus about 2-3 inches. Place on the pan spread out evenly. Squeeze the juice of 1/4 of a lemon over the asparagus. Season with salt and pepper.
- Bake for 8-9 minutes until fork tender, but still firm. You don't want them overcooked and limp, but not raw either. Depending on the thickness of the spears, time may need adjustment by a minute or so.
- While the asparagus is roasting, make the sauce (if you haven't already done so). Add the water, lemon juice, almond butter, ginger, agave, garlic, turmeric, salt & pepper to a food processor or a Vitamix, if you have one. Either will work fine. For the ginger, you want to make sure you get the right amount, so weigh after peeling. I basically grated a large piece of fresh ginger over a bowl and then measured.
- Blend everything on low, slowing increasing speed, until smooth. Scrape the sides down well and blend once more on low. It will be a fairly runny sauce, like a salad dressing. This is so it drizzles easily over the asparagus. But it does thicken overnight or several hours in the fridge. It also doubles beautifully to toss as a salad dressing in greens. So so good. Drizzle over the hot asparagus and serve immediately. You will be tempted to drink the sauce. Sorry about that. Serve alongside roasted potatoes or my Fluffy Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes!
This one was great! Roasted asparagus in the air fryer for 5 minutes, 400 F. In a small sauce pan, sautéed minced ginger, sriracha, and organic honey. Folded the asparagus in and cooked on high heat for 2 minutes. Served hot over Jasmine rice. Easy and delicious!
Hi, I’m wondering how long this dressing would last, when refrigerated.
I’d say at least a week!
Hi Brandi,
I haven’t tried the recipe yet but I am excited to make it. But I was wondering if I could use tahini instead of the almond butter? I saw that others have used different nut butters but wanted to check with you before I try the tahini.
Thanks!
Hi Tammye! Tahini will make it more runny and less sweet/more bitter, so just keep that in mind! If it’s too bitter, try adding a touch of maple syrup or agave, if needed!
Hi Brandi,
I ran out and bought almond butter instead. And everyone was right. That sauce is the boss! My asparagus was perfect and I’m going to use the leftover sauce on my salad for lunch tomorrow. This will be a family staple! Thanks!
Hi Brandi,
I ran out and bought almond butter instead. And everyone was right. That sauce is the boss! My asparagus was perfect and I’m going to use the leftover sauce on my salad for lunch tomorrow. This will be a family staple! Thanks!
Yay Tammye! So happy you loved it!!
oh my!! I don’t just like this sauce, I absolutely LOVE it. I’ve been looking for a sauce that I can use on multiple dishes, and I’ve just found it. Its light, and tasty and healthy…what’s not to love…..
Yay! So happy you love it! It’s my favorite sauce too!
Didn’t expect this to be so tasty. So much flavor, can put on so many things. Thank you!
Outstanding! Was a big hit for Thanksgiving! To echo another comment, i also used peanut butter and the lemon ginger flavor still shone through. Fabulous! About to make it again 🙂
So wonderful to hear this Jessica! Thank you!