This roasted asparagus is easy to make and packed with nutrients. The green goddess dip adds an extra burst of flavor and pairs well with the roasted asparagus. This dish is naturally gluten free, vegetarian, keto, nut free, and egg free.
How to prepare asparagus
The ends of asparagus are very dense and fibrous. They are difficult to chew and you should remove them before you cook your asparagus. The amount of asparagus that you need to trim will vary depending on the thickness of you asparagus. For thinner asparagus, there is generally less fibrous material that needs to be trimmed off. For thicker asparagus, there is generally more fibrous material that needs to be trimmed off. You should generally trim around 1-2 inches off of the end of your asparagus.
My best tip for deciding how much of your asparagus to trim off is to look at the coloring of the asparagus. The fibrous ends will generally be lighter in color than the rest of the asparagus. You can use this gradient in color to determine where to trim your asparagus.
How to dress roasted asparagus
In order to understand what flavors go well with roasted asparagus, you first have to think about the flavor profile of roasted asparagus. Roasted asparagus has an earthy flavor with a bit of a bitterness. I like to use sweet and creamy flavors to contrast bitterness. I generally use ingredients with a little bit of acidity to complement earthy flavors. Here are some ideas for how to dress roasted asparagus to step the flavor up to the next level.
- Green goddess. I paired my roasted asparagus with green goddess in this recipe for a reason, roasted asparagus and green goddess go great together! The creaminess of the green goddess contrasts the bitterness of the roasted asparagus and the acidity of the lemon juice in the green goddess compliments the earthy flavor of the roasted asparagus.
- Honey balsamic glaze. A honey balsamic glaze is another great companion for roasted asparagus. The sweetness of the honey complements the bitterness of the roasted asparagus and the acidity of the balsamic vinegar complements the earthiness of the roasted asparagus.
- Lemon and goat cheese. Goat cheese is a great companion for bitter green vegetables like asparagus, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts. I like to top my asparagus with a squeeze of lemon and goat cheese crumbles from time to time. The acidity of the lemon complements the earthiness of the roasted asparagus and the creaminess of the goat cheeses contrasts the bitterness of the asparagus.
What is in this green goddess dip
What is in the green goddess dip we use in this recipe? Here are the main ingredients in this green goddess dip. Sour cream. Sour cream is one of the main ingredients that is used to make the base of this green goddess dip. The sour cream is mixed with cream cheese to make a base that is nice and creamy.
- Cream cheese. Cream cheese is the other ingredient that makes up the base of this green goddess dip. The cream cheese thickens up the dip and gives it an extra smooth, creamy flavor.
- Chives. Some chives are chopped and added to the sour cream and cream cheese base for this green goddess dip. The chives are one of the main greens in this recipe for green goddess dip.
- Green onion. The green onions are the other green element in this recipe for green goddess dip. Just like the chives, the green onions are minced into small pieces before being added to the dip.
- Garlic. Some minced garlic is added to give this green goddess dip a little bit of a bite. Since the garlic is added raw, it should be chopped up as small as possible.
- Lemon. Finally, some lemon juice is added to complete the dip. The acid in the lemon juice cuts through the creaminess of the sour cream and cream cheese and brightens up the flavor of the dip.
Other uses for green goddess
I absolutely love using green goddess as a topping for roasted asparagus. Here are a few other ideas for how to use leftover green goddess.
- Bitter vegetables: Green goddess has a rich, creamy flavor which means it pairs well with vegetables with a bit of a bitter undertone. I find that it goes particularly well with asparagus, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts.
- Starchy vegetables: The green goddess dip has a creamy base and an extra pop of flavor from the chives and green onions. This means that it also pairs well with starchy vegetables that do not have strong flavors of their own, such as potatoes.
- Veggie burgers: I also like to use green goddess as topping for more complex dishes like veggie burgers. In particular, I like the combination of black bean burgers and green goddess. Black beans are similar to potatoes in that they are starchy and have a mild flavor, so it is no surprise that this green goddess pairs well with both.
Roasted asparagus and green goddess
Ingredients
Roasted asparagus
- 1 bundle asparagus
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 pinch salt
Green goddess dip
- 2 tbsp sour cream
- 2 oz cream cheese (about 4 tbsp)
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tbsp packed chives
- 4 stalks green onion
- 1/4 lemon
Instructions
Roasted Asparagus
- Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees
- Trim the ends of the asparagus off. I usually trim 1 1/2 - 2 inches off of the end of the asparagus
- Lay the asparagus out on a baking sheet. Brush the asparagus with olive oil and top with a pinch of salt
- Roast the asparagus in the oven for 15-20 minutes depending on the thickness of the asparagus. The asparagus is done when you can easily stick a fork in it and it feels tender. The asparagus will cook more evenly if you flip it over about halfway through cooking, but this is not strictly required
Green goddess dip
- Chop the chives, garlic, and green onions
- Combine all green goddess ingredients and mix thoroughly
Notes on the cream cheese
It will be easier to use whipped cream cheese than block cream cheese if you have whipped cream cheese. This is because block cream cheese is denser and harder to mix with the more fluid sour cream. If you do not have whipped cream cheese, block cream cheese works too. If you are using block cream cheese, I would recommend stirring it for a minute or two to whip some air into it before combining it with the other ingredients.
Other recipes you might like
If you like our roasted asparagus, you might also want to try our honey garlic Brussels sprouts. This is another side dish that pairs a bitter green vegetable with a similar flavor profile to asparagus (Brussels sprouts) with creamy elements (queso fresco). This is one of our absolute favorite vegetable side dishes!
