Spicy Asparagus Sauté With Walnuts

Name: Spicy Asparagus Sauté With Walnuts
Prep time: 7 min
Cook time: 3 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 bunch of asparagus; 2 tbsp vegetable oil; ½ tsp five spice powder; ½ tsp ground black pepper; 1 tsp grated fresh garlic; 2 tsp grated fresh ginger; 2 tbsp coconut sugar*; ½ tbsp sambal oelek chili paste (you can add more if you want it really spicy); 2 tsp soy sauce; 1 tsp rice wine vinegar; ½ cup walnut halves and pieces; 2 scallions, thinly sliced; 1 handful of picked cilantro leaves; kosher salt to taste

by Better than Zest | Alex

4 people

10 min

When cooking asparagus, simple ingredients are often used like lemon, olive oil and fresh herbs. However, the sweetness of asparagus pairs surprisingly well with spicy and bold flavors too. This spicy asparagus sauté with walnuts recipe may even win over those who claim not to like asparagus. Vary the quantity of sambal oelek, a garlic chili paste, according to your taste; add more if you prefer a spicier dish.

It’s a fast (it takes only 10 minutes to make!) and easy side dish that will definitely spice up your dinner. To make it a full meal, serve it over rice with some crispy tofu for vegetarian fare. Or, for the carnivores, plate it with pieces of grilled chicken or pork.

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Spicy Asparagus Sauté With Walnuts

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Recipe details

Yield 4 people
Time spent: Prep time: 7 Minutes Cook time: 3 Minutes Total time: 10 min

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Ingredients

1 bunch of asparagus
2 tbsp vegetable oil
½ tsp five spice powder
½ tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp grated fresh garlic
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
2 tbsp coconut sugar*
½ tbsp sambal oelek chili paste (you can add more if you want it really spicy)
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp rice wine vinegar
½ cup walnut halves and pieces
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 handful of picked cilantro leaves
kosher salt to taste

Instructions

Wash produce. Grate ginger and garlic on a microplane. Sliver scallions on a diagonal. Trim the asparagus spears and chop into 2-inch pieces. Pick cilantro leaves.
Heat oil in large sauté pan over high heat. Once hot, add asparagus to pan. Season with a pinch of salt to taste. Cook, stirring frequently, for 1-2 minutes. Add five spice powder, black pepper, garlic, ginger, coconut sugar, sambal oelek, soy sauce, vinegar and walnuts to pan. Toss to evenly distribute. Continue to cook for another minute until asparagus turns bright green and is tender-crisp. Remove from heat.
Place asparagus on serving dish. Then, sprinkle cilantro and scallions over the top. Serve hot.

Comments

Joy on Feb 25, 2021

What is sambas oelek chili sauce? What can I substitute it with?
something commonly on hand.

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- See 1 previous
- Better than Zest | Alex on Feb 25, 2021
  
  Hi Joy!
  
  Sambal oelek is a simple chili paste made of chilies, water, vinegar and salt. It’s usually next to the sriracha in the grocery store or in the international section. I’ve seen it available at Target, Walmart and Amazon too.
  
  If you can’t find it, I would recommend adding in 1-2 sliced small red chilies (depending on how hot the chilies are and how hot you want the dish to be).
  
  Another option would be to substitute with sriracha. If you go with sriracha, I’d add a bigger dash of vinegar to the dish. Tobasco sauce is another possible substitute. However, tobasco sauce is much more heavy on the vinegar than sambal oelek. So, if you use it, leave out the vinegar in the recipe.
  
  Hope this helps!
  
  Best,
  Alex
  
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- Naomie Moore aka baileyanddaisey, Castaic CA on Apr 16, 2021
  
  There are many recipes on line for Sambal oelek if you want to go that route since the recipe calls for such a small amount. Sold in most grocery or supermarkets in either the international or asian aisle. I put that stuff in almost any savory recipe just to give it a little kick.
  
  Like
Emily on Apr 16, 2021

A good substitute for sambal is sriracha, which more people have on hand these days.

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