Delicious, healthy, and easy to make; what more could you ask for?
Looking for a side dish that’s simple, healthy, and easy to throw together? Head to the grocery store and pick up some asparagus, because this 3-Ingredient Broiled Asparagus is exactly what you’ve been looking for. You only need three ingredients to make this dish happen: asparagus, butter, and balsamic vinegar. Seriously, that’s it! In fewer than 15 minutes, you’ll be chowing down on this tasty snack or easy vegetable side dish.
What is Brown Butter?
You may have seen the term brown butter before in fancy French restaurants. It’s a popular combination with sage, and it’s often used as the sauce for gnocchi dishes. Brown butter (or beurre noisette, as we called it in culinary school) is simply a byproduct of heating butter over medium-high heat.
Butter is made up of milk solids and butterfat. When you heat it up, those two components separate (which, incidentally, is how you end up with ghee!). If you let the mixture cook instead of straining off the butterfat, the milk solids will start to caramelize and brown. This creates a roasty, toasted flavor that’s reminiscent of caramel. It’s super delicious on its own, but it’s even better when you combine it with a sweet vinegar like balsamic!
Brown Butter Made Easier!
For this recipe, we won’t make you go through the trouble of browning the butter in a frying pan. It’s easy to burn the milk solids if you’re not careful, so we simplified things by baking everything together on a single sheet pan. The high heat of broiler will caramelize the butter, achieving the same result. All while blistering the asparagus to perfection!
This 3-Ingredient Broiled Asparagus with Balsamic Brown Butter recipe makes an excellent snack or a side dish. You could also easily turn it into a main meal. Simply add a few shrimp to turn this veggie side into a sheet pan dinner, or cut the asparagus into bite-sized pieces and add them to your favorite power bowl.
At only 77 calories per serving, you really can’t go wrong no matter how you enjoy 3-Ingredient Broiled Asparagus.
3-Ingredient Broiled Asparagus with Balsamic Brown Butter
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh asparagus hard ends removed
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
- 1 tablespoon dark balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to low broil or 425 degrees. Toss the asparagus in the butter and balsamic vinegar. Spread in an even layer on a baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes or just until the asparagus being to brown and blister.
Nutrition Information
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