Asparagus with Citrus Cream Sauce
Submitted by meserret
Fresh asparagus spears with a make-ahead orange and lime citrus cream sauce. Just 50 calories per serving, this elegant low-fat side dish is ready in 30 minutes and doubles as an impressive entertaining platter.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
10 minREADY
30 minThe sauce is what sets this asparagus dish apart. Orange and lime zest plus fresh-squeezed juice folded into low-fat yogurt with a pinch of white pepper. No cooking required. It comes together in minutes and can be made a full day ahead.
Think of it as a dressed-up vegetable platter for a dinner party or a holiday spread. The warm asparagus spears are arranged on a platter and garnished with thin orange and lime slices (cut from the same fruit you zested). The reserved citrus slices do double duty: they make the presentation striking and signal to guests exactly what the sauce tastes like.
At 50 calories per serving with a full cup of sauce, this is genuinely light without tasting like health food. The citrus cuts through the yogurt’s tang, and that combination against the earthy sweetness of fresh asparagus is clean and refreshing.
Boil the asparagus uncovered in a wide skillet rather than a pot. The spears cook more evenly in a single layer and you can lift them out cleanly.
Chef Tips
- Grate only the colored outer layer of the citrus peel. The white pith underneath is bitter.
- Drain the asparagus well before plating. Excess water dilutes the sauce.
- White pepper keeps the sauce visually clean. Black pepper works fine but leave visible specks.
- Make the sauce a day ahead and refrigerate covered. The flavors meld and improve overnight.
Variations
- Lemon version: Swap the orange for lemon and add a teaspoon of honey to balance the sharpness.
- Add herbs: Stir a tablespoon of finely chopped fresh tarragon or mint into the sauce for a more complex finish.
Ingredients
Directions
From colored surfaces of orange and lime, grate enough of the orange peel to make 1 teaspoon.
From center of orange and lime, cut 1 or 2 thin crosswise slices apiece; wrap slices airtight and chill. Ream 3 tablespoons juice from orange, 1 tablespoon juice from lime. In a bowl, mix orange and lime peel, orange and lime juice, sour cream, and pepper.
Makes 1¼ cups. Serve, or, if made ahead, cover and chill up to a day.
Bring 1½ to 2 inches water to a boil in a 10-12” frying pan over high heat. Add asparagus and cook, uncovered, until stems are just tender to pierce, 5 to 7 minutes.
Drain asparagus well, then place hot spears on a warm platter; garnish with reserved orange and lime slices. Offer flavored sour cream and salt to add to taste.
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