Chargrilled Asparagus with a Herb and Yoghurt Dressing

The readiness of fresh produce in Switzerland is one of my favourite things about living here. We have just returned from a fantastic roadtrip in the US (posts to come!), but we were a little disappointed at how small the fresh food sections were in most supermarkets. Our trip to Whole Foods at the end was very welcome!

Right now, it’s all about the asparagus. These wondrous little green sticks come into their own at this time of year, and it would be such a shame to let them go without grilling them up with some lemon and adding lashings of herby, yoghurt sauce. It’s just delicious and the easiest thing in the world to make, you’re going to love it!

One of the reasons that I love grilling asparagus over boiling it or steaming it, is that you retain all of the flavour and the colour. It also remains crispy and not at all soggy. I like to squeeze some lemon juice over the asparagus straight before grilling, so that the lemon juice can create a little steam and really soak into the asparagus as it cooks. All it takes is 2-3 minutes on each side on a hot griddle pan and the asparagus will be perfect and ready to be enjoyed immediately.

On it’s own, this asparagus is already perfectly packed full of flavour and ready to be served on a fresh salad, or with a poached egg! However, this time I have an extra twist  for you! This herby, zingy, yoghurt dressing is so fresh and green it compliments the subtle flavour of the asparagus perfectly. All you have to do is blend the herbs with the yoghurt, add half a clove of garlic, some salt and pepper and you are ready to go. Just drizzle it onto the asparagus for a zingy hit!

You can really serve this however you like. My suggested is on top of a piece of toasted bread, a little cream cheese, then the asparagus, some cress, a crumbling of feta cheese and the dressing. All of these flavours have a nice balance of sharp, zingy and fresh and would make a lovely lunch or snack.

I hope you enjoy this, and do let me know if you try it out!

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Chargrilled Asparagus with a Herb and Yoghurt Dressing

Ingredients

15-20 stems of fresh Asparagus
Juice of 1/2 a Lemon

For the Dressing

1/2 cup (130g) Natural Yoghurt
Small handful Fresh Parsley
Small handful of Fresh Coriander
1/2 Clove of Garlic
1 – 2 Fresh Mint Leaves
Salt
Pepper
Squeeze of Lemon Juice

Steps

1. Prep the Asparagus by chopping off the ends. You can also do this by holding the asparagus and bending it near the end. It will naturally snap off where the woody portion ends and leave you with just the fresh tip.

2. Lightly oil a griddle pan and heat to a high heat. Spritz the asparagus with lemon juice and grill it for 2-3 minutes on each side. Place onto a serving plate as soon as it’s done.

3. To make the sauce, simply blend all the ingredients in a blender. Adjust the amount of seasoning and garlic to your taste.

4. Serve the asparagus however you like. I like to serve it on a slice of toasted bread with a little cream cheese, topped with the asparagus, garnished with some cress and feta cheese and then drizzled with the dressing. Get creative!