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An easy side dish, this roasted asparagus with cream sauce is dairy-free and pairs well with so many different dinner recipes. This would be a perfect vegan Thanksgiving side dish!
Roasted Asparagus with Dairy-Free Cream Sauce Recipe
As I'm sure is true for most people, there are many foods I didn't appreciate until I reached my 20s - like Brussels sprouts, rice dishes, vinaigrettes, and asparagus. Now, asparagus is one of my favorite side dishes.
Simply roasted with some seasoning, asparagus is so delicious. One way to dress it up for special occasions, like as a Thanksgiving side dish, is by drizzling a cream sauce on top. (Isn't everything better with a creamy sauce?!)
I make this cream sauce with almond milk so it is dairy-free, and add a spicy kick using chili flakes. A little goes a long way when it comes to chili flakes. Start out with a pinch, let the sauce adapt the flavor, and then taste test to see if you want to add more.
This recipe is very simple and easy to make, yet full of flavor.
How to Roast Asparagus
Roasting asparagus in the oven is a pretty basic process. The most important thing is prepping the asparagus. First, of course, rinse off the green veggies with water. The ends of asparagus can be pretty tough, so it's important to snap or cut them off. I typically just gauge where to snap off the tough ends by bending the asparagus. Where the give ends, is where I snap.
The ends of asparagus can be pretty tough, so it's important to snap or cut them off. I typically just gauge where to snap off the tough ends by bending the asparagus. Where the asparagus becomes less flexible, is where I snap.
After the prep work, simply place the asparagus on a parchment lined baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast in the oven at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes. Take a fork and pierce the asparagus to check if it's tender. If not, roast for an additional 2 minutes and check again.
While the asparagus is roasting, make your cream sauce.
Asparagus is best served warm right out of the oven.
Vegan Cream Sauce Recipe
The cream that accompanies the roasted asparagus is a very simple recipe using oil, flour, and almond milk.
Simply make a basic roux in a pot using the flour and oil. If you don't want to use traditional flour, you can also substitute in a gluten-free flour mix (Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 flour is a good one) or arrowroot.
Tip: Once you've whisked together the oil and flour, let them simmer together for about a minute. This gets rid of that chalky flavor from the flour.
Whisk in the milk and seasonings, bring to a simmer, and then remove from the heat. See? Simple! I use almond milk for this cream sauce, but you can substitute any type of non-dairy milk you prefer. A combination of non-dairy milk + veggie stock is also delicious.
Roasted Asparagus with Vegan Cream Sauce
Ingredients
Roasted Asparagus
- 1 lb fresh asparagus
- pepper and salt to taste
Cream Sauce
- 1 tablespoon oil or vegan butter
- 2 cloves garlic crushed or minced
- 1 tablespoon flour
- ½-1 cup non-dairy milk plain, unsweetened
- 1 pinch chili flakes
- pepper and salt to taste
Instructions
How to Roast Asparagus
- Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Prepare asparagus by cutting or snapping off the tough ends.
- Place the asparagus on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Roast in oven for 15-18 minutes, until fork tender.
Vegan Cream Sauce
- In a small pot, heat oil on stove on medium heat.
- Add garlic and sauté for a minute.
- Whisk in flour. Cook for a minute, continuing to whisk - this will get rid of the distinct flour taste.
- Whisk in ½ cup milk, chili flakes, pepper, and salt. Bring to a simmer and remove from heat.
- If the cream sauce is too thick, add a little more milk.
- Drizzle cream sauce over roasted asparagus and serve warm.
Nutrition
