Savory Sweet Life

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Grilled Asparagus With Balsamic Syrup

Last update: March 6, 2018 By Alice Currah 33 Comments


It’s so funny how kids develop certain ways of eating certain foods without rhyme or reason.  When I was a kid, the only way to eat asparagus was to eat  the bloom-like spear heads first before eating the long woodsy shoots.  I felt so rebellious, like a child who insisted on eating dessert first.  I find it somewhat ironic that my own children insist on eating only the shoots.  They find the heads disgusting.  I don’t get it, don’t they realize the tops are the best part?  It’s like eating the outside of a cinnamon roll only to leave the gooey center on the plate because you find it disgusting.  To each their own.

Lately, I’ve seen an abundance of asparagus on sale everywhere, which is always a great incentive for me to pick up a few bunches.  My preferred method of preparing asparagus is by grilling them with a little olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper.  I’ll serve them alongside grilled salmon, chicken, or steak with a side of roasted potatoes or brown rice.  Keeping it simple is how I like to cook.  But there are occasions when I will want to mix it up a little bit.  Sometimes I will squeeze fresh lemon juice over asparagus just off the grill.  Other times I like to add Nicoise Olive Sea Salt, one of my most treasured flavored salts by Secret Stash Salt.

But last night I was browsing through Cristina Ferrare’s Big Bowl of Love: Delight Family and Friends with More than 150 Simple, Fabulous Recipes just before it was time to make dinner.  When I saw her recipe for Grilled Asparagus with Balsamic Syrup, it was just the inspiration I needed to jazz up my usual grilled asparagus with very little extra work.

After grilling the asparagus to a crunchy yet but cooked texture,  I plated it and drizzled just a little bit of the balsamic vinegar reduction over everything.  It added just enough zing with a slight sweet undertone to compliment my grilled asparagus perfectly.  Within three minutes of setting my vegetable plate down, all the asparagus disappeared.  And in case you’re wondering whether or not my kids ate the spears whole, they still left the tops on their plate.  But don’t worry, I took care of them without the slightest bit of guilt or hesitation.  If they’re okay with it, I’m okay with it… even though it was like taking candy from a baby.

Here’s the recipe I used last night. I barely adapted it from Cristina Ferrare’s Big Bowl of Love cookbook released last week. My thoughts about this gorgeous cookbook justifies a separate post I plan on publishing later this week. So stay tuned!

4.7 from 6 reviews
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Grilled Asparagus With Balsamic Syrup
Author: Savory Sweet Life
Recipe type: Vegetable Side Dish
Prep time:  5 mins
Cook time:  7 mins
Total time:  12 mins
Serves: 4-6
 
An easy recipe for grilled asparagus with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar reduction syrup.
Ingredients
  • 2 bunches asparagus, trimmed, rinsed, and dried
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • kosher salt and pepper
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar syrup (recipe below)
Instructions
  1. Preheat grill on medium-high heat. Coat the asparagus with olive oil using your hands. Season with salt and pepper. Coat the grill with olive oil. Spread asparagus across the grill and cook for 3 minutes. Turn the asparagus over and cook for an additional 3 minutes or until asparagus is slightly crunchy, not soft.
  2. Remove from grill and transfer to a platter. Drizzle the balsamic vinegar syrup over the asparagus before serving. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
  3. **Balsamic Syrup Instructions: While asparagus is cooking, prepare the balsamic syrup by cooking ½ cup balsamic vinegar on medium heat until it thickens and forms a syrup like consistency, about 3-4 minutes. Be careful not to let it thicken too much or it will turn into black goop.
  4. ***To roast the asparagus in the oven, follow the instructions above except cook the asparagus in a preheated 450 degree oven. Cook for 15-20 minutes.
Notes
Slightly adapted from Cristina Ferrare’s Big Bowl of Love © 2011 by Cristina Ferrare. Permission granted from Sterling Epicure, an imprint of Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. * This recipe is tagged gluten-free. Please make sure to use real balsamic vinegar aged from grapes and not a balsamic vinaigrette. The caramelized process vinaigrette is made from can contain gluten.
1.2.4

Filed Under: Side Dishes Tagged With: Asparagus, Balsmamic, easy, Gluten-Free, Low-carb, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian

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Comments

  1. Momhealth says

    January 12, 2012 at 11:25 pm

    Made tonight. Again, Easy, Fast, Delicious, Healthy. AND my kids were begging for more because we ran out! Now THAT is success. We got the super skinny ones.

  2. Jean says

    June 18, 2011 at 8:46 pm

    Just finished grilling and tasting the asparagus with the reduced balsamic vinegar. Great taste. Thanks Alice!

  3. Jennifergonzalez says

    June 15, 2011 at 1:09 pm

    I love love love grilled asparagus! I will def try out this recipe next time we bbq.

  4. Melanie Spjut says

    May 3, 2011 at 3:52 pm

    This looks marvelous! I haven’t had asparagus with balsamic, will be trying it soon, since I happen to have some in the fridge. Thanks!

  5. Julia Andrus Williams says

    April 26, 2011 at 9:06 pm

    Great photos! And thanks for posting the recipe – I’ve been trying to find new ways to eat asparagus!

  6. Eileen says

    April 23, 2011 at 11:02 pm

    I love asparagus. In fact, it’s our Easter dinner menu. Yours looks beautiful!

  7. Helen Lee says

    April 22, 2011 at 12:49 am

    My kids are exactly like yours! I tell them all the time that if they want to leave me the best part, it’s their loss, but they just haven’t gotten around to seeing it my way (but seriously, I don’t mind, I get all those tops for myself!) =)

    We love grilled asparagus that we toss with these same ingredients but I have never tried a balsamic vinegar reduction. Will have to give it a try!

    I’ve also tried a recipe that uses browned butter and balsamic vinegar, S/P, followed by roasting; that also turns out well. But grilling is by far my favorite way to cook asparagus. Love your site, makes me want to actually cook. =)

  8. Alison (Cooking With Friends) says

    April 16, 2011 at 9:14 pm

    I love roasted asparagus and you really capture them beautifully! I’ll try your glaze idea. Thanks for the inspiration!
    Alison

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Hi, and welcome to Savory Sweet Life. I am so glad you are here! My name is Alice Currah and you'll find easy delicious recipes to feed your family and other useful tips for everyday living. Continue reading more about Alice....

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