This delicious savory roasted asparagus takes just minutes to make and is sure to become a new favorite side dish! Even though this veggie is full of cheesy flavor, this recipe is dairy free and vegan, too.
Do you get excited at this time of year, when you finally start to see some signs of spring? Whether it’s in the yard or the garden, or in the grocery store, I love it when we start seeing more green.
It’s a relief, isn’t it, after lots of cold, dreary days?
The past couple of times I’ve been to the grocery store I’ve seen lots of fresh asparagus. And not the thick, woody asparagus…the thin, tender asparagus that’s so delicious and easy to eat.
Roasting thin stalks of asparagus is easy and doesn’t take much time. Roasted asparagus is tasty on its own, but when you add a cheesy coating made from nutritional yeast, it’s hard to stop eating it. This easy veggie recipe is sure to become a favorite side dish for your family!
If you have a family that loves asparagus, you may want to double this recipe – just bake it on two cookie sheets.
For another spring side, try this roasted potato salad with asparagus.
Asparagus Season
Asparagus is generally available at the grocery store year-round, but spring is the best season to get it, as crops are harvested from the end of February to the beginning of June.
Choosing Asparagus
It’s up to you and your personal preference whether you choose thick or thin stalks of this veggie. The thin stalks of asparagus will cook much quicker than the thick stalks. But occasionally the thinner stalks will be stringy, so you don’t want to overcook them.
Nutritional Yeast
Nutritional yeast is a delicious, savory topping for many things, including roasted cauliflower and even popcorn. It is gluten free, as is baker’s yeast. The type of yeast that isn’t gluten free is brewer’s yeast. Read more about gluten intolerance and yeast here.
If you can’t find nutritional yeast, you can use regular parmesan cheese (if you can have dairy), or just more seasonings. Roasted asparagus is just delicious with only salt and pepper, too!
Tips for Success
- Make sure to snap off the tough ends of each stalk. This will need to be done even if the asparagus is thin.
- Line the baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
- Keep an eye on it during cooking so that you don’t over bake the asparagus. You don’t want it to be burned or stringy.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
Recipe
Savory Roasted Asparagus.
Ingredients
- 1 bunch asparagus
- ½ Tablespoon olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 Tablespoons vegan buttery spread
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Drizzle the olive oil on the parchment.
- Rinse the asparagus and break off the tough ends. Just bend the asparagus and the tough end should snap off. Pat dry with paper towels.
- Place the asparagus on the baking sheet and roll around to distribute the olive oil.
- Bake at 400 degrees F for 7-11 minutes, depending on how roasted you like your asparagus. Less time will result in more of a steamed quality, more time will give you more of a browned and roasted flavor.
- While the asparagus bakes, place the vegan buttery spread in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds or until melted.
- When the asparagus is done, drizzle it with the melted vegan buttery spread, and sprinkle with the nutritional yeast and garlic powder. Use two forks to toss to coat.
- Season with salt and pepper and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published in March 2017. It has been updated.
Diana Reynolds
This was really good and quite simple to prepare . My boyfriend loved it!
Jenny M
I had to drop a line and say thank you for this wonderful recipe. I bought some asparagus at the farmers market this past weekend and googled roasted asparagus vegan and your site popped up and I just made it and it tasted wonderful! I am going to try one of your cauliflower recipes today as well. Thank you!
Heather
I loved this! I’m always looking for new ways to use nutritional yeast. So tasty, I ate the entire batch!
Katie
Delicious recipe!
Kortney
This sounds like such a delightful way to eat asparagus! We only get them when they are in season and eat them as much as possible in the short window.
Sharon
Ooo, I need to learn more about nutritional yeast! I love to roast asparagus but we enjoy it relatively plain. Asparagus is great this time of year, I make it in a stir fry or blanch and add to salads.
Kelly Roenicke
That sounds delicious! I love asparagus.
heather (delicious not gorgeous)
mm, i need to pick up some asparagus asap! i usually saute it with a bit of garlic and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, but this sounds like a really tasty way to prep it as well (:
Kelly Roenicke
Thank you! Your way sounds delicious, too!