• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to header navigation
  • Skip to footer navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Eat Well.
Live Well.
Be Well.
Display Search Bar
  • Dinners Made Simple
  • Work with Us
  • Let’s Chat!
  • Blog
Follow us on Facebook! Follow us on Instagram! Follow us on Pinterest! Follow us on Twitter! Follow us on YouTube!

The Real Food Dietitians

Eat well. Live well. Be well.

  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Specialty Diets
      • Whole30
      • Paleo
      • Egg-Free
      • Dairy-Free
      • Gluten-free
      • Grain-Free
    • Meal Prep Recipes
    • Whole30
    • Freezer-Friendly
    • Appetizers
    • Main Entree
    • Breakfast
    • Drinks & Smoothies
    • One-Dish Meals
    • Slow-Cooker
    • Instant Pot
    • Salads & Sides
    • Sauces & Dressings
    • Soups & Stews
    • Snacks
    • Sweets & Treats
  • Real Plans
  • Meal Prep

Apr 7, 2021 By Stacie Hassing

Sautéed Asparagus with Goat Cheese Sauce

Egg-Free
Gluten-free
Grain-Free
Vegetarian
Jump to Recipe

Make the most out of asparagus this spring season! Sautéed to crisp-tender perfection, then topped with toasted almonds and a flavorful, garlicky, lemon goat cheese sauce, this sautéed asparagus recipe makes for the tastiest side-dish to go along with your fresh spring and summer meals. We like to serve it with grilled chicken, fish, or steak over a bed of cooked brown rice or quinoa.

Sautéed Asparagus on a speckled plate topped with lemon goat cheese sauce and toasted almonds.

Sautéed Asparagus – a simple side dish with an upgraded twist!

Sautéed ssparagus alone is quite tasty and a dish we make on the regular! We upgraded this simple veggie dish with a few simple additions that add a ton of flavor but still kept it light, springy, and simple. 

Insert Lemon Goat Cheese Sauce and toasted almonds. 

The addition of these two components takes sautéed asparagus over the top and we know you’ll love it. PS: You’ll want to put the lemon goat cheese sauce on everything!

Ingredients for Sautéed Asparagus with Lemon Goat Cheese Sauce
Lemon Goat Cheese Sauce in a clear, small mason jar.
Fresh asparagus spears

Post contains affiliate links that will not change your price but will share some commission.

Ingredients for Sautéed Asparagus with Lemon Goat Cheese Sauce

  • Avocado oil or olive oil – we like Primal Kitchen Olive Oil or Avocado Oil
  • Asparagus spears – ends trimmed and stalks cut in half to make approximately 3-inch pieces
  • Garlic cloves
  • Sliced almonds – omit for nut-free
  • Fresh lemon juice – we recommend squeezing fresh lemon juice. Check out this manual juicer.
  • Fine salt and pepper
  • Soft goat cheese – room temperature 
  • Plain yogurt – we recommend full-fat or 2%
  • Honey – you can easily omit it for no-added-sugar

Save 10% on your entire order of Primal Kitchen products with code REALFOODRDS OR purchase 3 of our favorite Primal Kitchen Products and receive a box of collagen stick packs for FREE ($29 value)

Fresh asparagus spears on a white speckled plate.
Fresh asparagus spears in a stainless steel pan.
Sautéed Asparagus in a stainless steel pan.

How to toast almonds on the stovetop

The first step of the recipe is toasting the almonds. Toasting nuts brings out their best flavor and adds that nice crunch we all crave.

How to Toast Almonds:

  1. Place a large skillet over medium heat.
  2. Add almonds to the hot skillet, and then cook for 6-8 minutes or until they give off a toasted aroma. Make sure to watch them closely and stir often to avoid burning!
  3. Once nuts are fragrant, transfer the almonds to a plate to cool.

How to make Sautéed Asparagus

Sautéeing asparagus is one of our favorite methods for making it. It’s a great way to enjoy this spring vegetable, whether you’re harvesting it from your backyard, your local farmers market, or on sale at your local grocery store.

How to Cook Asparagus: 

  1. After toasting the almonds, wipe out the skillet and then place over medium-high heat. Once the skillet is hot, add the oil and swirl to coat the bottom.
  2. When the oil starts to shimmer, add the asparagus. Cook for 7-8 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender to your liking, stirring every 1-2 minutes.
  3. Once cooked, add a squeeze of lemon juice and a dash of salt and pepper to taste. Turn off heat while you prepare the Lemon Goat Cheese Sauce.
  4. Transfer the asparagus to a serving platter, and then top with a little sauce and toasted almonds. Finish by garnishing with lemon zest and fresh chopped parsley, if desired.

Sautéed Asparagus on a speckled white plate topped with lemon goat cheese sauce and toasted almonds.

The Easiest Lemon Goat Cheese Sauce

This sauce is everything –  it’s super flavorful, and a little bit goes a long way! If you’re lucky, you might wind up with some leftover sauce — which we promise, is a good problem to have. This sauce is also delicious when drizzled over a lettuce wrap or sandwich. Additionally, you can use it as a dip for sweet potato fries, roasted root vegetable fries, or even chicken or fish.

How to Make the Lemon Goat Cheese Sauce:

  1. In a small food processor or blender combine all of the sauce ingredients.
  2. Process or blend until the sauce is smooth. Add extra oil if necessary to achieve a smooth consistency

What to serve with this Sautéed Asparagus recipe?

This asparagus side dish is incredibly flavorful, especially once you add that delicious lemon goat cheese sauce. When choosing what to serve it with, try keeping the other components of the meal simple to really allow those flavors to shine! We love to add a protein and then serve over a bed of brown rice to round out the meal.

Our favorite recipes to serve with this Sautéed Asparagus recipe include:

  • Juicy, grilled chicken breast (Don’t want to fire up the grill? Check out this post: How to Make the Perfect Chicken Breast)
  • Flaky grilled fish
  • Italian Turkey Zucchini Meatballs
  • Grilled Steak Kebabs.

Sautéed Asparagus on a speckled white plate topped with lemon goat cheese sauce and toasted almonds.

Other asparagus recipes you’ll love:

Grilled Asparagus with Parmesan

Creamy Chicken Spaghetti Squash with Bacon and Asparagus

Crustless Asparagus, Leek and Feta Quiche

Hungry for More? Subscribe to get our newsletter delivered straight to your inbox! And be sure to stay in touch on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.

Let's Get Cookin'

Sautéed Asparagus with Goat Cheese Sauce

Crisp-tender, perfectly sautéed asparagus is topped with toasted almonds and a garlicky, lemon goat cheese sauce. A tasty Spring side-dish!

  • Author: Stacie Hassing
  • Prep Time: 10 min
  • Cook Time: 16 min
  • Total Time: 26 minutes
  • Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
  • Category: Side-dish
Sautéed asparagus topped with goat cheese sauce and toasted almonds on a speckled plate
Print Recipe

Ingredients

For the Sautéed Asparagus:

  • ⅓ cup sliced almonds, toasted
  • 2 teaspoons avocado oil or olive
  • 1 – 1 1/4 pound asparagus spears, ends trimmed and cut in half (about 3-inch pieces)
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • Lemon juice
  • Fine salt and pepper
  • Optional for garnish: lemon zest and/or fresh chopped parsley

For the Lemon Goat Cheese Sauce

  • 2 ounces soft goat cheese, room temperature 
  • 2 tablespoon plain yogurt (full fat or 2%)
  • 1 small garlic clove, minced 
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1–2 teaspoon avocado oil or olive oil

Instructions

  1. Placing a large skillet over medium heat. When the skillet is hot, add the almonds and toast, stirring often, for 6-8 minutes or until they are golden and give off a toasted aroma. Transfer the almonds to a plate to cool.
  2. Wipe out the skillet and place over medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, add the oil and swirl to coat the bottom. When the oil starts to shimmer, add the asparagus. Cook for 6 minutes, stirring every 1-2 minutes. Then add the garlic and continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender to your liking. Once cooked, add a squeeze of lemon juice and a dash of salt and pepper to taste. Turn off heat while you prepare the Lemon Goat Cheese Sauce.
  3. For the Lemon Goat Cheese Sauce: In a small food processor or blender combine all of the sauce ingredients. Process or blend until smooth adding extra oil if necessary to achieve a smooth consistency.
  4. Transfer the asparagus to a serving platter and top with a drizzle of the sauce and sprinkle of the toasted almonds. Garnish with lemon zest and fresh chopped parsley, if desired.
  5. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe + 1 tablespoon sauce
  • Calories: 90
  • Sugar: 2 g
  • Sodium: 160 mg
  • Fat: 7 g
  • Saturated Fat: 2 g
  • Carbohydrates: 4 g
  • Fiber: 1 g
  • Protein: 4 g

Freshly sautéed asparagus on a speckled plate topped with creamy lemon goat cheese sauce and toasted almonds


This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use our photos without prior written permission. If you wish to republish this recipe, please rewrite the recipe in your own unique words and link back to the source recipe here on The Real Food Dietitians. Thank you!

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest49
  • Yummly
  • Email

About Stacie Hassing

Stacie is a Licensed and Registered Dietitian from rural southern Minnesota where she, her husband and daughter reside with their two pups. She’s a co-founder of The Real Food RDs and content creator of simple and wholesome recipes. She loves all kinds of fitness and has a passion to inspire as many as she can live a healthier and happier life both in and out of the kitchen - the driving force behind the co-development of the The Real Food RDs brand.

< Previous Post
Next Post >

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

Primary Sidebar

Welcome

The Real Food Dietitians is the passion-driven product of Registered Dietitian Nutritionists Stacie Hassing and Jessica Beacom. They’ve combined their love of nutrition, health and real food with the concepts of ease and convenience to bring you recipes that are big on flavor but short on ingredients.

Free eBook

Sign up to get your FREE recipe eBook + weekly newsletter!

Favorite Recipes

A large bowl of oven baked carrot fries with a side of dijon-thyme aioli

Baked Carrot Fries with Dijon-Thyme Aioli

Sautéed asparagus topped with goat cheese sauce and toasted almonds on a speckled plate

Sautéed Asparagus with Goat Cheese Sauce

Freshly baked oatmeal chocolate chip cookies on a gold cooling rack

Gluten-Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Fresh grilled asparagus in a grill pan topped with fresh parmesan and lemon wedges

Grilled Asparagus with Parmesan

10 Healthy Meal Prep Recipes

Eight different Easter brunch recipes in a collage

8 Healthy & Easy Easter Brunch Recipes

Free Recipe eBook

Sign up to get your FREE recipe ebook + weekly newsletter!

Follow us on Facebook! Follow us on Instagram! Follow us on Pinterest! Follow us on Twitter! Follow us on YouTube!
  • Disclaimer
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Newsletter Sign Up
  • Let’s Chat!
Copyright © 2021 The Real Food Dietitians Site Credits. Designed by Melissa Rose Design. Developed by Once Coupled.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.AcceptReject Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.

SAVE & ACCEPT
How about a free recipe ebook?

Sign up for our newsletter and get your FREE recipe ebook delivered right to your inbox!

We respect your privacy! Your information will *never* be shared, traded or sold to a 3rd party.
  • 49