Salmon with green asparagus is a classic dish that combines simplicity and sophistication. The juicy, soft pink salmon and the crisp green asparagus create a perfect duo, both in flavor and presentation. This dish is not only healthy and nutritious, but also quick and easy to prepare-ideal for a weekday evening. But also, it's perfectly suited for any sunny spring Sunday. Be delighted by the harmony of pure flavors that bring the essence of spring to your plate.

How to make salmon with green asparagus?

The salmon and the green asparagus are, of course, a delight on their own. But the secret star of this recipe is undoubtedly the lemon butter sauce. This versatile sauce contains so many flavor elements that elevate the entire dish to a higher level:

The butter gives a soft and creamy texture to the sauce, making it extra rich.
The fish stock adds an umami flavor that pairs perfectly with the salmon.
The honey brings natural sweetness and depth.
The lemon juice provides a contrasting freshness that lifts the sauce.

But first, we start with a few preparatory activities.

Preparing the vegetables

Preparing this salmon with green asparagus doesn't require much effort. Still, we take a moment to prep the vegetables.

Unlike white asparagus, green asparagus doesn't need peeling. Only the bottom end can be woody. So we cut that part off. You can tell while cutting whether the texture is fibrous or not.

Next, we crush the garlic cloves with the blade of a knife. Then we remove the skin and chop the cloves into small pieces. Crushing the cloves slightly breaks their structure, allowing the aromas to be released more quickly.

Then we handle the fresh parsley. We'll use it at the end to garnish the plates. Remove the thick stems and finely chop the leaves and thin stems.

Lastly, there's the lemon. We cut it in half. The juice from one half will be used for the sauce. The other half is cut into pieces, which we'll use at the end to garnish the plates.

Making the lemon butter sauce

For the lemon butter sauce, take a small pan and heat one tablespoon of butter. Once it sizzles, add the finely chopped garlic cloves. Sauté them for one to two minutes until golden brown and aromatic.

Then, add the fish stock. Let it reduce to about one-third. In the meantime, you can start preparing the salmon and the green asparagus.

Finally, mix the remaining butter and the honey into the sauce. Set it aside and keep it warm.

Preparing the salmon and green asparagus

The salmon and green asparagus can be prepared in parallel using two separate pans. In one pan, we'll bake the salmon. In the other, we'll boil the green asparagus in water.

For the salmon, heat some oil in the first pan. Then, cook the salmon skin-side down for a few minutes. After about four minutes, flip the salmon fillets and cook them on the other side. The salmon should be cooked on both sides, but be careful not to overcook it. Overcooking makes it dry and robs it of its juicy flavor, which contrasts beautifully with the crisp green asparagus.

While the salmon is cooking, boil the green asparagus in the second pan. After three to five minutes, the green asparagus will be tender and crisp-much quicker than their white counterparts.

As a side dish for this salmon with green asparagus, you can serve boiled baby potatoes or mashed potatoes. Arrange the potatoes, salmon, and green asparagus nicely on the plates. Drizzle everything with the lemon butter sauce and sprinkle with parsley. Finally, garnish the dish with a few lemon wedges.

What are green asparagus?

Green and white asparagus are actually the exact same vegetable. The only difference lies in the cultivation method. Just like Belgian endive, white asparagus is deprived of light-they are grown underground. Green asparagus is the identical vegetable but grown above ground. Exposure to sunlight turns them green and gives them different characteristics .

Because they are exposed to the elements above ground, green asparagus is firmer and less fibrous. This means you don't need to peel them. Only the bottom end can be woody, and it's best to cut that part off.

Green asparagus is also less tender and has a crispier texture. There's more bite to them, and they have a more intense, nutty flavor.

You don't need to cook green asparagus for very long-three to five minutes is enough. No peeling and a short cooking time: music to your ears after a busy workday!

Due to their firmer structure, green asparagus can also be prepared in more ways than their white counterparts. Boiling, steaming, frying, grilling, stir-frying, and even deep-frying-they fit for all these purposes.

One last important difference is that green asparagus is much less seasonal. White asparagus, often called "white gold," is only available from April to June. Green asparagus, however, is more readily available year-round.

Read more about green asparagus in the following articles:

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Spring is a revelation every year. Nature awakens from a dark period and produces new and fresh flavors. These naturally find their way into the kitchen, where the typically heavier autumn and winter dishes give way to youthful freshness: