Asparagus is one of the healthiest veggies you can eat! Despite this, many people (including vegans) avoid the green stalks because they simply have no idea how to cook asparagus.
Although it may look a bit complicated, I promise you that it’s nowhere near as hard to cook as it looks! In today’s post, I’ll show you some of the best vegan asparagus recipes that I’ve been experimenting with lately, so you can see for yourself.
Asparagus can be cooked in a number of different ways and can be added to pasta dishes, salad, soup, and even baked with bread.
So, whether you’re looking for a fast-and-easy roasted asparagus recipe or you have time to make something a bit more involved, you’ve come to the right place.
Why You Need To Add Asparagus To Your Diet
Asparagus is a rich source of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber, which makes it an amazing side to pair with a vegan protein like seitan or tofu.
| Health Benefits of Asparagus | Why You Need It |
| Antioxidants | Antioxidants fight free radicals in your body. This, in turn, can reduce the effect of aging and boost your natural immunity. |
| Dietary Fiber | Dietary fiber is excellent for your digestive health, as it helps your body get rid of excess waste and speeds up the digestive process. It also keeps you full for longer! |
| High Potassium | Potassium is excellent for your muscular recovery and can prevent cramping. It also lowers your blood pressure, which can reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. |
| Vitamin A | Supports your eye health, and bone health, and can reduce your risk for certain cancers. |
| Vitamin C | Vitamin C is excellent for your immunity and can prevent you from getting sick as often. |
| Vitamin K | Helps your body regulate calcium, which can help you heal faster. |
12 Vegan Asparagus Recipes You’ll LOVE
Now that I’ve got you a little bit more excited about asparagus, here are 12 of the best vegan asparagus recipes that I’ve found!
1) Quick & Easy Oven-Roasted Asparagus
If you’re looking for something fast and easy that you can cook in the oven while you work on the rest of your meal, then this oven-roasted asparagus recipe is as simple as it gets! Simply spread your asparagus on a sheet, cover it with a bit of your favorite cooking oil, and bake it.
You can also change things up by adding your own seasonings or some nutritional yeast flakes. This is the perfect side to pair with your main dish.
2) Vegan Asparagus Soup
Before I tried this, I had no idea you could eat asparagus in soup! It makes for a smooth, creamy, green soup that’s both healthy and delicious. I love this asparagus soup on cool nights, and it pairs excellently with a side of your favorite oven-toasted vegan bread.
3) Creamy Vegan Asparagus Pasta
If you’re a fan of pasta, then you’ll love this creamy vegan asparagus pasta recipe. It’s a simple dish made with rotini pasta, chopped cashews, lemon juice, and a bit of parsley. It’s not too heavy and makes for a light lunch or dinner.
4) Vegan Asparagus Spirals
This is one of the most unique vegan asparagus recipes I’ve tried. Essentially, it’s a stick of asparagus wrapped in a bit of vegan-friendly dough, and then oven-baked.
It pairs the crunchy goodness of asparagus with soft, warm toasted dough. It’s a great side and tastes great when dipped in a bit of vegan cheese sauce.
5) Oven-Baked Asparagus With Garlic & Vegan Parm
Who doesn’t love melted cheese on veggies? This is another twist on that simple oven-baked asparagus recipe I mentioned above.
While this recipe uses real parmesan with dairy, you can easily substitute it with your favorite vegan cheese. It’s warm, cheesy, and pretty healthy for you as well!
6) Asparagus Pesto Pasta
If you love the strong herbal flavor of basil pesto, then you’ll love this vegan asparagus pesto pasta. Large bow ties are tossed in a creamy sauce made from pesto and lemon juice.
Then, freshly-steamed asparagus is added to the dish, providing a veggie crunch to go with the soft pasta and creamy sauce.
7) Lemon Asparagus Pasta
If you’re not a fan of basil pesto, then this lemon asparagus pasta is a great-tasting alternative that uses a similar base recipe.
It’s essentially just asparagus and pasta that are tossed in a light sauce made from real lemon juice, chili, garlic, and shallot. The pasta is then topped with some chopped cashews to provide some extra texture.
8) Brussel Sprouts With Asparagus
If you’re eating asparagus, why not make it super-healthy and add some Brussel sprouts?
This dish is a simple yet incredible-tasting veggie dish where the greens are tossed in garlic, lemon juice, balsamic glaze, and a bit of olive oil. Although this particular recipe calls for parmesan, you can substitute this with nutritional yeast flakes or your favorite vegan parmesan.
9) Asparagus Couscous Salad
Couscous is a soft, circular-shaped variety of rice that’s common in Middle Eastern and Greek dishes. It’s an easy-to-make side that’s great cold or hot, so don’t be afraid to pack it for lunch!
Aside from asparagus and couscous rice, it also features olives, tomatoes, spinach, and shallots, so it’s as healthy as it is delicious.
10) Vegan Asparagus Risotto
This creamy risotto rice dish is made with asparagus, lemon, garlic, herbs, and onion. While it calls for chicken broth and parmesan cheese, these can be subbed for vegetable broth and vegan cheese.
The result is a thick, pasta-like dish that’s made with risotto rice instead of noodles. I like to top mine off with a bit of my favorite hot sauce!
11) Vegan Artichoke Pesto Pizza
If you love vegan pizza, then this one’s for you! You can either make your own pizza dough or purchase a vegan-friendly premade pizza dough from your local grocer. First, you’ll roll out the dough.
Then, you’ll top it off with a homemade pesto sauce, chopped artichokes, leafy greens, and asparagus. If you want it cheesy, you can also add your favorite vegan cheese on top!
12) Asparagus Pasta Salad
This fresh, cold asparagus pasta salad is perfect for a packed lunch or as a light snack in the middle of your day! It’s a basic pasta dish that contains chopped asparagus, sliced strawberries, balsamic dressing, and arugula.
It’s fresh, light, and very low-fat, compared to some of the other asparagus pasta that I’ve tried.
The Verdict – What’s The Best Vegan Asparagus Recipe?
If I had to pick my favorite, I’d say that the creamy vegan asparagus pasta is the best vegan asparagus recipe! It’s a simple dish that’s filling, delicious, and can be eaten on its own or paired with a main dish.
That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed all of the dishes on this list, so don’t be afraid to try the ones that stand out to you.
Oh, and if you were curious, pasta is 100% vegan! Check out my latest post on pasta to find out more…
