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Asparagus and Radishes with Fresh Herbs

Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time3 minutes
Total Time23 minutes
Course: Side Dish, Vegetable
Cuisine: American, Asian
Keyword: asparagus, basil, cilantro, fresh herbs, garlic, ginger, mint, radishes
Servings: 4 people
Author: GFchow @ gfchow.com

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ pounds medium-thin asparagus cut into 2” pieces, if using thicker asparagus, cut in half lengthwise before cutting into pieces
  • 3 medium or 2 large red/pink/purple radishes thinly sliced into circles, for larger radishes cut in half vertically first and then slice into half moons
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 garlic cloves minced (approx. 2 teaspoons)
  • 2 teaspoons fresh ginger minced or grated (2 cubes of Trader Joe's frozen ginger can be substituted for fresh ginger if need be)
  • 1/2 fresh hot chile (green or red and whatever variety is your favorite) finely chopped, optional (should equate to 2-3 teaspoons, start with less if you prefer less spicy or add more if you like it hot)
  • A large handful of fresh herb leaves; mixed basil, mint and cilantro leaves

Instructions

  • Snap off (or cut) and discard the tough bottoms of each asparagus spear. Then peel the bottom 1”-2”. Cut the asparagus into 2-inch lengths which is more or less equivalent to cutting each spear into five pieces.
  • In a wok or large pan, heat the oil until hot on medium-high heat. Add the asparagus and radishes, season generously with salt and pepper and stir well, making sure the asparagus and radishes are coated with oil, approximately 1 minute.
  • Add garlic, ginger, and chile and combine. Cook over high heat for about 2-3 minutes, until the asparagus looks bright green and are just-cooked. Remove pan from heat and scatter herbs on top and mix.
  • Transfer to a serving platter. You can serve it hot or at room temperature.

Notes

Green and/or purple asparagus can be used for this recipe.
If using pencil-thin asparagus, you won't be able to peel the bottoms because they're too thin.  Cooking time will need to be reduced to 1-2 minutes.
Adding crumbled feta or goat cheese would be delicious.