Asparagus with Tahini-Peanut Dipping Sauce

Roasted asparagus with tahini-peanut dipping sauce is a wonderful treat; skip the tahini and make the sauce with all peanut butter if you prefer! Either way you make it, asparagus fans are going to love this fun way to eat it!

PIN Asparagus with Tahini-Peanut Dipping Sauce to try it later!

Do you keep buying asparagus over and over when it finally comes into season in the spring? Before I started blogging I wasn’t nearly so much of an asparagus fan as I am now. Then I learned about roasted asparagus, grilled or pan-fried asparagus, and steamed asparagus. Since then I’ve been on a yearly spring quest to find as many new asparagus recipes as I can.

This Asparagus with Tahini-Peanut Dipping Sauce is a fantastic recipe that I first made back in 2012, and I’m guessing more than a few of my current readers never noticed it back in the archives. But you need to try this right away if you’re an asparagus fan, so I’m updating the post and featuring it today! And if you just can’t get enough asparagus when it’s in season, check out my Favorite Low-Carb and Keto Asparagus Recipes!

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

• asparagus, thick spears preferred 
• olive oil
• sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste (I didn’t use much salt)
• peanut butter, I use Adams 100% Natural Peanut Butter (affiliate link)
• Tahini Sauce (affiliate link)
• fresh squeezed lemon juice, I used my fresh-frozen lemon juice
• Golden Monkfruit Sweetener (affiliate link)
• garlic puree or Minced Garlic (affiliate link)
• soy sauce or Gluten-Free Soy Sauce (affiliate link)

What is Tahini?

Tahini is a paste made from ground sesame seeds, and it’s used as a condiment or ingredient all over the middle east, as well as parts of Africa. It’s probably most well-known as an ingredient in hummus, but it’s good in so many things. There are many good brands, but I’m a huge fan of Soom Tahini (affiliate link) and that’s the kind I always choose.

What if you don’t have Tahini Sauce?

You can definitely make this sauce with all peanut butter if you don’t want to buy tahini, but it does add a wonderful sesame flavor.

Another idea with asparagus and Tahini sauce:

The dipping sauce in this recipe was slightly adapted from Chicken and Roasted Asparagus with Tahini Sauce which is a popular main dish that includes asparagus. In this recipe the added peanut butter produced a thicker sauce and I used Golden Monkfruit Sweetener for a tiny bit of sweetness.

What other vegetables would be good with this sauce?

The recipe makes enough sauce for several pounds of asparagus, but have fun thinking of other things it would taste great with. If you have leftover sauce I’d try it on broccoli, cauliflower, or green beans!

How to make Asparagus with Tahini-Peanut Dipping Sauce:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

Trim the asparagus, cut diagonally into 2 inch pieces, toss with olive oil, and roast at 425F/220C about 15 minutes, or until it’s done to your liking.
1. While the asparagus roasts, blend together the peanut butter, Tahini Sauce (affiliate link) (or more peanut butter), warm water, lemon juice, Golden Monkfruit Sweetener (affiliate link) or sweetener of your choice, Minced Garlic (affiliate link), and soy sauce to make the sauce.
2. That’s it! Devour and enjoy!
3. Serve hot, and I promise this Asparagus with Tahini-Peanut Dipping Sauce will be a hit with everyone who tries it!

More Recipes to Make You Love Asparagus:

• Grilled Asparagus with Parmesan
• Three Cheese Asparagus Gratin ~ The Cookie Rookie
• Baked Eggs and Asparagus with Parmesan
• Roasted Asparagus with Mozzarella ~ Give Recipe
• Chicken and Asparagus with Three Cheeses

Continue to Content

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Yield: 4 servings

Asparagus with Tahini-Peanut Dipping Sauce

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

The sauce is what makes this Asparagus with Tahini-Peanut Dipping Sauce so wonderfully satisfying!

Ingredients

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. asparagus, thick spears preferred for roasting
• 1 T olive oil
• sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste (I didn’t use much salt)

Sauce Ingredients:

• (Recipe makes enough sauce for several pounds of asparagus, but have fun thinking of other things it would taste great with.)
• 2 T peanut butter (see notes)
• 1/4 cup well-stirred Tahini (see notes)
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 2 T fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tsp. Golden Monkfruit Sweetener
• 1/2 tsp. ground garlic puree from a jar
• 2 tsp. soy sauce (see notes)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Lightly spray a roasting pan with olive oil or non-stick spray.
2. Be sure asparagus is washed, then cut off the lower woody ends (usually only a few inches, snap one to see.) Cut asparagus into diagonal-sliced pieces about 2 inches long.
3. Put asparagus in plastic bowl and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper.
4. Arrange in single layer on baking sheet and roast, turning once or twice, until asparagus is starting to slightly shrivel and brown and is still a little crisp in the center, about 15 minutes.
5. While asparagus roasts, combine peanut butter, tahini, warm water, lemon juice, agave nectar (or other sweetener), garlic, and soy sauce in food processor, blender, or bowl attachment of an Immersion Blender (affiliate link). (If you use an immersion blender or blender, hold the lid down very tightly! I learned this the hard way.) Blend until ingredients are well combined.
6. Serve asparagus hot with sauce on the side for each person to dip asparagus into. Sauce can also be spooned over asparagus, but I loved dipping it, especially since this is a rich sauce.
7. Variations: I think this sauce would taste fantastic on roasted broccoli, cauliflower, or green beans too.

Notes

I use Adams 100% Natural Peanut Butter (affiliate link) for this recipe. I use Soom Tahini (affiliate link) for this recipe; you can make this with all peanut butter if you don't want to buy tahini, but it does add a wonderful sesame flavor. Use any sweetener of your choice if you don't have Golden Monkfruit Sweetener (affiliate link). Use Gluten-Free Soy Sauce (affiliate link) if needed.

The sauce for this recipe adapted slightly from Chicken and Quickly Roasted Asparagus with Tahini Sauce, which was adapted from Epicurious.com.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 197Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 351mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 4gSugar: 2gProtein: 7g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

Did you make this recipe?

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating (under the PRINT button in the recipe) or share a photo of your results on Instagram! THANKS!

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
If it’s made with natural peanut butter and an approved sweetener, this Asparagus with Tahini-Peanut Dipping Sauce is a great dish for low-carb and Keto diets and for any phase of the original South Beach Diet. The sauce is relatively high in fat, but sesame seeds and peanuts contain what South Beach considers to be good fat. 

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Side Dishes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Danica's Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe
This asparagus with a tahini and peanut sauce was first posted in 2012. The recipe was last updated with more information in 2024.

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