Balsamic Glazed Asparagus Perfect for Spring

Asparagus is a great spring vegetable. When my husband lived in Germany, he ate a lot of asparagus! It’s especially popular in the spring when asparagus is plentiful. They even have festivals to celebrate the harvest. They call it Spargelzeit. In Germany they prefer the white asparagus and like to serve it with melted butter or a Hollandaise Sauce. But I have an Italian version made with a balsamic glaze which keeps this vegetable lite and fresh. It’s a perfect spring or summertime side dish.

Serving size: 200 Grams Number of servings: 4 Calories per serving: 64 Ingredients Calories 800 grams asparagus 176 ½ cup balsamic vinegar 80 Salt 0

To make the Balsamic Glaze:
Pour the balsamic vinegar into a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Once it has reached a boil, reduce the heat and allow the vinegar to simmer until the vinegar has reduced by half (approximately 10 minutes). Remove the balsamic vinegar from the heat and cool completely.

To make the asparagus:
Trim the ends of the asparagus to remove any woody parts. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the asparagus and 1 teaspoon of salt to the boiling water. Cook the asparagus until tender (approximately 3-5 minutes). Drain the asparagus and transfer it to a serving dish. Drizzle the asparagus with the balsamic glaze. Serve.

Barbara's Tips

	Depending on how thick your asparagus stalks are, you can either just cut off the ends or use a vegetable peeler to peel the stalky ends of the asparagus.
	Salting the boiling water before you add the asparagus will ensure that the asparagus retain their vibrant green color.
	Since the balsamic vinegar is cooked, there is no need to buy an expensive brand. Look for something that has no more than 10 calories per tablespoon.
	Often times people will add a little bit of sugar to balsamic glaze to sweeten it up, but I find it sweet enough without the addition of extra sugar. I really like the tangy-sweet-and-sour flavor that it has just the way it is.
	You can buy your balsamic glaze already made. It comes in a bottle. If you buy it, make sure you get one with a low calorie count.

Essential Flavor Ingredients

Balsamic Glaze is just balsamic vinegar that has been reduced down until it is thick and syrupy. It has an intense, sweet flavor and is a great way to add lots of flavor to a dish without adding lots of extra calories or fat.