Asparagus with Smoked Paprika Sauce

We used our Spanish Smoked Paprika to make this delicious golden vegetable sauce. It’s a great sauce for asparagus, and will be equally wonderful with all the vegetables as they come into season over the summer.

Ingredients

2 bunches asparagus spears (about 1 1/2 lbs.)

Sauce:
1 tsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. SMOKED SPANISH PAPRIKA
1/4 tsp. GROUND CUMIN
1/4 tsp. GRANULATED GARLIC
1/2 Cup mayonnaise (regular or light)
1/2 fresh lime, juice of
1 tsp. fresh cilantro, mince

Directions

Bring a large pot half full of water to a boil for the asparagus. Wash the asparagus and remove any woody end bits. Prepare the sauce while the water comes to a boil. In a small saucepan heat the olive oil on low heat. Add the SMOKED SPANISH PAPRIKA, GROUND CUMIN and GRANULATED GARLIC. Cook about 5 minutes. Place the half cup of mayonnaise in a small bowl, use a flexible spatula to get every bit of the seasoned oil out of the pan and into the mayo bowl. Add the juice of 1/2 lime and the freshly minced cilantro. Whisk to combine.

When the water is boiling, add the asparagus and cook 2-3 minutes, depending on how thick they are. Drain and rinse just enough to stop cooking. You don’t want them stone cold. Dress the asparagus with the sauce, and serve a little extra on the side, if desired.

Prep. time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 6 minutes
Serves: 4-6