Grilled Asparagus with Smokey Bacon and Lemon Vinaigrette

The sides can make or break an entire meal, and it’s great to have a few go to veggie options to rely on when you really want to seal the deal (I’m a poet...).  This recipe is a super pumped up presentation of asparagus. Forget the boring steamed version, we’re making Grilled Asparagus and Smokey Bacon with Lemon Vinaigrette. Welcome to grilling season!

 When grilling vegetables, it’s usually best to keep the grill at a medium-low heat, or use indirect heat- meaning get the grill nice and hot, and don’t put the veggies over the flame but rather over one hot grate without any fire underneath it. I like to brush my vegetables AND the grill grates with just a hint of oil prior to cooking. Then, I hit them with a sprinkling of salt of salt and pepper and sometimes a squeeze of lemon or bit of vinegar and that’s the simple whole of it! Here, we are getting just a bit more flavor-fied with some crispy smoked bacon and an irresistible lemon vinaigrette that is perfect for all your summer salads, The vinaigrette is also fantastic drizzled over roasted potatoes! One more bonus: for a brunch preparation, absolutely feel free to ‘put an egg on it’.

Grilled Asparagus and Smokey Bacon with Lemon Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. fresh asparagus

• ½ lb. thick cut smoked bacon

• olive oil, as needed

• juice of 1 lemon, about 3 Tbs.

• 1 Tbs. honey

• 1 Tbs. prepared Dijon mustard

• kosher salt and ground black pepper, as needed

1. Cut the bacon into ¼ inch slices, or lardons, Cook the bacon in a 10 inch saute pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is browned and crisp at the edges -- about 6-8 minutes. Remove the bacon from the pan, and place on a plate lined with a paper towel. Pat the bacon pieces dry with paper towel to remove excess grease.

2. Trim the asparagus spears about 2 inches up from the base, or at the spot where they just start to feel tender. Arrange the asparagus on a plate, and brush with a bit of olive oil, until just shiny. Warm up the grill to medium low heat, and also brush the grates with a bit of oil. Grill the asparagus, lid closed, over medium-low or indirect heat for 6-8 minutes until just tender and cooked through. Remove the asparagus from the grill and place on a serving platter. Season the asparagus with a small pinch of salt and pepper.

3. Whisk together the lemon juice, honey and Dijon mustard and a pinch of salt and pepper in a small bowl until fully combined and honey is dissolved. Slowly stream 3 Tbs. olive oil into the lemon juice mixture and whisk simultaneously until the vinaigrette is smooth and slightly thickened. 

4. Drizzle the vinaigrette (amount as desired) over top of the asparagus, and top with the crispy cooked bacon pieces. Reserve any remaining vinaigrette and save for later use.