It’s asparagus season, so a fine time to enjoy the sweet hint of honey and fresh thyme in this easy salmon grill that takes only a few minutes to prepare, and not much longer to cook.
Pick the perfect asparagus. Look for asparagus that are crisp and have bright green spears with tightly closed tips. To store, stand spears in 2.5 cm (1″) of water or wrap ends with damp paper towel. Cover, refrigerate for up to four days.
To get rid of the asparagus’ woody ends, bend each stalk near the bottom end and it will break off at the right spot.
You can easily transform this meal into tomorrow’s lunch salad; make extra salmon and serve it on a bed of greens.
Honey Grilled Salmon and Asparagus
- 1 Tbsp. sodium-reduced soy sauce
- 2 tsp. canola oil
- 2 tsp. liquid honey
- 2 tsp. packed brown sugar
- 1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
- 1/2 tsp. fresh-ground pepper, divided
- 4 salmon fillets, about 150 g/5 oz each
- 1 bunch fresh asparagus, trimmed
- Half a fresh lemon
In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce, oil, honey, sugar, thyme and half of the pepper.
Place salmon in a shallow dish. Pour marinade over top of salmon, spreading evenly. Cover and refrigerate for 15 to 30 minutes, turning once if possible.
Lightly spray asparagus with cooking spray and place on preheated and oiled grill on medium high heat. Grill, turning a couple of times until tender crisp. Add salmon fillets and grill for 5. Discard marinade. Turn salmon over and grill for about 5 minutes longer or until fish flakes easily when tested. (Use a digital food thermometer to check that salmon has reached an internal temperature of 70°C/158°F.)
Serve with asparagus. Squeeze lemon over asparagus just prior to serving. Serves 4.
