Forget Boring Salt And Pepper, This Egyptian Seasoning Takes Asparagus To The Next Level

Instead of sticking to basic seasonings like salt and pepper when cooking vegetables, give them an upgrade by playing with less common flavors. For instance, your regular combining butter and miso creates an umami bomb that will enhance your broccoli. In a similar vein, if you want to take your asparagus to the next level, consider trying it with a bit of dukkah.

An Egyptian seasoning made by grinding or pounding nuts and seeds together with dry spices, dukkah will give your asparagus a savory, nutty, and smoky edge. It offers a bold crunch along with an earthy flavor that can completely transform your asparagus. Moreover, dukkah typically also has salt and pepper in it, so you do get their respective flavor-enhancing abilities and subtle spiciness, but with the added complexity of ingredients like cumin and coriander.

Vegan recipe developer Nisha Vora told Chowhound asparagus really comes to life with dukkah, elaborating that "most varieties of dukkah contain sesame seeds and some form of nuts, which are lovely pairings for asparagus." Specifically, it tends to be made with hazelnuts. The tender texture of asparagus really benefits from these ingredients, which Vora believes "can add a fun pop of indulgent textural contrast to vegetal asparagus."

When pairing asparagus with dukkah, you can either prepare the seasoning at home or buy it from the store. Making it yourself does give you the advantage of tailoring the spice blend to your liking. For instance, you can switch the hazelnuts with buttery pistachios (or use a mix of both), throw in some fennel seeds, or even mix in a sprinkle of sumac for a tart and lemony twist.

Dukkah is easy to make, too: Just toast the nuts and seeds in a pan and blitz them together with the spices in a food processor. However, be careful not to grind the mixture too much. You want your dukkah to be coarse to give the asparagus some crunch. From there, sprinkle the seasoning on top of pan-fried or grilled asparagus and watch the dish go up a few notches.

If you want to get creative with your dukkah and asparagus, there are plenty of possibilities. For starters, you can add in some whipped feta for a tangy and creamy touch. Or, you can create a more substantial meal by adding some potatoes along with fresh herbs, lemon juice, and a black garlic puree for an umami punch. When it comes to asparagus recipes and dukkah, experiment as much as you see fit.

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