Lemon Shrimp & Asparagus Stir Fry
Quick and easy lemon shrimp & asparagus stir fry – tender shrimp, asparagus and onions sauteed and topped with a lemony ginger stir fry sauce. Ready in 30 minutes!
This lemon shrimp & asparagus stir fry is a very big deal. You see, this was officially the first recipe I cooked that had meat in it after my morning sickness passed!
You may have noticed a looong stretch of vegetarian recipes the past couple weeks. When I was in the midst of all day nausea, I could not eat meat. I couldn’t even smell it. No no no.
I lived off cereal, fruit and toast. Occasionally I would make a veggie based pasta or taco, but only on a very good day. This meant for about 5 weeks, when it came to dinner time, Shawn was on his own.
Shawn is no stranger to cooking. He is quite the grill master. So when left alone to cook dinner, he grills. Mostly chicken wings, or sausages, or other meats that have the strongest smell to a pregnant gal. Picture him in the backyard grilling, and me in the house plugging my nose so I won’t smell the meat. He was sweet, and would offer to eat outside so I wouldn’t have to smell it. But as long as I plugged my nose, I was fine.
After my morning sickness passed around week 13, and I didn’t feel repulsed by the thought of meat, I got brave and decided to cook a dinner with seafood. I remember coming home with bags from the grocery store. Shawn unpacked the food for me, and couldn’t believe his eyes.
“Nat, there’s shrimp in here! Are you cooking dinner tonight?!”
“Yea, I’m making a shrimp stir fry.”
“YESSSSSS! That sounds amazing!”
Poor guy was desperate for a home cooked meal from his lady. I think he has become a little spoiled being married to a food blogger.
While I wasn’t quite ready to cook chicken or steak, shrimp seemed “safe”. And just in case I couldn’t handle the seafood, I wanted to make a stir fry sauce that was packed with lemon and ginger flavor. Nothing soothes an upset tummy like ginger and lemon. So lemon shrimp & asparagus stir fry was born.
And let me tell you, it is delicious! Tender shrimp, crisp tender asparagus and softened sweet onions, all cooked in a lemony and gingery stir fry sauce.
I must say, I make a mean stir fry. One of my secrets is you don’t cook everything at once. It never works. Some things will end up overcooked, some things will end up undercooked. Instead, cook each ingredient separately so it cooks to the perfect point. Once each ingredient is cooked, you throw everything back in the pan and top it with the stir fry sauce. This will heat everything back up, and give the sauce a chance to thicken.
After going so long without eating an actual dinner, stir fry has never tasted so good. We devoured the whole pan of this lemon shrimp & asparagus stir fry as if it was our first meal after being rescued from a desert island. The best part was that this meant I could eat again! And Shawn would get home cooked meals again!
Told you this dinner was a big deal : )
Lemon Shrimp & Asparagus Stir Fry
Ingredients
Lemon Stir Fry Sauce
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame seed oil
- 1 teaspoon ginger paste, or 1" piece of fresh ginger, grated, or 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- 2 cloves of garlic, grated
- zest of 2 lemons, I like using a zester that peels the lemon zest in long, thin strips
- juice of 1 lemon, about 2 tablespoons
Stir Fry
- 4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
- 1 pound raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails pulled off and patted dry
- 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
- 2 bunches asparagus, ends trimmed off and cut into 1" pieces
- 1 batch of Lemon Stir Fry Sauce
- 2 cups rice, cooked per manufacturers instruction (I love brown jasmine rice)
Instructions
Lemon Stir Fry Sauce
- Combine all ingredients in a jar or small bowl and stir to combine. Set aside
Stir Fry
- Preheat a large skillet over high heat. You will be cooking each ingredient separately since they each get cooked for different amounts of time.
- Add 1 teaspoon olive oil, and cook half the shrimp for 1 minute per side, until they are just turning pink. Flip, and cook for 1 more minute. Remove shrimp from pan and transfer to a bowl. The shrimp will not be cooked all the way thru, they will finish cooking later. Repeat with 1 more teaspoon olive oil and the remaining half of shrimp. You want to cook the shrimp in 2 batches so you don't overcrowd the pan.
- Add 1 teaspoon olive oil, and cook the onion for about 5-7 minutes, until softened and just starting to turn golden. Remove from pan and add to the same bowl as the shrimp.
- Add 1 teaspoon olive oil, and cook the asparagus for 3-5 minutes, until they begin to soften and turn bright green.
- When the asparagus is done cooking, add the shrimp and onion back to the skillet. Add in all the stir fry sauce, and cook for 3 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened and all vegetables and shrimp are heated thru.
- Serve warm with rice.
More Stir Fry Recipes
Broccoli & Bell Pepper Chicken Stir Fry
25 Comments on “Lemon Shrimp & Asparagus Stir Fry”
I had some asparagus quickly moving past prime in the fridge, and some shrimp that had been in the freezer too long, so a quick google search got me this for dinner last night, and I ever glad…this is one of the best stir fry recipes I’ve ever tried. The freshness of the lemon is such a nice switch from the usual sweet sauces, with just enough ginger and soy to make it “Asian”. Thanks for your creativity, even though it was born out of a queasy tummy :-),
I had the SAME thing! I couldn’t stand the smell of meat at all. Love the looks of this simple, fresh, delicious looking stir fry!
I felt the same way about meat in my first trimester — if I smelled it I just wanted to gag! I’m glad your past all that so you can share this lovely shrimp dish! It sounds so fresh and full of flavor…yum!
I was the same way when I was pregnant…couldn’t stand the smell! So glad it passed and you were able to eat this delicious looking stir fry! It looks amazing!!!
Way to power through it and share something tasty with us all! Looks SO summery and tasty.
I’m impressed that you managed to cook at all with morning sickness! And post to boot! I’m glad it’s passed though so you can enjoy delicious stir fries like this one. Can I come for dinner? hehe.
Asparagus is hands down a favorite vegetable and we’re constantly looking for new ways to cook with it. I love roasting them with lemon juice, so I imagine a stir-fry with lemon sauce will be just as wonderful. Thanks for the recipe!
Um, yum! I have been on a big stirfry kick because I have so much produce but I hadn’t thought to add lemon! What a clever idea! And I am so glad your feeling better!
I am so glad to hear you’re over your morning sickness. It can seriously mess up your day. I’m sure you are relieved. This is a fantastic dish. I love shrimp in stir fry’s and so does Briana and Kurt.
Easy, beautiful and delicious, I love meals like this one.
So glad you are getting over the morning sickness hump! I always make chicken stir fry at home, but I’ve never tried a shrimp one! This recipe sounds perfect for summer.
I’m not pregnant but am super sensitive to food smells, sometimes I find myself hating pizza smells one day and loving it the next. I think this dish would smell lovely, though, and am always looking for new ways to make my stir-fry staple. Definitely going to try this!
Natalie, first off, CONGRATS to you and Shawn!!! I am so happy for you!! when do you find out the sex? I’m going to guess you’re having a girl if you couldn’t eat meat during your first trimester . . just an old wives tale. . :P I love this stir fry!! this is one of my weekly go-to’s for sure!!
Shrimp and asparagus stir fry looks delicious!! Love the lemon and ginger sauce.. :)
Such a cute story! He was so happy to have a home cooked meal :). This sounds so awesome, Natalie! I can’t wait to try it!
Aaw yay! So glad you’re feeling better and back in the kitchen again :) I lived off cereal and oatmeal too. This stir-fry looks amazing! Love the rlemon and asparagus!
This sounds amazing! I love a good shrimp stir fry. Glad you are able to get back to cooking!
So happy the morning sickness has passed, Natalie and your back in the kitchen! Thank you for the tip on stir-frys, too. It’s easy to overdo veggies. I like just a bit of crisp left on em after I stir- you really gottta watch the time! Your stir-fry sauce sounds just delicious! Love the lemon in there.. thank you for this, Natalie!
Awesome news that you’re back in the kitchen and cooking (most) of everything again, Natalie! Uhhh such as this gorgeous stir-fry! I seriously cannot even get over how awesome it looks and it sounds like Shawn definitely missed your awesome cooking!
This stir fry sounds amazing, Natalie! So glad you were able to eat this after your morning sickness. I’ve never thought to add shrimp to a stir fry before, so I’m loving this! And it sounds just perfect with the fresh asparagus!