A tray of broccoli, carrot, and asparagus that tastes great with zero added salt. Roast one basket in the air fryer at 190°C (375°F) and you get lightly charred edges with a crisp-tender bite inside — perfect next to our air fryer lemon pepper chicken for a full meal.
Why No Added Salt Still Tastes Good
Vegetables carry their own natural sweetness, and high heat brings out a toasty, almost roasted aroma. I season with garlic powder, black pepper, and a squeeze of lemon — never salt. If someone in your home is managing or watching sodium (say, a doctor has suggested cutting back on salt), this dish is naturally low sodium, so there’s no stress in making it.
If you need to limit sodium, it’s best to follow your doctor’s advice on what fits your diet.
Ingredients (2 servings)
- ½ head broccoli (cut into small florets, about 150 g)
- 1 carrot (sliced thin on the bias, about 80 g)
- 1 bunch asparagus (tough ends trimmed, about 100 g)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (about 15 ml)
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- Black pepper, to taste
- ½ lemon (for juicing)
This recipe makes about 330 g for 2 servings; one serving (about 165 g) carries roughly 50 mg of natural sodium (USDA: raw broccoli ≈ 33 mg/100g, carrot ≈ 69 mg/100g, asparagus ≈ 2 mg/100g, scaled to the 150/80/100 g amounts). With no salt added at any step, it’s typically far lower than takeout stir-fried greens or salted chips.
Steps
- Wash and dry the vegetables. Cut broccoli into small florets, slice the carrot thin on the bias, and trim the tough ends off the asparagus.
- In a large bowl, add the vegetables, olive oil, garlic powder, and black pepper. Toss with your hands so every piece is lightly coated — the oil helps the edges char and keeps things from drying out.
- Preheat the air fryer to 190°C (375°F) for 3 minutes. Lay the vegetables in a single layer in the basket; don’t pile them too deep or they won’t cook evenly.
- Roast at 190°C (375°F) for 12–15 minutes. At the 8-minute mark, pull the basket out and shake or flip. Keep an eye on the last 2 minutes and stop once the edges are lightly charred.
- Squeeze half a lemon over the top and serve hot.
Tips
- Slice the carrot thin so it cooks at the same pace as the asparagus and broccoli.
- Shortcut: make it in the same batch as the air fryer lemon pepper chicken — roast the chicken first, then add the veggies to the same basket. One meal, one basket to wash.
- Swap it up: zucchini and bell pepper roast the same way. Same idea — oil + garlic powder + black pepper, no salt.