Grab a bunch of fresh asparagus, and let’s embark on a culinary adventure that promises to tantalize your taste buds and make every meal a celebration of this verdant delight. Browse through this list, and take your pick: these green and vibrant recipes will satiate and nourish you and add bold flavor to your day.
Our best asparagus recipes
Peel the woody ends: If asparagus spears are thick, woody, and not so fresh, peel a couple of inches of the stalk. Use a vegetable peeler. This will make the asparagus cook more evenly, less chewy, and more tender.
We can start cooking the asparagus once the basic cleaning and trimming are done. Whether you want to enjoy this for brunch, lunch, or dinner, oven-baked asparagus is a great healthy side dish to any meal. It’s also perfect as a vegetable side dish with vinaigrette, tahini sauce, or homemade pesto. Serve it with crostini, focaccia, or bruschetta and a sprinkle of gremolata for a restaurant-worthy meal. We boiled them whole in a large pan with water and a little salt for the looking and best-tasting cooked asparagus ever. Pair with olive oil or mustard dressing for a glossy finish. It takes just 20 minutes to cook, and it’s great as a special weeknight dinner for spring and summer. Smokey, tender-crisp, bright-green, grilled asparagus is one of the best ways to enjoy this flavorful vegetable. Steamed asparagus enhances a variety of dishes with its crisp texture, making it a health-conscious addition to salads and pasta or a delightful side to meatless meals. This 10-minute asparagus recipe is a wholesome side dish and quickly upgraded to a main meal with hummus, pita bread, and fresh lettuce. Asparagus risotto combines the richness of Arborio rice with the vibrant, earthy essence of asparagus, creating a luxurious and flavorful Italian dish. TIP: serve it as a starter, side dish, or as a quick and healthy vegetarian lunch or dinner. Add healthy protein such as tofu and infuse chili oil for an authentic and spicy flavor. Our pasta salad with asparagus brings a refreshing twist to the classic dish, as the tender-crisp asparagus spears complement the pasta’s texture while a zesty vinaigrette ties together a medley of flavors.
Trim asparagus: Rinse asparagus under running water, then trim the woodier end of the stalks. You can do that by snapping them with your hands, one by one, or by cutting them with a knife on a cutting board. We prefer this way as it’s much faster.
Tips
For many more side dish ideas, check out our sides category page. The spear of your asparagus should be bright green and firm, with a small amount of white by the stems. If the spears are wrinkled and soft, the asparagus is not fresh and might be bitter. Stems should be unblemished and round and not flattened. TIP: Even if the asparagus stems are usually not edible, you can use them for vegetable broth risotto and soups.
How to store asparagus
Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can eat them cold, at room temperature, or reheat them in the microwave. We do not recommend freezing these asparagus recipes.
Drizzle with a creamy dressing: choose refreshing and vibrant condiments and sauces, such as our 5-minute basil, zucchini, parsley pesto, mustard dressing, and easy salad dressings. Use in salads: asparagus is also great in fresh salads and grain bowls. Add them to a vegan pasta salad, to this tofu salad, or our chickpea salad.
Add to soups and stews: add asparagus to a chunky soup, such as this vegetable soup, lentil vegetable soup, or one of these easy soup ideas. Serve with pasta: pair your favorite asparagus recipes with an easy pasta recipe. Serve with a protein-rich dinner, such as one of these chickpea recipes or tofu recipes.
Yogurt Tahini Sauce
Honey Mustard Dressing
Vegan Ranch Dressing
Vegan Mayo
To blanch asparagus, cook them in salted boiling water for about 1 minute, then drain and rinse under cold water for 20 seconds. Pat them dry with a kitchen cloth and sauté.White wine: deglazing the pan with white wine adds acidity to the dish, which makes the asparagus flavor pop in your mouth. Deglazing means adding cold liquid to a hot pan. Use a dry white wine to deglaze the asparagus.Crushed garlic: We’ve always found minced garlic a little tricky with asparagus. It tends to burn, turning brown and bitter, and covers the asparagus flavor. Try adding crushed garlic instead. You’ll get plenty of garlic aroma but a more subtle flavor.
More basics
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How to Cook Lentils
How to cook couscous
How to Cook Red Lentils
45 Easy Vegetarian Dinner Recipes
25 Mushroom Recipes
40 Easy Meatless Meals
25 Vegetable Ideas for Dinner
Our aim is to help you and your family eat more veggies through delicious recipes with simple ingredients. Easy right? Comment * Name Email Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Notify me when Louise or Nico reply to my comment.
Δ Our aim is to help you and your family eat more veggies through delicious recipes with simple ingredients.