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Learn how to cook asparagus with these 10 easy asparagus recipes, from roasting to grilling, sauteing, and more. Additionally, I’ve included instructions on how to blanch, trim, and store asparagus. I’m giving away all my best tips and recipes for cooking asparagus!
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Pin ItGuide to Cooking Asparagus
Asparagus is one of the first vegetables I think of when it comes to preparing a healthy and simple side dish. It’s easy to cook, easy to flavor, and it goes well with so many dishes.
Asparagus typically makes an appearance between February and June as it is a spring vegetable. Best eaten cooked, there’s no need to peel asparagus before preparing it, but it is best to chop off the ends.
I’m going to show you how to prepare asparagus in as many ways as I can, so you can choose the best method for every meal or recipe. Grill it in the summertime, roast it for a crispy side, or even throw it in the pressure cooker!
How to Trim Asparagus
Be sure to trim asparagus before cooking. The ends of the stalks can be “woody”, meaning they are thick, tough, and hard to digest. You should easily be able to feel where it goes from soft to tough (usually around an inch from the bottom).
- Use a sharp knife. The best way to trim is to use a sharp knife to cut right where the woody ends begin.
- Snap off the end. A quick and easy way to trim asparagus is to just snap it off the ends. Place your fingers at the end of the stalk and mid-stalk. Then bend it and it will snap off where it needs to.
- Trim with a knife. To clean it up, use a sharp knife to cut off any tough parts that may have been left behind.
How to Rinse Asparagus
You should rinse asparagus before cooking and eating, but NOT before storing it fresh.
- Run under cool water. To rinse, place it in a colander or mesh strainer and run it under cool water.
- Shake the colander. Give the colander a good shake to help remove any excess water.
10 Ways to Cook Asparagus
There are so many easy ways to cook asparagus, and I’m going to give you the quick step-by-step for each method. These are my favorite base asparagus recipes.
We’re sticking to the basics here when it comes to flavor, so I’ll be using only salt, pepper, and oil to cook. But you can use these methods and add your preferred seasonings.
1. How to Blanch Asparagus
Why Blanch
Blanching asparagus is a simple way to cook it for eating, but it’s also a method used to pre-cook it before using other methods, or when adding it into other dishes.
You don’t necessarily need to blanch it before every cooking method, but when cooking it at a high temperature (like grilling or searing) for a shorter period, you might end up with asparagus that seems done on the outside, but overall is still tough/undercooked. It’s also good to blanch fresh asparagus before freezing it.
How to Blanch
Fill a large bowl with ice and keep it chilled until just before the ice bath.
Bring a pot of generously-salted water to a boil (use a couple inches of water, or enough to submerge the asparagus).
Place asparagus into boiling water and cook for about 3 minutes (just until crisp-tender).
Use tongs to remove from the water and immediately place it in the bowl of ice for about 1 minute (this stops it from cooking further and helps it retain that bright green color).
Pat dry.
Once it’s blanched, you can eat it, move on to the next step in cooking, add it to another recipe, or prepare it to freeze.
2. How to Roast Asparagus
Baked asparagus comes out crispy and flavorful! You can blanch before roasting, but it’s not necessary in my opinion, as long as you cook long enough to tenderize the stalks.
Preheat oven to 400°F and arrange stalks of asparagus on a baking sheet (non-stick or lined with parchment) in a single layer.
Drizzle olive oil over the stalks and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Roast between 12-20 minutes until tender. It will depend on the thickness and how crispy you want them.
3. How to Grill Asparagus
Grilled asparagus cooks quickly and gives it a nice charred flavor that I absolutely love in the summertime. It’s only going to be on the grill for a couple of minutes, so be sure to blanch before grilling to make sure it cooks fully.
After blanching, preheat grill (high heat).
Toss in oil, salt, and pepper.
Place on the grill and cook for just 3-5 minutes (or until tender and slightly charred to your liking).
Turn stalks as they cook to make sure all sides get some direct heat for charring.
4. How to Boil Asparagus
Boiling is essentially the same process as blanching, just for a little bit longer so that it’s fully cooked and tender.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Add asparagus to boiling water, then reduce heat slightly and simmer 5-7 minutes (or until they become tender).
Remove the asparagus, let it cool slightly, then toss it in olive oil, salt, and pepper, and serve.
5. How to Steam Asparagus (Stovetop)
Steaming is an easy method and keeps your veggies light and bright. If you don’t have a steamer basket, place asparagus and a small amount of water in a large skillet, cover, and cook/simmer 4-5 minutes until tender.
Add water to a saucepan or pot and place a steamer basket on top. Bring water to a boil.
Place asparagus in the steamer, cover with a lid, and let it cook for 4-5 minutes.
Remove from the pot and season with salt, pepper, and olive oil.
6. How to Saute Asparagus
Sauteing is the best way to get the perfect crisp-tender texture.
Heat oil (or melt butter) in a frying pan/skillet over medium heat. You can leave stalks whole, or cut them into evenly-sized pieces.
Place asparagus in the skillet and cook 5-7 minutes, gently stirring or rotating stalks a couple of times.
They will turn a bright green as they cook, which will help you see when they’re done.
Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.
7. How to Broil Asparagus
Broiling is a lot like roasting, but it’s much faster and gives asparagus a nice char that adds flavor and texture.
Turn on oven/broiler to high heat.
Toss asparagus with olive oil, salt and pepper and line up on a baking sheet.
Cook 4-6 minutes, or until crisp-tender and slightly charred.
8. How to Cook Asparagus in an Air Fryer
Cooking in an Air Fryer gives you the crispy veggies you crave while keeping it light. I love this method for asparagus.
Heat Air Fryer to 375°F.
Toss asparagus in olive oil, salt and pepper, then place in Air Fryer basket.
Cook 7-10 minutes.
9. How to Cook Asparagus in an Instant Pot
Using a pressure cooker is so simple and quick. Just place the asparagus in, and it does the work for you.
Put 1 cup of water into the Instant Pot and place the steaming rack on top.
Place stalks on the rack, lock the lid in place, and cook on high for 1 minute.
Let pressure release before opening and removing asparagus.
Season with olive oil, salt and pepper, and serve.
10. How to Steam Asparagus (Microwave)
This is such an easy way to cook asparagus without hassle. It’s quick, you don’t need a lot of equipment, and you don’t need to fuss with heating up ovens/grills/etc.
Dampen 3-4 paper towels with water and place asparagus on top.
Roll up the paper towels with the bundle of asparagus inside (the damp paper towels create a barrier around the stalks so they can steam inside), and place them in a microwave-safe dish.
Microwave on high about 3-4 minutes. Let sit for a minute then carefully remove dish from microwave.
Season with salt and pepper and serve.
How to Store Asparagus
While it’s Fresh
Store fresh asparagus in the refrigerator. If you don’t plan to cook it within a day or two, trim off the bottom (about ½ inch) and place the stalks in a glass/jar of water. Place the trimmed side down and fill the glass with about an inch of water. This will extend the freshness. It’s best to use it within 3-6 days after buying.
After Cooking
To store your cooked asparagus, place it in airtight containers or resealable bags and refrigerate. Eat within 3-4 days.
Freeze
You can freeze fresh asparagus to save it for later cooking (great option if you want to get it while it’s in season). First, blanch it (see above on how to do that). Place the stalks in a flat row inside a freezer-safe bag, and freeze flat. Once it’s frozen, you don’t need to keep the bag flat, so you can move it around however fits best in your freezer. Eat within 10-12 months.
Serving Suggestions
This vegetable is such a great side dish for so many things. I especially love serving it with salmon or steak. It also goes well with pasta, so I mix it in with noodles and a good sauce, or add it to pasta salad.
Asparagus pairs well with heavier, creamier sauces, so it’s a good way to balance out recipes rich in flavor.
