Thin, fat, green, white, purple — asparagus season is upon us! And guess what, they are the OG superfood! Asparagus tote vitamin A, E K, folate, selenium, fiber, magnesium, the list goes on and on. These spring-y stalks are one of the most nutritionally balanced veggies available, and the time is now to reap the rewards.
Asparagus aficionados say to look for thin and uniform stalks, pristine tips without flowering or limp buds, and prepare and enjoy right away, no storing! Yes, these are great guidelines, especially when you are choosing to prepare your asparagus simply; steamed or roasted are both yummy! But don’t limit yourself or be intimidated. All I can recommend is to enjoy RIGHT NOW, asparagus is at it’s peak when in season, and this is by far the best way to enjoy. Give all the varieties a try and find your favorite way to prepare this super-food hero!
Here are 10 different ways I like to showcase these tender little nutrient packed spears!
Simply Roasted
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Choose uniform and slender asparagus with tight buds, ends trimmed and discarded ( or save for soup!)
On parchment lined sheet pan, scatter your washed, prepped and dry asparagus. Drizzle with olive oil and plenty of salt, roast for 5-7 minutes.
Vegan Cream of Asparagus Soup
- 2 T Coconut oil
- ½ yellow Onion
- 1 clove of Garlic
- 1 bunch of Asparagus (great for Asparagus that has gone a touch limp and for the less than tender, often woody stalks!)
- 1 cup Vegetable stock
- 2-3 cup Almond milk
- pinch of Cumin
- pinch of Chili flake
- plenty of Sea salt
- freshly Ground white pepper
- juice of one Lemon
In a medium soup pot heat coconut oil over medium high heat. Roughly chop your onion, garlic and asparagus and add to pot. Salt and sauté for a few minutes and add tock. Let simmer for 15 minutes. Pour into blender, add almond milk and seasonings blend until very smooth, streaming in water as needed. Stir in lemon last and adjust seasoning if needed.
Steamed With Mustard Sauce
For sauce:
- 1 Tbsp Veganaise
- 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp Whole grain mustard
- 2 tsp Maple syrup
- 2 tsp Coconut aminos
- juice of half a Lemon
- pinch of Chili flake
- pinch of Cinnamon
- big pinch of Sea salt
Start with your Veganaise in a medium mixing bow, and whisk out any lumps. Whisk in the rest of the ingredients and adjust seasoning to taste. Set aside. Fit a medium sized pot with a steam basket and lid that fits snuggly. Be sure to have a good inch of water in the bottom. Bring the pot up to simmering to produce steam. Place cleaned and trimmed asparagus in your steamer (try purple for this recipe!). Steam for 1 minute or until just tender. Immediately remove from steamer and scatter on clean towel to finish steaming on their own and to dry. Plate and drizzle a lot of mustard sauce over asparagus, or dip!
Fish And Asparagus En Papillote
(in parchment)
- About 6 oz of preferred White fish or salmon
- About 10 stalks of cleaned and trimmed Asparagus
- Olive oil
- White wine
- Walt
- 1 slice of Lemon
- 1 sprig of fresh Thyme
- parchment paper
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
Lay a 1 ft. x 1ft. square of parchment down on your work surface. Work from the point of view that your parchment square is a diamond shape. Lay your asparagus down as a bed for your fish, in the bottom half of the diamond. Drizzle with a little olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and a splash of white wine. Lay your fish on top of the seasoned asparagus, drizzle with a bit more olive oil, healthy sprinkle of salt , lemon slice and thyme. Fold the top have of your diamond over the fish to create a triangle. Pinch and roll the edges tightly and your ‘papilote’ puffed in the middle, so air may circulate and steam the contents. Place papilote on sheet pan and bake for 15 minutes.
Asparagus Tapenade
Great as a dip, sandwich spread or for a crostini or fish topper!
- 1 bunch of blanched Asparagus
- 2 Tbsp Sunflowers seeds
- 2 cloves of Garlic
- juice of 1 Lemon
- juice of half an Orange
- big pinch of Chili flake
- a couple of pinches of Sea salt
- ¼ cup of Olive oil
Add all ingredients, but the olive oil, to a food processor and pulse while streaming in the oil. Adjust seasoning to taste.
Frittata With Asparagus And Goat Cheese
- 2 Tbsp Butter
- ¼ Yellow onion, sauteed sliced
- about 10 spears of Asparagus, clean and trimmed and cut on a bias
- 4 Eggs
- Goat cheese
- Sea salt
- freshly Ground pepper
- fresh Thyme or basil
- Lemon zest
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a small to medium sized and oven safe skillet. Sautee onion in butter, with a pinch of salt for 10 minutes, or until slightly caramelized. Add asparagus and sautee for another two minutes more salt, (it is always important to season as you go). Whisk your eggs in a bowl with a pinch of salt and pour over the onions and asparagus. Turn off heat and place the pan in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes then dot the top of your frittata with goat cheese, bake for another 10 minutes. Pull from oven when the egg has just set. Top with lemon zest, fresh and torn herbs and black pepper.
Shaved Asparagus With Parmesan And Pine Nuts
- 1 bunch of fat stalked Asparagus, cleaned and the woody ends trimmed away
- wedge of Parmesan
- Lemon
- Olive oil
- Sea salt and pepper
- Basil
- Pine nuts
Using a vegetable peeler, make long ribbons from your asparagus. Do the same with your parmesan cheese. Place in a salad bowl and squeeze lemon, drizzle olive oil and plenty of salt and pepper. Toss in fresh basil and pine nuts. Enjoy!
Quick Asparagus Barley Risotto
This is a very unfussy way to make a yummy version of an upscale classic risotto!
- 2-3 cups cooked Pearled barley, prepared according to directions on package.
- Asparagus, about 10 spears blanched and cut on a bias
- ¼ cup Heavy cream, or 1 Tbsp cream cheese
- ¼ cup Vegetable stock
- ¼ cup grated Asiago cheese
- zest and juice from one Lemon
- ¼ cup Parsley, chopped
- Sea salt
- freshly ground Pepper
- a few grates of Nutmeg
While your grain is still hot from cooking, add in all of your ingredients, stir and simmer over low/medium heat for 10-15 minutes, adjust seasoning. Enjoy!
Chilled Asparagus And Pasta Salad
- 3 cups cooked and chilled Farfalle pasta
- ½ cup of cooked and chilled Black quinoa
- 1 bunch of Asparagus, or about 15 spears of a mix, white purple and green asparagus, cleaned, trimmed and blanched , cut on a bias
- ¼ Red onion, finely chopped
- ½ cup of chopped Almonds
- ½ cup Dried cherries or cranberries
- 1 Tbsp Poppy seed
- 1 Tbsp Hempseed
- 2 cups fresh Arugula
Add ingredients to a bowl. Gently toss together with a sprinkle of salt.
Dressing:
- 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- ½ cup Shoyu
- ½ cup Balsamic
- 2 Tbsp Maple syrup
- ½ cup Avocado oil
- 1/2 cup Olive oil
Add all ingredients to a blender except the oils. Blend while streaming in the oils slowly. Dress your salad and mix gently. Serve chilled.
Quick-Pickled Asparagus Spears
These are fantastic in a Bloody Mary!
In a preferred glass jar with fitted lid, clean and trim asparagus to fit upright and snug.
For your brine:
- 1 part Apple cider vinegar
- 1 part White wine vinegar
- 1 part Water
- ½ part Honey
- Add whole peeled Garlic cloves, whole peppercorns and chili flake along with a few pinches of salt.
Stove top, bring brine ingredients to a simmer, remove from heat, add fresh dill and pour over asparagus. Screw on lid and let cool slightly before placing in the fridge for at least 4 hours. Enjoy.
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