6 Fresh and Delicious Recipes with Asparagus

Looking for the perfect asparagus recipe to cook tonight? We’ve got you covered with our favorite ways to prepare this popular, nutritious, and delicious green veggie. Save this round-up of asparagus recipe ideas and refer back to it so you’ll always have many ways to incorporate asparagus into meals as a side dish or even part of the main attraction. These six easy asparagus recipes range from sauteed to grilled to roasted to baked into a quiche. Enjoy them year-round, but especially when peak asparagus season hits from late February to June.

The Health Benefits of Asparagus

Asparagus is what we refer to as a very nutrient-dense food, meaning that it packs a lot of nutrition for every calorie. The fiber in asparagus is mostly insoluble fiber, which can help your digestive system. The antioxidants and minerals in asparagus are of the variety known to be especially beneficial for lowering blood pressure and acting as a natural anti-inflammatory agent in your body.

Have a friend who is pregnant? Asparagus would be an especially good choice for her because it’s high in folate, a nutrient that helps form DNA for healthy development and growth. Just 1/2 cup of asparagus supplies nearly one-fourth of the daily folate needed during pregnancy and more than one-third of the daily folate that all adults need.

How to Store Asparagus

If you don’t plan to cook asparagus the same day you purchase or harvest it, then treat it like a bouquet of flowers.

To properly store asparagus, follow these steps:

• Step 1: Trim 1 inch off the bottoms and stand the stalks up in a glass or jar with a few inches of water. Store in your refrigerator for up to 4 days, replacing water as needed. Keep the glass near the front or door area of your refrigerator (which are the warmer areas of the refrigerator) so it remains cold, but not too cold.
• Step 2: Before cooking, rinse asparagus and trim off the bottom 1-2 inches.

Can asparagus be frozen?

Maybe your CSA box was overloaded with fresh asparagus. Maybe you have it popping up in your garden and you want to harvest it before it goes to seed. Maybe you just got overzealous at the grocery store. It can happen. If you find yourself with a lot of fresh asparagus that you won’t be able to eat soon, you can freeze it. Start by trimming the stalks into 3-inch pieces. Next, blanch the asparagus by bringing a large pot of water to a boil. Plunge the asparagus (you may need to work in batches) into the boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes, and then remove the pieces with tongs and immediately plunge it into a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Return the water to boiling before cooking your next batch. Once the pieces have completely cooled in the ice water, transfer them to layers of kitchen towels or paper towels and pat off the excess water. Now you can transfer the asparagus to freezer bags and freeze up to 3 months. To serve, simply thaw at room temperature and serve cold, or incorporate into a dish, cooking it a few minutes less than the recipe calls for.

What is Asparagus Sweat and Asparagus Pee?

If you’ve ever wondered why your sweat or pee smells differently after eating asparagus, don’t “despairagus.” Nearly 3 out of 4 people detect a slight odor in their sweat or urine after eating asparagus. This is due to a sulfur-containing molecule unique to asparagus, called asparagusic acid. And if you think it’s weird, it’s actually completely normal. In fact, everyone has this, and the 25% of people who say they don’t actually just can’t smell it.  The safe scent typically goes away in about 6 to 8 hours.

More Interesting Facts About Asparagus

Entertain friends and family with these lesser-known asparagus facts.

• The Thick of It. It’s a widely held misconception that thick stalks of asparagus are less tasty. The thickness of the stalks (which shoot up from the root ball that is under the surface of the ground) is dictated by the age of the plant and variety, not how long the stalk has been above ground. This means the stalks don’t get thicker as they age. Both thin and thick stalks are tender and sweet, and some people think the thick stalks are slightly more tender because of less concentrated stalk fibers. We like thicker stalks for grilling because they’re less likely to fall between the grates.
• Green Light. Though most people have only tried green asparagus, white and purple varieties exist. Both are nearly identical to green asparagus in nutrition and taste but can cost a lot more. White asparagus is grown under tarps or mounds of dirt to prevent it from getting sunlight, therefore it lacks chlorophyll, a natural plant pigment. Purple asparagus is a genetic variety, but it converts to green when cooked anyway.
• Spargel! There’s a festival in Germany that lasts for six weeks from mid-April to late June called Spargelzeit, meaning “asparagus time.” During this time, Germans consume 275 million pounds of asparagus, most of it being the white variety, and smother it in hollandaise sauce.

Now that you’re filled with fun asparagus trivia and asparagus nutrition facts, let’s get cooking! Enjoy some of our favorite ways to prepare this good-for-you and delicious green spring vegetable!

Sautéed Asparagus with Goat Cheese Sauce

Fresh asparagus gets sautéed to crisp-tender perfection, then topped with toasted almonds and a flavorful, garlicky, lemon goat cheese sauce. The sauce is so good and simple that you’ll want to drizzle it over everything!

Egg Free | Gluten Free | Grain-free | Vegetarian

Grilled Asparagus with Parmesan

Grilling asparagus is the perfect way to make the stalks tender and crispy, you’ll find this recipe surprisingly simple to pull off. Serve hot off the grill or make ahead and serve cold – it’s delicious both ways. Finish it off with a squeeze of lemon juice and sprinkle of Parmesan cheese for gobbled-up veggies every time.

Egg Free | Gluten Free | Nut Free | Vegetarian

Crustless Asparagus, Leek and Feta Quiche

This baked asparagus recipe is easy enough to make any weekend (or prep it ahead for easy reheat breakfasts during the week). But it also makes the perfect addition to a special occasion meal, such as an Easter or Mother’s Day brunch, a spring birthday, a bridal or baby shower, or a Sunday gathering with family. This low-carb quiche is sans crust, but you won’t even miss it since this crowd-pleaser is so full of creamy feta and delicious tender spring vegetables.

Gluten Free | Grain Free | Nut Free | Vegetarian

Photo Credit: Plays Well with Butter

Roasted Asparagus, Parmesan Steak and Potatoes

Here’s a roasted asparagus recipe that’s always a hit. Employ your sheet pan to make a well-rounded meal tonight, complete with well-seasoned and tender flank steak, creamy baby potatoes, and crisp fresh asparagus. The variety of food groups ensures you’ll feel nutritionally satisfied with each delicious bite.

Egg Free | Gluten Free | Grain-free | Nut Free

Photo Credit: Plays Well with Butter

Zucchini Pasta Carbonara with Shrimp and Asparagus

A low-carb carbonara is just the thing when you want a full and satisfying meal without feeling weighed down afterward. Here we combine spiraled zucchini noodles (make your own or buy them already this way) with tender shrimp and crisp bacon. Our favorite addition to this nutritious meal? The fresh asparagus that is perfectly seasoned with garlic and Parmesan.

Gluten Free | Nut Free | Paleo | Whole 30

Photo Credit: Plays Well with Butter

Creamy Chicken Spaghetti Squash with Bacon and Asparagus

This veggie-packed, well-balanced meal is easy enough for a weeknight and fancy enough for a date night. It features a creamy non-dairy ‘alfredo’ sauce that you’ll want to put on everything. And all of the components (sauce, spaghetti squash, and chicken) can be prepped ahead then reheated and combined when it’s time to eat, saving you loads of time later.

Dairy Free | Gluten Free | Paleo | Whole30

Photo Credit: Plays Well with Butter

We hope you make and enjoy these delicious, nutritious, and easy Asparagus Recipes. If you make a recipe please leave a comment on the blog post, and tag us @therealfoodrds on social media.

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