Asparagus is a very popular item on the side dish menu, you’ll discover that it’s loved by a lot of people, and it wouldn’t take long before you fall in love with this immensely nutritious veggies yourself. Whether you choose to boil it, grill it, fry it or carry out any cooking method with it, it is sure to still contain its vitamins and minerals. Asparagus is also a great choice if you intended to go on a diet.
Cooking time for asparagus varies depending on the type of cooking method you carry out, but you don’t have a thing to worry about, because we’ve got you covered. In this here article, we’ll be taking you through two fast and easy ways you can cook your asparagus, including the tips, guidelines, and cooking instructions necessary for each meal to have a satisfactory result.
Asparagus Nutrition Facts
Tips for Cooking Asparagus
Cut off your asparagus bottoms – Normally, asparagus is known to be firm, which gives them an added crunchiness when cooked, but the bottom part of asparagus naturally has tough fibers which are hard to chew, when compared to the rest of the asparagus that’s edible. So you’d want to cut off the bottom part.
You might be wondering which part is the bottom part. It’s easy, just bend it slightly until you get to around the part of the asparagus that isn’t bright green, and it’ll snap all on its own. Take that first one as a guide and cut off all the bottoms of other asparagus with a knife.
Citrus is important – No matter the kind of asparagus cuisine you’re making, citrus fruits like lemon or lime are very important. You can use the juices or zest to add more flavor to your asparagus when cooking.
You don’t have to throw unused parts away – keep in mind that the bottom parts of the asparagus you cut off don’t have to completely go to waste. You can use the asparagus butts for so many things like making green smoothies, using them in soups as puree, feeding them to your pets, or farm animals as animal feed, using them as vegetable stock, and many others.
Make sure they’re the same size – when buying your asparagus, be sure to check if they’re the same size, and that some aren’t tiny while the others are large. This helps a ton because cooking asparagus of different sizes cause the smaller ones to overcook and makes them soggy when you take them out. So you must ensure they’re of the same size so they cook properly.
Rest your asparagus – Resting asparagus allows it to cool off and the heat inside to penetrate all around. This adds moisture to the asparagus and a little bit of the flavor from the outer surface. Rest for about a minute, you don’t want your asparagus to get too cold, just a tad bit warmer.
Defrost the asparagus – Since asparagus is already tough and firm when raw, it’s not a wise option to cook it immediately after they’re out from the fridge. Place it on a paper towel and allow it to come to room temperature to make them warmer for cooking.
Cooking Time for Asparagus
Below we have the most ideal cooking time for cooking your asparagus, so ensure you follow these cooking guidelines adequately.
| Cooking procedure | Cooking time |
| Cooking asparagus in a pan at high heat | 5 minutes |
| Cooking asparagus in the oven at 425° F | 12 to 15 minutes |
Fried Asparagus Recipe (2 to 3 servings)
Ingredients
- 1 bunch of asparagus
- 1 bottle of olive oil
- ½ tsp of sea salt (to taste)
- Fresh cracked black pepper
- 1 medium lime or lemon
Directions
Take your asparagus and cut off the woody ends. Wash the asparagus in clean water and pat dry with a paper towel.
- Sprinkle some olive oil on the asparagus. Add half a teaspoon of salt and some fresh cracked black pepper to it.
- Mix well the asparagus, salt, pepper, and oil with your hands. Make sure you get to all the seasoning in the bowl.
- Add a teaspoon of olive oil to a pan and place it on the stove. Add your seasoned asparagus to the pan and cook for 3 minutes or until they start to blister.
- Once they start to blister, cover your pan for a minute before taking them down. Allow the asparagus to cool off for a few seconds and squeeze some lime or lemon juice on them.
Your yummy vegetable side dish is ready to be eaten.
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Oven-baked Asparagus (2 to 3 servings)
Ingredients
- 1 bunch of asparagus
- ½ tsp of salt (to taste)
- ½ tsp of ground black pepper
- 1 clove of garlic (optional)
- 3 tsp of olive oil
- 1½ tsp of grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp of melted butter (optional)
- 1 medium lemon or lime
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Take asparagus from the bunch and cut off the inedible parts (bottoms). Wash in clean water and place in a bowl.
- Season with salt and pepper and mix well together. Mince your garlic and add to the asparagus, together with the Parmesan cheese.
- Lay your asparagus out on a baking sheet, leaving half an inch space between them.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes, depending on the thickness, or until they’re tender and bright green.
- Take them out and sprinkle with lime or lemon juice.
- Sprinkle butter on the asparagus before serving if you want.
Note that the cooking time for asparagus varies depending on its thickness and what kind of cooking method you’re using.
Asparagus isn’t a difficult thing to prepare; one look at the recipe can make you a professional in no time. It’s a very simple and efficient meal to cook, and your friends are sure to consider it amazing too. Asparagus can be eaten as a side dish with boiled rice, eggs, chicken, and many other food choices. It can also be eaten at any time of the day, as long as you have the ingredients to cook it.
If you’re interested in more tips to use when going on your asparagus cooking journey, be sure to check out this amazing video recipe.