Best Asparagus Recipes and Asparagus Cooking Ideas

Top Rated Asparagus Recipes

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Growing up, my mom made asparagus casserole using a recipe from an old church cookbook. It called for evaporated milk, canned asparagus, and hard-cooked eggs, and I loved it. Years ago, I decided to create my own version, elevating this side dish with fresh asparagus and morels. The result is this lighter, looser casserole topped with crispy bacon and hard-boiled eggs. It’s great with our hickory-smoked pork shoulder or “Sappy Spice” grilled chicken. If you can’t find morels, you can use big button mushrooms or King oyster mushrooms instead. (Cut the mushrooms into [1/4]-inch slices and skip step 3 if you use something other than morels.) — Adam SappingtonRecipes and Photos from HEARTLANDIA by Adam and Jackie Sappington. Copyright © 2015 by Adam Sappington and Jackie Sappington. Photography © 2015 by John Valls. Used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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Sautéed Asparagus

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Terri Ciccone

Cleanses, diets, and fasts are just not for me. Criticize if you will, but I’d rather turn to natural sources to relieve my body of toxins than a six-pack of weird milks that costs $300, and fasting is literally just not an option. Not only is it unhealthy, but also it seems to be a form of torture I wouldn’t even dream of inflicting on my worst enemies! So on the days where I am looking for a quick, nutritious, and tasty cleanse, I turn to asparagus. Even if you’re not into the whole “cleansing” aspect of it, if you’re looking for an easy and flavorful side to accompany almost any dish, look no further than asparagus. This recipe is a light way to enjoy the vegetable that’s still full of flavor. Click here to see Simple Ingredients Made Spectacular.

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Asparagus on Toast

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Chris Fischer

Because my grandmother liked asparagus so much, my grandfather took special care with his plants. Now I am carrying on the tradition. For this recipe I like young asparagus. I cook them in a skillet even when I am working over a grill to make sure the smoky flavor doesn’t overwhelm, only heightens. I top the asparagus with gribiche, a French sauce, traditionally an emulsion of hard-boiled egg yolk and oil perked up with pickles and herbs. I like a rough-chopped version and prefer to use the whole egg. I quick-pickle my own carrots (which is very easy) and put them in the sauce, but if you prefer another pickle, don’t hesitate.

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Asparagus Paella

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Dirt Candy Cookbook

In paella, the focus is rice cooked in an intense stock, with meat adding flavor, but meat has taken over and often the paella emerges with the meat cooked perfectly but the rice overcooked and mushy. Dirt Candy's paella focuses on cooking the bomba rice perfectly, and we use a toasted rice crisp to get the sweetness of socarrat into the dish. Click here to read the full story on Dirt Candy: A Cookbook.

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Marinated Asparagus

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Anne-Marie Nichols

The true sign of spring in the food world is the abundance of many fresh vegetables. Asparagus is one of the quintessential spring vegetables. This cherished culinary pleasure is so flavorful that you’ll find it in all kinds of dishes. When purchasing asparagus, examine the tips for signs of freshness, as that is the portion most likely to break or spoil. Look for tightly closed tips and stalks that are not too dry. The young asparagus have purple tips and green stems and grow thicker as they ripen. If served cold, you can cook in advance, but be sure to shock them in ice cold water to stop cooking and keep flavor and color. My friend Holly Clegg was kind enough to share this recipe with us. See all spring vegetable recipes.

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Pickled Asparagus

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Matt Wilkinson

As a general rule, when it comes to pickling, it should be done when the produce is at its peak and is therefore cheaper. When it comes to pickling asparagus, I don't really follow that rule, though. I usually pickle different varieties of asparagus at the start of the season to preserve the first crop, which have skins that are really succulent and do not need peeling. Pickled asparagus is great as part of an antipasti platter or added to salads when the fresh stuff is out of season. Click here to see 80 Recipes, 24 Vegetables, and 1 Cookbook.

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Asparagus and Eggs

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Marcy Franklin

Here is a dish that can be put together in just around 10 minutes. It looks beautiful and can be served as a main dish at brunch or as a salad for dinner. As always, the fresher the eggs, the better the dish, especially in such a simple preparations as this. Note: Adding a bit of wine or vinegar to the poaching water helps the egg hold its shape by causing the outer layer of the egg white to congeal faster. We recommend wine over vinegar, simply because it tastes better! Rioja pairing: Both asparagus and eggs are notorious for being difficult to pair with wine because they both contain sulfurous elements that can make wine taste vegetal, but difficult does not mean impossible! Try this dish with a bright, fruity Rioja rosé, you will not be disappointed.

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Asparagus Pizza

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Carly Goldsmith

My go-to cooking method for asparagus is to toss it in some olive oil and stick it on the grill. And while that is certainly delicious, this time I wanted to think out of the box a bit and try something different with one of my favorite spring vegetables. The result? Asparagus pizza! Click here for Awesome Asparagus Recipes.

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Asparagus Scramble

By

Will Budiaman

Why wait in line for brunch when you can whip up your own "gourmet" egg dish in about 10 minutes? This simple recipe has only six ingredients and takes advantage of one of the best things spring has to offer — verdant, crisp asparagus. See all asparagus recipes. Click here for Awesome Asparagus Recipes.

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A+ Asparagus

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Casserole Queens

The spring staple asparagus finds its way into a cold-weather dish in this recipe, combining artichokes and mushrooms with smoky spices and Cheddar cheese. Click here to see more casserole recipes.

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Asparagus Soup

By

David Burke

Were your eyes too big for your stomach this past weekend at the farmers' market? This asparagus soup recipe is the perfect way to make use of a surplus of asparagus. Eat it fresh or keep it frozen to enjoy well past asparagus season.

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Asparagus Cookies

By

David Burke

That’s right; I even like making cookies with asparagus. The recipe is easy, and I recommend enjoying them that day.

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