Six Years of Favorite Asparagus Recipes
At last! Asparagus season is here -- first with fat bunches from the grocery store, soon enough with thin spears that erupt from the earth almost overnight. Here are my favorite asparagus recipes, collected over six years now.
FIRST, A FEW ASPARAGUS (AHEM) TIPS
AND NOW FOR THOSE ASPARAGUS RECIPES ...
HOW TO ROAST ASPARAGUSThere are so many ways to roast asparagus. For roasting, start with fat spears of asparagus. First, it's a question of timing.SHORT ROAST Barely Roasted Asparagus MEDIUM ROAST Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Vinegar (pictured) SLOW ROAST Slow-Roasted Asparagus |
But asparagus is a vegetable that 'plays well with others'. So far, I've been most enchanted by: MUSHROOMS Roasted Asparagus & Mushrooms (pictured) LEMON Lemon Lovers' Roasted Asparagus FETA Roasted Asparagus with Feta |
Or salmon. This is my very favorite spring supper, salmon and asparagus roasted together. The whole dish takes just ten minutes to throw together. It's just fabulous. Roasted Salmon & Asparagus from Kitchen Parade |
ASPARAGUS SALAD RECIPESBut asparagus doesn't "have" to be cooked. For this quick salad, be sure to use the very freshest, thinnest spears of asparagus you can find. I recommend waiting for fresh, local asparagus early in the season for this salad, rather than relying on supermarket asparagus.Gorgeous Raw Asparagus Salad (pictured) |
Usually a 'tapenade' is made with olives, like in my recipe for Olivada. Here it's made with asparagus. What a crowd pleaser! Asparagus Tapenade |
This simple salad is over-the-top dreamy. It's topped with a cooked egg, so is a great after-Easter choice. Asparagus Scallion Salad |
ASPARAGUS SOUP RECIPESWhen the weather's cold, a steaming bowl of asparagus soup really hits the spot and this has been my go-to recipe for many years. With just a couple of changes, it moves from an everyday rustic soup to something that's smooth and elegant. Gorgeous!Everyday-to-Elegant Asparagus Soup from Kitchen Parade |
Two other favorite soup recipes include tender bites of asparagus, yes, but also other spring and early summer vegetables. Spring Garden Vegetable Soup with Asparagus, Artichokes, Peas & Spinach (pictured) Finnish Sumer Soup from Kitchen Parade |
PARTY ASPARAGUSI learned the trick for cooking asparagus for a crowd from a former White House chef, now chef at the swankiest club in St. Louis. Another chef/friend shared the special ingredient trick for making hollandaise in a blender - which, before you scoff, is how Julia Child made hollandaise.Fresh Asparagus with Aioli (pictured) Asparagus with Blender Hollandaise |
BRUNCH & LIGHT SUPPERS with ASPARAGUSDuring spring, I look for recipes to work asparagus into every course, including breakfast. The tart and asparagus pudding look impressive (but take just minutes to make) and taste rich (but aren't, really). These are real winners --Asparagus Custard Tart (pictured) from Kitchen Parade Whole-Wheat Asparagus Bread Pudding from Kitchen Parade |
SIMPLE-SIMPLE ASPARAGUSTo close, let me share a last couple of recipes, ones so simple they're hardly even recipes -- but just might surprise you with how good they are.Asparagus Noodles (pictured) Lemon Asparagus from Kitchen Parade |
THANKS!I hope this list of favorite asparagus recipes is helpful. But if you still haven't found the one recipe you're looking for, yes, there are more!~ more asparagus recipes ~ from A Veggie Venture ~ more asparagus recipes ~ from Kitchen Parade ~ A-Z of Vegetables ~ |
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© Copyright Kitchen Parade 2011
What a gorgeous looking collection of recipes. I just bought my first asparagus this week!
ReplyDeletegreat post---i absolutely love asparagus and have been making it some new ways this Spring already. Can't wait to try some of your recipes :)
ReplyDeleteYay, I knew that you'd start with roasted asparagus! Still a month or so to go here, I guess...
ReplyDeletei love asparagus but for some reason my husband hates it. what kinda vegetarian is he?!?
ReplyDeleteI bought the asparagus steamer recommended here now how do I use it? I have a ton of asparagus coming on in my garden soon.
ReplyDeleteBrenda ~ Oh, I hope you LOVE It! Just wash/prep the asparagus as usual, breaking off the woody ends. Then put a little water in the bottom of the pot and bring it to a boil -- and then put the asparagus spears in, cut-side at the bottom, tips at the top. Cooking times will vary but I'd start checking after three minutes, then gauge from there. Let me know how it goes, our asparagus is still a few weeks away!
ReplyDeleteThinking of doing the party asparagus - sounds yummy. Maybe you can tell me this - what is the difference between kosher salt and sea salt - I use the latter. Haven't yet been able to get an answer to this question.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lesley