Perfect Steamed Asparagus Recipe
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Are you in need a simple side dish for dinner tonight? Look no further than this perfect steamed asparagus recipe. By gently steaming the asparagus you preserve the crispness and vibrant color which is complemented by a fresh burst of lemon and olive oil. Wellness coach and recipe developer Miriam Hahn brings us this recipe for perfect steamed asparagus and says, "You know asparagus is in season when you walk into the grocery store and the front tables are brimming with bunches of fresh asparagus."
Hahn also let us know the types of bunches she tends to lean towards when there are masses available at the store. "I like buying bunches with stalks on the thinner side because they are more delicate and I can't help buying a few bunches at a time when they are at their lowest price of the year," she says. Aside from its light, earthy taste, asparagus offers many health benefits and I find that it's a vegetable that most people like." While Hahn prefers to serve her asparagus cut up into bite-sized pieces, you can easily serve the full, long stalks if that's more up to your speed.
Gather the ingredients for perfect steamed asparagus
To make this recipe, we'll need of course some asparagus along with some fresh lemon. We're using fresh lemon here instead of bottled juice because the zest of the lemon is a key ingredient. Then you'll just need some basics from the pantry including olive oil, salt, and pepper. "My favorite salt to use for this recipe is Himalayan pink salt. It's rich in minerals and also adds great flavor," Hahn shares.
Prepare the asparagus
The first step is slicing off those tough, woody stems on the end of each stalk (though you don't necessarily need to get rid of them as there are ways to use up leftover asparagus ends). "I usually just line up my asparagus on a cutting board and trim off about 2 to 3-inches of the whitish, thick part of the stalk," Hahn explains. Then go ahead and cut the remaining stalks into 2 to 3-inch pieces.
Steam the asparagus
In this recipe we're using a steamer basket that fits over a pot or pan. Begin by adding water to the bottom pot or pan. "Just add an inch or two of water making sure that your steamer basket, when inserted, will sit above the water line," Hahn explains.
Bring the water to a boil, then put the chopped asparagus into the steamer basket and set it into the pot. Cover with a lid and steam for 5 minutes keeping in mind if your asparagus is very thin, it might be done in less time. When it's done it should still be bright green with tender (but still crunchy) stalks.
Toss asparagus with the dressing and serve
Transfer the asparagus from the steaming basket to a large bowl. Grab the lemon and zest it right over the asparagus, then squeeze in the juice of half of it. Now add in the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss and the asparagus is ready to serve, and it makes for a great summery side dish or healthy cookout option.
If you have leftovers, you can keep them in the fridge for a few days and they will still be delicious. "When I have leftovers, I love to add them to a big green salad and because they have been marinating in the lemon dressing, they really make a statement in a salad," says Hahn.
What to serve with perfect steamed asparagus
Perfect Steamed Asparagus Recipe
This perfect steamed asparagus recipe makes the ideal summer side dish.
Ingredients
- 1 large bunch asparagus
- zest of 1 lemon
- juice of ½ lemon
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon coarse salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Directions
- Cut the woody ends off of the asparagus and discard. Cut the stalks into 2 to 3-inch pieces.
- Add a few inches of water into a pot (make sure that when you put a steamer basket in the pot, the basket doesn't touch the water). Bring the water to a boil.
- Put the chopped asparagus into the steamer basket and set it into the pot. Put the lid on and steam for 5 minutes, or until tender.
- Zest the lemon into the bowl, then add the juice of ½ of the lemon along with the olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Toss the asparagus in the dressing and serve right away.
Nutrition
| Calories per Serving | 53 |
| Total Fat | 3.6 g |
| Saturated Fat | 0.5 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.0 g |
| Cholesterol | 0.0 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 5.7 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2.4 g |
| Total Sugars | 2.1 g |
| Sodium | 119.8 mg |
| Protein | 1.9 g |
Are there other ways I could cook asparagus instead of steaming it?
Steaming asparagus is a great way to ensure that the vegetable becomes perfectly tender quickly and with very little fuss. Another benefit to steaming asparagus is that you don't need to worry about burning or overly-charring the outside of the stalks while they cook. That said, if you don't have a steamer basket or you simply want to switch up your cooking method, there are plenty of other, easy ways to cook asparagus.
Perhaps the easiest asparagus cooking method (aside from steaming) is roasting the asparagus. To do so, follow the recipe as written in terms of prepping the asparagus stalks. Then, lay the asparagus out in an even layer on a baking sheet and roast in a 425 F oven for about 10 minutes, or until the stalks are fork-tender.
Another option is to steam the asparagus as written in this recipe, then toss it in a pan with olive oil to get a little bit of color on the outside. You may want to reduce the amount of time you steam the asparagus by a minute or two to compensate for extra cooking in the pan.