How To Cook Asparagus

While asparagus is usually found year-round in supermarkets, like most veggies it still has a peak season. You'll find the best asparagus during spring. Asparagus season usually starts around May time and goes on until late June. Asparagus is a versatile spring vegetable that can be cooked however your heart desires. But it's also perfect when cooked on its own, with just a little salt and pepper. Which method you decide to choose depends on your mood and circumstance.  

First, trim them. There are two methods for trimming asparagus. 1. You can simply snap off the woody ends wherever they naturally break. This is super easy, but there is some waste. 2. Peel the woody outer bits with a vegetable peeler. Not only will they look beautiful, but you'll be saving some of the asparagus you would otherwise be throwing away!

If you're lazy AF, you should roast it. It's a no-prep situation and in the end, the asparagus will be perfectly tender and charred (which is always a good thing). We <3 roasted asparagus, whether it comes in the form of grilled salmon with lemony asparagus or dreamy one pan balsamic chicken and asparagus.

If you're in a hurry, sauté it. All you need is a hot skillet + extra-virgin olive oil + salt + pepper. Just stir 'em around occasionally and in 5 to 7 minutes they'll be tender in delicious! 

Trying to eat healthy? Blanch it. It takes 3 minutes and doesn't require any oil or butter. Plus, the stalks will be the prettiest shade of bright green.  We use this method in our cream of asparagus soup and it makes the puree the most beauuutiful colour.

If it's nice out, grill it. Grilled asparagus is one of life's greatest snacks. 

Regardless of which route you go, make sure to CUT OFF THE WOODY ENDS FIRST! The bottom tips of asparagus are extremely tough, so you want to remove where the asparagus starts to turn white, usually about the bottom inch. Refer to tip #1 for methods. 😉