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    Home » Recipes » Steamed Asparagus

    Steamed Asparagus

    Published: May 17, 2022 · by Nico

    Jump to Recipe

    Bright green, juicy, and packed with flavor, steamed asparagus is a delicious and healthy side dish you can make in less than 10 minutes with basic ingredients.

    The asparagus turn out incredibly tender and buttery, and they keep all their flavor thanks to the gentle steaming.

    steamed asparagus with lemon
    On this page:
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Serving Suggestions
    • More Asparagus recipes
    • Questions
    • Storage
    • Recipe

    Check out our best vegetable sides recipe collection!

    Asparagus is one of our favorite vegetables to steam. Their flavor blossoms and they get tender and juicy. You can serve steamed asparagus as they are, with a pinch of salt, a twist of freshly ground black pepper, and a squeeze of lemon.

    Their texture is soft, buttery, and juicy, and we think this is the best way to appreciate pure asparagus flavor.

    If you want, you can also serve them with olive oil or butter. We usually go for either extra virgin olive oil or dairy-free vegan butter. The fruity flavor of extra virgin olive oil is a perfect match with asparagus. You'll just need a few drops.

    To make them even tastier, you can drizzle quick and easy maple syrup and mustard vinaigrette. The sweet and tangy flavor makes steamed asparagus a fancy side dish.

    steamed asparagus on a serving plate

    Ingredients

    Asparagus: fresh asparagus are best for this recipe. You can also use wild asparagus if you can find them at your local farmer's market. White asparagus is also great for steaming.

    Salt and pepper: we only add salt once they are cooked. Sea salt, kosher salt, or Maldon salt flakes are best. Salt brings out the asparagus flavor even more. A twist of freshly ground black pepper makes them fragrant.

    Optional Ingredients

    Extra virgin olive oil: fruity, aromatic, and packed with antioxidants, a few drops of extra virgin olive oil make steamed asparagus even more delicious.

    Lemon juice: lemon and asparagus are a really good match. Try squeezing a few drops of lemon on the steamed asparagus to boost their flavor. Olive oil, lemon, salt, and pepper combined are our to-go dressing for this recipe.

    Butter: traditionally, asparagus is served with butter. We prefer to use either extra virgin olive oil or vegan butter, which fit this recipe well as they add a velvety mouthfeel which some people love.

    Mustard vinaigrette: to make this a fancier recipe, serve them with a simple vinaigrette made with maple syrup, mustard, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. You can also add a clove of grated garlic. Drizzle a few drops on the steam asparagus to add a tangy, mildly sweet, and acidic flavor.

    Herbs: basil, chives, dill, and especially parsley go well with steamed asparagus.

    steamed asparagus with mustard vinaigrette

    Instructions

    Step 1: Clean asparagus

    Rinse asparagus under running water, then trim the woodier end of the stalks. You can do that by snapping it with your hands, one by one, or by cutting it with a knife on a cutting board. We prefer this way as it's much faster.

    cutting off the woody end of asparagus

    If asparagus spears are thick, woody, and not so fresh, peel a couple of inches of the stalk. Use a vegetable peeler. This will make the asparagus cook more evenly, and they'll be less chewy and more tender.

    peeling off end part of asparagus stalk
    This step is only necessary if the stalk of the asparagus is very woody. This often happens if the asparagus is not so fresh.

    Step 2: Steam asparagus

    Add a couple of cups of water to a large pan. Put the steamer basket in the pan. Place asparagus on the steamer basket.

    We like to use a large pan so that we don't have to cut the asparagus spears. If you don't have a large pan that can fit the asparagus whole, you can cut them in half and use a large saucepan or a large pot instead.

    asparagus in steamer basket

    Cover with a lid. When steaming, it's important to cover the pot with a lid so that the steam is trapped and the asparagus cook faster.

    steamer basket covered with a lid

    Bring the water to a boil and steam for 6 to 10 minutes on medium-high heat, depending on how thick your asparagus is. The ones in the pictures took 10 minutes as they were quite thick. To check for doneness, pierce the stalks with a pointy knife. If it slides in easily, the asparagus is cooked.

    steamed asparagus

    Steamed asparagus should be bright green, with a slight bite to them, tender-crisp, and juicy. Do not overcook them, or they'll lose color and get mushy. Once they are done, remove them immediately from the steamer basket to prevent them from overcooking.

    steamed asparagus served on a plate with lemon wedges

    Serving Suggestions

    Lemon and olive oil

    Transfer steamed asparagus to a serving platter. Use tongs if you have some. Sprinkle with a pinch or two of salt and a twist of pepper, and add some lemon wedges on the side for people to help themselves. You can also drizzle with a few drops of extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with finely chopped flat-leaf parsley.

    Butter and lemon

    As an alternative to olive oil, you could use butter or vegan butter. Add a teaspoon or two of the butter to the hot steamed asparagus. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon, and sprinkle with finely chopped flat-leaf parsley.

    Mustard Vinaigrette

    maple mustard vinaigrette

    This is our vegan version of honey-mustard vinaigrette. Make it with 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of maple syrup, 1 teaspoon of mustard, ½ teaspoon of salt, and a few twists of black pepper. Whisk well and serve alongside the steamed asparagus for people to drizzle on top.

    This vinaigrette adds a lot of flavor to this simple recipe. It's tangy, zesty, a little sweet, and sour. We think it's delicious with steamed asparagus, and we think it's the easiest way to make kids and difficult adults eat them.

    Use them in salads

    Steamed asparagus is also great to use in salads. Try adding them to our vegan pasta salad, to this creamy tofu salad, or to our salad with potatoes to turn it into a potato and asparagus salad.

    pasta salad

    More Asparagus recipes

    If you like asparagus, check out our other asparagus recipes:

    • air fryer asparagus (one of our favorite ways to eat asparagus)
    • tofu soup with asparagus

    Questions

    How long does it take to steam asparagus?

    It takes from 5 to 10 minutes to steam asparagus depending on the thickness of the spears. Thicker asparagus spears need closer to 10 minutes, and thinner ones closer to 5.

    How do you make steamed asparagus taste good?

    You can make steamed asparagus taste good by adding a simple mustard vinaigrette. Make it with 2 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of maple syrup, 1 tablespoon of mustard, ½ tablespoon of salt, and a few twists of black pepper. Whisk and drizzle on top of steamed asparagus.

    How do you know when steamed asparagus is done cooking?

    Pierce them with a pointy knife. If the knife slides in easily, the asparagus is done. If not, cook for another minute and try again.

    How do you season steamed asparagus?

    1) With salt, pepper, olive oil, and lemon juice. 2) Butter or vegan butter + salt and pepper. 3) Mustard vinaigrette. Check out our "serving suggestions" chapter.

    Storage

    Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can eat them cold, at room temperature, or reheat them in the microwave. We do not recommend freezing steamed asparagus.

    For many more side dishes ideas, check out our sides category page.

    Recipe

    steamed asparagus

    Steamed Asparagus

    Author: Nico
    Bright green, juicy, and packed with flavor, steamed asparagus is a delicious and healthy side dish you can make in less than 10 minutes with basic ingredients.
    The asparagus turn out incredibly tender and buttery, and they keep all their flavor thanks to the gentle steaming.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Share Recipe
    5 from 1 vote
    Prep Time 3 mins
    Cook Time 10 mins
    Total Time 13 mins
    Course Side dish
    Cuisine International
    Servings 4 people
    Calories 40 kcal

    Equipment

    • steamer basket and large pan

    Ingredients
     
     

    For Steaming

    • 16 ounces (1 lb) asparagus
    • 3 cups water

    For Serving

    • 4 wedges lemon
    • ½ tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 2 twists black pepper

    Instructions
     

    • Rinse asparagus and cut off woodier end of the stalk.
      cutting off the woody end of asparagus
    • Optional: If asparagus is not so fresh might get woody at the bottom. If that's the case, peel 2 inches of the stalk. It'll be more tender.
      peeling off end part of asparagus stalk
    • Add water to large pan. Put steamer basket in. Place asparagus on top. Cover with a lid.
      steamer basket covered with a lid
    • Bring water to a boil and steam for 5 to 10 minutes, depending on how thick they are. The ones in the pictures took 10 minutes as they were quite thick.
      To check for doneness, pierce the stalks with a pointy knife. If it slides in easily, the asparagus is cooked.
      steamed asparagus
    • Serve with lemon juice, salt, pepper, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Optionally you can sprinkle with freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley.
      steamed asparagus served on a plate with lemon wedges

    Notes

    MORE SERVING SUGGESTIONS
    Butter and Lemon
    As an alternative to olive oil, you could use butter or vegan butter. Add a teaspoon or two of vegan butter to the hot steamed asparagus. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon, and sprinkle with finely chopped flat-leaf parsley.
    Lemon Mustard Vinaigrette
    This is our vegan version of honey-mustard vinaigrette. Make it with 2 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of maple syrup, 1 teaspoon of mustard, ½ teaspoon of salt, and a few twists of black pepper, and a grated clove of garlic (optional). Whisk well and serve alongside the steamed asparagus for people to drizzle on top.

    Nutritional Values

    Nutrition Facts
    Steamed Asparagus
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 40 Calories from Fat 18
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 2g3%
    Saturated Fat 1g6%
    Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
    Monounsaturated Fat 1g
    Potassium 237mg7%
    Carbohydrates 5g2%
    Dietary Fiber 3g13%
    Sugar 2g2%
    Protein 3g6%
    Vitamin A 860IU17%
    Vitamin B6 1mg50%
    Vitamin C 7mg8%
    Vitamin E 2mg13%
    Vitamin K 49µg47%
    Calcium 35mg4%
    Folate 59µg15%
    Iron 2mg11%
    Manganese 1mg50%
    Magnesium 19mg5%
    Zinc 1mg7%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Did you like this recipe?We are not much on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Leave us a comment below instead, it would mean the world to us 🙂

    If you liked this recipe, you might also like:

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