How to Make Asparagus

Asparagus is a perennial plant that has been used as a vegetable from early times. Asparagus has stout stems with branched, feathery foliage. Only the tender, young shoots are fit for consumption. There are many health benefits as it is a nutritious vegetable, and low in calories. It is also a good source of dietary fibers, vitamins and minerals, and is rich in amino acids. There are a number of ways to cook this crunchy vegetable in different cuisines.

Cooking Asparagus
As mentioned earlier, asparagus is a healthy vegetable that can be added to any recipe. Here are a few simple steps on how to prepare asparagus:

• Wash the stalks in water, so that all the remaining soil on the tips, get washed away. Break the stalks into two and throw away the bottom pieces.
• An easy method is to cook them in boiled water. Take a medium-sized sauce pan and boil water with some salt.
• Cook the spears in boiling water for about 5 minutes and immediately rinse the spears in cold water to prevent them from overcooking. This will retain their color and crunchy feel.

In the Oven
Baking is another method to cook it. To make this vegetable more delicious, you can add seasonings of your choice. Given below are a few quick steps to bake asparagus in the oven:

• Spread the spears on a baking sheet.
• Drizzle two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Olive oil will enhance the nutritional value and taste of the asparagus.
• Sprinkle salt and pepper as required. You can use garlic salt instead of standard salt, to enhance the flavor.
• Cook for about 15 minutes in a preheated oven at 175 C.

Pan-fried Asparagus
Pan frying asparagus is one of the best ways to retain the taste and crispiness of this vegetable. Follow these easy steps.

• Rinse and dry the asparagus spears and cut off the base of each stalk. Pour olive oil in a medium heated pan and transfer the spears.
• Add salt (or garlic salt as per your preference), pepper and chili powder and saute it. If you want the asparagus to be soft, then cover the pan to cook asparagus. But if you prefer the stalks to be crispy, stir occasionally without covering the pan.

Grilled Asparagus
Asparagus can be cooked on the stove by grilling it. This method makes the vegetable crunchy, which also has a distinct flavor.

• Tie washed asparagus into a bundle with a piece of string and stand it in a saucepan filled with water.
• Boil for about 5 minutes and rinse it immediately in cold water, to prevent it from overcooking.
• In a bowl, mix four tablespoons of olive oil, two tablespoons of lemon juice, pepper and salt to taste and coat the asparagus in this dressing.
• Grill on a hot griddle for about 10 minutes, till the vegetable is cooked completely.

Asparagus With Herb Butter
To make asparagus with herb butter, you'll need herbs like parsley, thyme and tarragon. Here are some instructions, that are quite easy, to cook asparagus.

• Mix chopped herbs, pepper, garlic powder, salt and butter, and blend them together in a bowl.
• Cook the asparagus in boiling water for about 5 minutes till the stalks are firm. Remove them from boiling water and immediately transfer to ice water.
• In a baking dish, transfer the asparagus and add the herb-butter topping, and bake it in a preheated oven at 175 C for about 10 minutes or till the butter melts.

You can even come up with your own method to make asparagus, as it is easy to cook. Try new recipes with asparagus and delight your taste buds.