31 Asparagus Recipes That’ll Put a Spring in Your Step
Don’t let spring pass you by without making at least one of our best asparagus recipes. These dishes are weeknight dinner champions, from a showy asparagus frittata to our simplest roasted asparagus. Of course, you can cook the little green spears to perfection in just about any application. Try grilling, steaming, or baking—with so many ways to cook a bunch of asparagus, you’ll never get bored.
Many asparagus recipes require minimal prep time and even less cleanup—often, all you have to do is chop off their woody ends. For even less waste, slice those tough ends of the asparagus thin and toss them into your next asparagus stir-fry—add them to the pan first, along with any alliums in the recipe, so they have time to soften. Ready to cook asparagus all season long? Us too.
Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Pearl Jones2/31Crispy Miso-Butter Fish With Asparagus
Rub a fillet of cod (or any other white fish) in miso butter, crust it in panko, and bake with chopped asparagus. It’s dinner made easy.
Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Summer Moore3/31Charred Asparagus and Dates With Goat Cheese
This crunchy, 10-minute asparagus salad is a textural masterpiece. Chewy dates and crisp-tender asparagus, charred on high heat, join a flavor-bursting party of fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, mint, and tons of goat cheese. Serve this at your next brunch, or for Easter dinner.
Photo by Alex Lau, styling by Sean Dooley4/31Shrimp and Asparagus Stir-Fry
You don’t need a wok to make a great stir-fry. Get the step-by-step instructions for this easy dinner, then give it a go at home.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Elizabeth Jaime5/31Lemony Asparagus Pasta
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca7/31Chicken Primavera
Think of the pearl onions, asparagus, and peas in this recipe as a template—primavera means “spring” in Italian, so feel free to bring any and all of the season’s green vegetables into the mix (ramps or garlic scapes, anyone?). Keep on theme by serving alongside a fresh mozzarella and tomato salad.
Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Susan Ottaviano, prop styling by Sophie Strangio8/31Blistered Asparagus Frittata
This low-waste, no-flip brunch recipe uses a whole bundle of bright green asparagus stalks, woody ends and all.
Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Taneka Morris, prop styling by Dayna Seman9/31Chickpea Pancake With Pea Salad
Photograph by Paola + Murray, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Marina Bevilacqua10/31Asparagus With Parmesan Fonduta
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Chris Morocco, prop styling by Emily Eisen11/31Miso Polenta With Spring Vegetables and Tofu
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Judy Kim, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca12/31Cod With Asparagus Spoon Salad
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca13/31Asparagus Pulao With Minty Lemon Raita
Photo by Emma Fishman, Bowl by Meilen Ceramics14/31Black Pepper Tofu and Asparagus
In this 30-minute dish, ground black pepper is the star, not the sidekick: When bloomed in oil, the coarsely ground peppercorns become piquant and fragrant enough to flavor the entire sauce—no red pepper flakes, dried chiles, or hot sauce needed.
Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Micah Morton, prop styling by Stephanie Yeh15/31Lemony Spring Vegetable and Barley Bowl
This one-pot dish has fresh asparagus, tender green peas, and creamy barley cooked in fennel potlikker. It’s a hearty way to welcome spring weather.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich16/31Blistered Asparagus With Peanut-Coconut Sprinkle
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Marina Bevilacqua17/31Swordfish With Asparagus and Beans
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Judy Kim, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca18/3110-Minute Lamb and Asparagus Stir-Fry
Riff on this versatile stir-fry all spring long. Try it over grains, tucked into warm pita with yogurt sauce, or tossed with noodles.
Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou19/31White Bean and Spring Vegetable Stew
This mushroom, pea, and asparagus soup is all about those lovingly cooked dried beans and the glorious broth they create.
21/31Congee With Spring Vegetables and Green Garlic Oil
If you don’t want to make the chicken stock from scratch for this congee (a.k.a. jook) recipe, simmering some store-bought broth with a few slices of bacon and ginger for 20 minutes gives you a massive head start on flavor.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski23/31Lentil Niçoise Salad
To make this endlessly riffable lentil recipe, load whatever produce you’ve got into a bowl with 7-minute eggs and a mustardy dressing.
Photo by Gentl & Hyers24/31Ricotta Dumplings With Asparagus and Green Garlic
Once you get the hang of it, forming these dumplings is easy, but it may take a little practice. Want some guidance? Here you go. Serve with a quick pea and prosciutto salad.
Laura Murray, styling by Judy Mancini25/31Sheet Pan Toasts With Spring Vegetables and Mashed Peas
Mashing peas with the back of a spoon just won’t cut it. A potato masher (plus a little elbow grease) brings out their natural creaminess.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Andy Baraghani, prop styling by Emily Eisen27/31Miso-Tahini Noodles with Asparagus and Tofu
Alex Lau28/31Fava Bean and Asparagus Salad
Thinly shaved raw asparagus adds ribbons of texture to this all-green salad, featuring quickly blanched fava beans, watercress, and a bunch of herbs. Serve as a side to risotto or pesto pasta.
Ted Cavanaugh29/31Sautéed Asparagus and Morels with Gribiche Dressing
Dress asparagus and spring mushrooms with a hard-boiled egg dressing you’ll want to spoon over everything.
30/31Roasted Asparagus
Baked asparagus doesn’t have to be floppy or sad. This oven-roasted asparagus recipe gains depth from two key ingredients: Parmesan and aged balsamic vinegar.
