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Here’s how to blanch asparagus perfectly to enjoy in salads, pasta, or all by itself. It’s an easy technique to learn whether you want to meal prep, make a veggie tray, or freeze asparagus for later.
When it comes to cooking vegetables, blanching may be the easiest method of all. It’s as simple as boiling water, and the asparagus will be done in just a couple of minutes.
After a trip to the ice bath (you can skip this step, if you want it warm), your asparagus is ready to enjoy in so many ways. Sauté it a stir fry, add it to scrambled eggs, drizzle it with Hollandaise, or dip in ranch.
Or maybe just snack on it plain. Blanched asparagus can do no wrong.
Table of Contents
Tutorial notes
- Trimming: To trim the tough, fibrous portion of each spear, you can cut it with a knife or bend it until it snaps. The asparagus will break precisely where the tender part ends and the tough part begins.
- Buying: Look for straight, sturdy spears that are bright green with a purple hue at the tip. If the tips of the spears start to open, darken or appear slimy, skip it. Check the bottom of the bunch to see if the stalks are wrinkled, completely dried out, or too woody. Last, consider your recipe with regard to spear-size. For example, thin spears are great in asparagus salad while thicker spears are great for asparagus wrapped in prosciutto.
- Storing: Trim off the ends with a sharp knife and place the bunch upright in an inch or so of cold water inside the refrigerator until you need it. A square-bottomed mug or ramekin works great for this.
Step-by-step instructions
- Bring a stockpot or Dutch oven filled with an inch or two of salted water to a boil. Add the asparagus and cook until bright green and crisp-tender, about 3 to 4 minutes, depending on the size of your asparagus.
- Remove from the boiling water and immediately plunge them into the ice bath to halt cooking. Once completely cool, drain completely and pat dry.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes 4 servings (1 cup blanched asparagus each). 1 pound asparagus yields about 2 cups chopped asparagus.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Arrange drained asparagus in a single layer on a sheet pan lined with parchment or waxed paper and put it in the freezer. Once the asparagus is frozen, transfer it to a zipper-top bag and freeze up to 9 months. Remove and reheat any portion size, or thaw the whole bag overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Peeling: If the skin seems thick and tough, use a vegetable peeler or paring knife to peel the stalk to within about 2 inches of the tip. - Sauce it up: Blanched asparagus is delicious with a drizzle of hollandaise or teriyaki sauce.
- Expired: Asparagus tips are the most tender part of the vegetable and always the first to go bad. If the tips start to change to a very dark green color and fall apart easily between your fingers, it’s time to toss.
- Leftovers: Use leftover blanched asparagus in an omelet or scrambled eggs, in pasta (such as Pasta with Peas and Prosciutto, below), or on a vegetable platter.
Pasta with Peas and Prosciutto
Pasta with peas and prosciutto is the perfect spring meal. Fresh asparagus, mushrooms, a splash of crisp white wine, salty Parmesan shavings, and a few slices of savory prosciutto complete the 30-minute meal.
View Recipe
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How to Blanch Asparagus
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 2 pounds asparagus trimmed
- 1 tablespoon salt optional
Instructions
To blanch the asparagus:
- Fill a large bowl with water and ice. In a large saucepan or stockpot, bring 1 inch water and 1 teaspoon salt to boil. Add asparagus, cover, and boil until bright green and crisp-tender, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Immediately remove from boiling water and plunge into ice bath to stop the cooking. When completely cool, drain well and pat dry.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Trimming: To trim the tough, fibrous portion of each spear, you can cut it with a knife or bend it until it snaps. The asparagus will break precisely where the tender part ends and the tough part begins.
- Buying: Look for straight, sturdy spears that are bright green with a purple hue at the tip. If the tips of the spears start to open, darken or appear slimy, skip it. Check the bottom of the bunch to see if the stalks are wrinkled, completely dried out, or too woody. Last, consider your recipe with regard to spear-size. For example, thin spears are great in asparagus salad while thicker spears are great for asparagus wrapped in prosciutto.
- Storing: Trim off the ends with a sharp knife and place the bunch upright in an inch or so of cold water inside the refrigerator until you need it. A square-bottomed mug or ramekin works great for this.
- Yield: This recipe makes 4 servings (1 cup blanched asparagus each). 1 pound asparagus yields about 2 cups chopped asparagus.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Arrange drained asparagus in a single layer on a sheet pan lined with parchment or waxed paper and put it in the freezer. Once the asparagus is frozen, transfer it to a zipper-top bag and freeze up to 9 months. Remove and reheat any portion size, or thaw the whole bag overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is the Executive Chef and CEO of Culinary Hill, a popular digital publication in the food space. She loves to combine her Midwestern food memories with her culinary school education to create her own delicious take on modern family fare. Millions of readers visit Culinary Hill each month for meticulously-tested recipes as well as skills and tricks for ingredient prep, cooking ahead, menu planning, and entertaining. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the iCUE Culinary Arts program at College of the Canyons.
Thanks for simple / inspiring directions!
Hi Diane, you’re welcome! – Meggan
Super straightforward and easy to do! Thanks!