12 Fresh and Healthy Asparagus Recipes to Enjoy This Spring

1. Cook the asparagus chunks in boiling salted water until soft, 10 to 12 minutes (or less, if you prefer a firmer texture). Drain well.
2. Warm half the olive oil over medium heat in a 10-inch ovensafe pan and cook the onions until soft but not brown, about 10 minutes. Add the cooked and drained asparagus.
3. Beat the eggs in a bowl and mix with the cheese, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste.
4. Add a little more oil to the pan, then pour the egg mixture over the onions and asparagus. Cook gently until it solidifies on the bottom, about 10 minutes. Use a spatula to gently loosen the base of the frittata from the sides, which allows some of the liquid mixture to hit the base of the pan and set.
5. When there is no more liquid left, put a plate over the top of the pan and invert the frittata onto the plate. Add the remaining oil, then slide the frittata back into the pan, uncooked side down. Brown the other side, about five to six minutes.
6. Serve hot or cold.

Tip: If flipping the frittata is too tricky, you can finish it under a broiler.

Tip: Salting the water will prevent nutrients from leaching out of the asparagus while it’s boiling.

1. Heat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Drizzle a baking sheet with olive oil and arrange the asparagus in a single layer on the baking sheet.
3. Mix the garlic, lemon zest, chopped walnuts, shredded cheese, and salt and pepper together in a small bowl.
4. Sprinkle the cheese and nut mixture over the asparagus and bake until golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes.

1. Place a large wok over high heat for 5 minutes. Add the oil and swirl. Add the ginger, garlic, chili, sugar and scallions.
2. Swirl and toss and add the shrimp, letting sit for 45 seconds before tossing and adding the asparagus.
3. Stir and toss contents of the wok for 2 minutes and add the bean sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin and rice wine.
4. Cool for a minute and add the corn starch slurry. Toss briefly and plate. Season with sea salt to taste and serve with jasmine rice.

1. Heat the coconut oil in a heavy skillet, and sauté the ginger, lemongrass, cashews and Thai chili until the cashews are golden brown. Remove from skillet and set aside.
2. Add the asparagus, scallions and mushrooms to the hot skillet and cook until almost tender.
3. Add the orange juice and tamari and cook for one to two minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cashew mixture and Thai basil leaves.
4. Serve with brown rice or as a side dish.

1. Preheat the broiler for the vegetables.
2. To make the socca batter, whisk the chickpea flour, rosemary, and salt in a medium bowl. In a cup, stir together the water and 1 tablespoon olive oil, then whisk into the chickpea-flour mixture until smooth. Let stand for 10 minutes.
3. Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat for 15 seconds, then add 1 teaspoon oil. Measure 1/2 cup of the chickpea batter into the pan and tilt to spread the batter to a 6-inch round. Cook for one minute, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for two more minutes, until the edge of the socca looks firm and the top is evenly bubbly. Use a spatula to flip the socca and cook for two minutes, then flip and cook one minute longer. Continue until all four socca are done.
4. For the sauce, combine the garlic and parsley in a food processor and process to mince. Add the tahini and lemon juice and process, scraping down and repeating until smooth. Gradually drizzle the water through the feed tube with the machine running. Transfer to a bowl.
5. Spread the vegetables on a heavy sheet pan, sprinkle with capers and lemon zest, and drizzle with olive oil. Broil for three to four minutes, until the vegetables are browned.
6. Serve each socca topped with broiled vegetables and drizzled with sauce.

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

For the slaw:

2. Slice the asparagus, radishes, carrot and fennel thinly by hand, with a mandoline, or with a fine-slicer blade in a food processor.
3. Toss with chopped dill, lemon zest and juice, and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Chill the slaw while you prepare the salmon.

For the salmon:

5. Toss the sesame seeds in a shallow bowl with the cayenne pepper (if you are using it). Season the salmon with salt and pepper, and press the side without skin into the sesame seeds to coat.

6. Heat the ghee in a heavy ovenproof skillet over high heat and add the salmon, sesame-seed-side down.
7. Sear the salmon until the sesame seeds are browned, about one to two minutes. Turn heat down to medium, flip the salmon fillets over, and sear the skin side for one to two minutes.
8. Transfer the salmon to the oven to finish, about five to 10 minutes depending on how you like it.
9.  Serve with the asparagus slaw.

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F and line a pan with parchment paper, if desired.
2. Place the squash in a medium bowl. Add 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, paprika, garlic powder, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Mix until the squash is thoroughly coated, then arrange on the sheet pan in a single layer. Place on the middle rack in the oven and roast for 10 minutes.
3. While the squash is roasting, place the asparagus in the same bowl and add remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Mix until the asparagus is thoroughly coated.
4. Whisk ingredients for lemon-garlic sauce in a small bowl. Set mixture aside.
5. Take the sheet pan out of the oven and move squash to one side of the pan. Add the asparagus next to the squash, and add the salmon fillets, skin-side down, to the other side of the pan. Brush the fillets with half the lemon-garlic sauce and cook for an additional 10 to 14 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and the salmon is opaque and flakes easily.
6. Drizzle with remaining lemon-garlic sauce. Serve as desired, with fresh parsley or cooked grains.

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. If you have a pizza stone, preheat it on the middle rack of the oven.
2. Spread each crust with 2 tablespoons basil pesto and top each equally with the mozzarella, beets, asparagus and chèvre.
3. Bake until cheese is lightly browned, about five to seven minutes.
4. Top with olives and lemons, walnuts, sun-dried tomatoes or caramelized onions, as desired.
5. Cut into wedges and serve with a salad.

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the asparagus in a baking dish or on a baking sheet and drizzle with 1 teaspoon of the olive oil. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper, and roast until it is just al dente, about five minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
2. While the asparagus cools, place the almonds on a clean, rimmed baking sheet and toast until lightly browned, five to seven minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
3. Add the asparagus, along with the chicken broth and water, to a blender, and purée until it is smooth, about two minutes. Return the puréed asparagus to a medium saucepan (strain through a fine-mesh sieve if you want an even smoother texture) and stir in the remaining 1 teaspoon of olive oil, the lemon zest, and mint. Warm the soup over medium heat.
4. Divide the soup among four bowls. Top each with 1 tablespoon of the yogurt and a sprinkling of the toasted almonds to serve.

1. Simmer the vinegar in a small saucepan until reduced by half, then chill.
2. Blanch the asparagus for one minute, then drain and quickly transfer to a bowl of ice water.
3. Wrap one slice of prosciutto around each dried asparagus stalk, and chill until ready to serve.
4. Serve with a drizzle of the vinegar reduction, and salt and pepper to taste.