It’s no secret that, here at Delish, we love asparagus. While you may be able to find it in stores year-round, it’s only in season in most U.S. states from February through June. That means spring is the best time to take advantage of all that asparagus has to offer. With that in mind, I talked to Food Editor Francesca Zani about three unexpected ways to use asparagus while it is still in peak season.
Raw Asparagus
While we may tend to think of asparagus as a vegetable that needs to be cooked, it actually can be (and should be!) eaten raw. While the raw stalks wouldn’t be a very pleasant bite on their own, try using a vegetable peeler to shave them into thin strips, then toss the shaved asparagus together into a spring salad. Raw, shaved asparagus is light, slightly sweet, and brings out some of those nice grassy notes we know and love.
Baked Or Pan-Fried Asparagus
Even vegetable haters struggle to find an issue with fried veggies. While you may be familiar with classics like fried pickles, fried okra, or fried green tomatoes, asparagus fries are soon to be your new favorite. Our asparagus fries get a flour, egg, panko, and Parmesan breading for a crispy exterior and tender asparagus center. Whether you bake them in the oven or pan-fry them on the stovetop, asparagus fries are the perfect way to fulfill a craving for something hot and crispy, while also getting in your greens.
Pickled Asparagus
Like many pickle recipes, pickling asparagus is a great way to maintain the shelf life of your asparagus. Pickling gives this bright spring vegetable a nice crunch and pop of pickled flavor. Whether you use it as a garnish or enjoy snacking on it all on its own, pickled asparagus is a great way to add some change to your spring veggie game.
Asparagus is so much more versatile than it is often given credit for, and hopefully, these tips will help you expand your asparagus comfort zone! Looking for more asparagus recipes? Don’t worry, we’ve got plenty to choose from here.
