Boiling the asparagus is a great way to cook it quickly without losing a lot of nutrients. If you don’t want to eat all of the asparagus when you make it, you can stop the cooking process by blanching some of the stalks in a bath of ice water. Set those aside to eat with another meal.
- Prep Time:5m
- Cook Time:15m
- Total Time:20m
- Serves: 2 people
- Category: Sides, Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten-Free
Ingredients
For the Asparagus
- 1 1/2 lb fresh asparagus stalks, ends trimmed and cut in half
- 4 c water
- 1 tsp. sea salt
For the Dressing
- 2 tbsp. fresh-squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
- sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Fill a large pot with 4 cups of water, add 1 tsp. sea salt and bring to a boil.
- Trim all asparagus ends off and halve them diagonally so each piece is about 3-4 inches long.
- In a small glass measuring cup or bowl mix together the lemon juice, Dijon mustard, sea salt, and fresh ground black pepper, then whisk in the olive oil.
- Put trimmed asparagus into the boiling water, stir, and cook for 2-3 minutes. (Use a timer to be sure you don\'t cook it longer than that. You want the asparagus to be slightly tender-crisp when they\'re taken off the heat.) Drain asparagus into a colander placed in the sink and let sit for 1-2 minutes, until all the water has run off. Then put a layer of paper towels on a large cutting board, put asparagus on top of towels and blot dry.
- Arrange the asparagus pieces on a serving tray, drizzle the lemon-Dijon vinaigrette over, and serve. This is also good after it\'s been in the fridge overnight. It can be reheated quickly in a hot frying pan or just served cold in a salad.
