Food & Cooking Recipes Ingredients Vegetables Boiled Asparagus This method is a classic for a reason. Close Credit: Jacob Fox Prep Time: 5 mins Cook Time: 5 mins Total Time: 10 mins Servings: 4 Jump to recipe Boiled asparagus is a simple, delicious side that goes with just about any main, especially in the spring when the spears are at their most flavorful. A large skillet is our pan of choice for this recipe, as it can hold the asparagus in an even layer. Even better, you'll only need to bring about an inch of water to a boil, which takes far less time than heating up a whole pot. To dress boiled asparagus for serving, we like to add a pat of butter, a drizzle of olive oil, or a squeeze of lemon juice, but there are so many more ways to make it your own: Try a shower of garlicky breadcrumbs, an herby vinaigrette, or the classic addition of Hollandaise sauce. No matter which direction you take, these meaty, perfectly cooked spears are a side-dish slam dunk. How to Make Water Boil Faster The Best Asparagus for Boiling For boiled asparagus, we prefer to use medium to jumbo spears—the meatier, the better. Very thin, pencil-like asparagus cooks much more quickly and is better suited for broiling, grilling, or enjoying raw. When you're at the store, look for sturdy, firm bunches of asparagus that feel heavy for their size. Avoid any with frayed, dry, or brown tips—they should be bright green, tightly packed, and fresh-looking. If you're buying large or jumbo asparagus, we recommend using a vegetable peeler to peel the bottom two inches of skin off the spears. It'll help them cook more evenly and make them more pleasant to eat. Salting your cooking water helps bring out the flavor of the asparagus and gives you a head start on seasoning; it also helps preserve their bright-green color. Salt the water as you would for cooking pasta and taste it before adding the spears—it should be quite salty, like seawater. How Long to Boil Asparagus It'll take between 5 and 7 minutes for asparagus to become tender, with thicker asparagus requiring a few minutes longer to cook through than medium spears. Checking It Is Cooked To check for doneness, slide a fork or the tip of a paring knife through the very bottom of a spear—it should slide through easily with very little resistance, and the tips should be tender but not mushy or soft. To Shock or Not to Shock? You may notice that the recipe below doesn't call for the asparagus to be shocked (or plunged in an ice bath after boiling to halt the cooking process). Shocking can help preserve the color of boiled vegetables and keep them from continuing to cook, which is helpful if you're aiming for a crisp-tender texture or will be serving them at a later date. (The process of briefly boiling and then shocking vegetables is a classic French technique called blanching.) If you're serving your asparagus right away—and prefer the spears stay warm—there's no need to shock them. However, if you'd like to get some prep out of the way or will be serving them at room temperature or even chilled, go ahead and get an ice bath ready before cooking the asparagus Directions Credit: Jacob Fox Salt water, then boil; add asparagus and cook: Bring 1 inch salted water to a boil in a large skillet or braiser. Add asparagus in one layer. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes for medium to large spears and 7 minutes for extra-large to jumbo asparagus. Credit: Jacob Fox Drain; season and serve: Drain and transfer to a serving platter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and finish with a pat of butter, a drizzle of olive oil, or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. How to Store and Use Up Boiled Asparagus Boiled asparagus can be stored in an airtight container for up to four days. Reheat it, covered, in a 400-degree Fahrenheit oven, under the broiler, or in a skillet over medium-high heat with a touch of olive oil. Uses for Leftover Asparagus Leftover asparagus is delicious eaten plain, but there are also plenty of ways to give it a new lease on life, including: Chopping into small pieces and adding to pasta dishes, risottos, and fried ricePureeing with nuts, garlic, Parmesan cheese, and a few glugs of olive oil for a quick asparagus pestoTopping with a fried or poached egg for an easy breakfast or light lunch What to Serve With Boiled Asparagus Boiled asparagus makes a delicious accompaniment to all sorts of main courses, from meat to seafood. For an easy dinner, serve the spears alongside Martha's chicken paillards and some lemony roasted potatoes, or pair them with our miso-glazed cod and these slow-baked sweet potatoes. If it's a holiday feast you're planning for, how about tapping in our apricot-bourbon glazed ham or this herb-coated beef tenderloin with roasted garlic aioli? (Pro-tip: Boiled asparagus would be excellent swiped through that aioli, as well.) 5 Other Ways to Prepare Asparagus Roasted Asparagus With Parmesan Asparagus and Potato Soup With Ginger Salmon, Asparagus, and Leek in Parchment Grilled Asparagus With Caper-Cornichon Vinaigrette Pea and Asparagus Salad Updated by Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds is an experienced recipe developer, recipe tester, food editor, and writer with over a decade of experience in the food and media industries.