Cook Asparagus in the Microwave

If you need a quick, healthy way to cook asparagus, look no further than your microwave. There are a couple of ways you can cook asparagus in the microwave. Keep reading to learn more about each one.

Ingredients

Crisp Microwaved Asparagus

Makes 4 servings

  • 1/4 cup (60 ml) water
  • 1 lb (450 g) fresh or thawed asparagus
  • 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) salt (optional)

Tender Microwaved Asparagus

Makes about 4 servings

  • 1/4 cup (60 ml) water, orange juice, or white wine
  • 1 lb (450 ml) fresh or thawed asparagus
  • 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) salt (optional)

Optional Garlic Butter Dressing

Makes 1/4 cup (60 ml)

  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) fresh minced garlic

Steps

Before You Begin: Preparing the Asparagus

  1. Choose fresh asparagus. If using fresh asparagus instead of frozen asparagus, make sure the spears you choose, are firm and bright green. The tips should also be firmly packed together.[1]
    • Asparagus spears can be fat or skinny. Thicker spears takes a little longer to cook, but both are equally flavorful and nutritious. No matter, which you choose, though, the spears should be evenly sized.
  2. Rinse the spears in cold water. Clean the asparagus by rinsing them thoroughly under cold, running water, gently rubbing the tips to loosen any dirt, sand, or debris.
    • Asparagus is grown in sandy soil and usually has some debris in the tips. As such, a thorough rinsing is important.
    • Pat dry with paper towels once rinsed.
  3. Snap off the base of each spear. Use your hands or a knife to snap off the bottom 1/3 of each spear.
    • Usually, this will be about 1 to 1.5 inches (2.5 to 3.8 cm).
    • These ends are especially woody and are generally not very appetizing.
    • You should be able to roughly estimate where the right breaking point is by gently bending the spear a few times near the bottom. The point at which the stalk turns tender will usually be the easiest, most natural breaking point, and you can usually break the bottoms off at this point with your hands.
  4. Peel off the scales at the bottom of each spear. Use a vegetable peeler to scrape off the rough scales or knobs on the outside each stalk.
    • This is not necessary, but it does give the spears a clean look. It can also be especially good if you are using thick asparagus.
    • You only need to peel the lower 2 inches (5 cm) or so of the spear.

Crisp Microwaved Asparagus

  1. Soak four paper towels in water. Spray or pour the 1/4 cup (60 ml) of water onto the paper towels. Squeeze them gently to remove any excess water.
    • The towels need to be damp, but they do not need to be dripping wet.
  2. Spread the paper towels out in a continuous sheet. Lay the damp paper towels out on the counter so the end of one overlaps with the end of the next, and so on, forming a connected line.
    • Ideally, if your paper towels came from a single roll, they will still be connected to one another. If you are using paper napkins or paper towels that have already been separated, though, they need to overlap by 1 inch (2.5 cm) or so. Otherwise, you will not be able to roll them up smoothly later.
  3. Lay the asparagus on top of the paper towels. Place the prepared asparagus at one end of the long paper towel sheet, keeping them in an even cluster. Sprinkle with salt, if desired.
    • The cluster of spears should lie parallel to the short end of the paper towel sheet. Try to keep the asparagus spears in the center of the sheet width-wise, and do not let the tops or bottoms of the spears peek out or extend over the edge of the towels.
  4. Roll the asparagus up into a bundle. Carefully wrap the paper towel around the asparagus bundle. Continue wrapping until you reach the end of the paper towel line.
    • You should be left with a tightly packed bundle when done, and the spears should be neatly tucked inside.
    • If you have extra room on either end of the roll, fold the paper towel under toward the open seam side of the roll to seal off the ends. If you do not have extra room, however, you do not need to worry about this.
  5. Microwave the bundle for 3 to 4 minutes. Cook the wrapped asparagus on full power until the spears just barely become crisp tender.[2]
    • Place the bundle in your microwave with the open seam-side facing down. This secures the seam in place, thereby preventing the paper towels from unraveling as the asparagus cooks.
    • This process essentially microwave-steams the asparagus. The damp paper towels heat up, sending steam inward to the spears. By steaming the asparagus, you preserve more crunch and more nutrients.
  6. Carefully unwrap and serve. Unroll the bundle and remove the paper towel with tongs. Serve the asparagus immediately.
    • Be careful as you unroll the paper towels. Since steam was created, you can expect a large amount of steam to come off the spears as you unveil them. Using tongs can protect your hands, but you should also keep your face back to avoid burning your face, as well.
    • Add a dollop of butter or garlic butter to the asparagus before serving, if desired.

Tender Microwaved Asparagus

  1. Place the asparagus in a microwave-safe dish. Arrange the asparagus spears in a microwavable dish with the tips pointing in the center, if possible.
    • The tips are a more tender part of the asparagus spear, so they tend to cook faster than the woody stalk. As a result, these tips are also more likely to become mushy if overcooked.
    • Since the center of the microwave receives less heat than the outside, placing the tips toward the center will help prevent them from cooking too fast.
    • Note, however, that if you are using a rectangular dish can cannot arrange the asparagus spears in this manner; you can just line the spears up evenly. They should still cook without any problems.
  2. Add water, orange juice, or white wine. Only add 1/4 cup (60 ml) of liquid. Sprinkle with salt, if desired.
    • If you want the flavor of the asparagus to shine on its own, or if you plan to season the asparagus or toss it in a dressing after you cook it, use water.
    • If you want to add a quick boost of flavor to the asparagus as you cook it, however, try either orange juice[3] or white wine.[4]
  3. Microwave for 4 to 7 minutes. Cover the dish and microwave on full power until the spears become tender.
    • If the dish has a microwave-safe lid, use the lid, but open any built-in vents before putting it on or put the lid on slightly askew to prevent too much steam and pressure from building up inside.
    • If you are microwaving cuts and tips instead of whole spears, only cook the asparagus for 3 to 5 minutes at full power.
    • Stir the asparagus halfway through to promote even cooking.
  4. Serve hot. Let the dish stand for 5 minutes before serving, then transfer the cooked asparagus to individual serving dishes.
    • Be careful when removing the cover from your container. A great deal of steam can build up during the cooking process, and you can burn your hands or face if you get your skin too close.
    • Add a dollop of butter or garlic butter to the asparagus before serving, if desired. Toss the asparagus spears gently to coat them.

Optional Dressing: Garlic Butter

  1. Mix the butter and garlic.[5] Use a fork to thoroughly blend the softened, room temperature butter with the freshly minced garlic until the garlic is evenly distributed throughout.
    • The butter must be softened. If the butter is still chilled, it will be impossible to mix the garlic in evenly.
    • To soften butter, leave it out on the kitchen counter for about 30 minutes. If you are short on time, microwave the butter, in its paper wrapping, for about 10 seconds. Do not microwave foil wrapping.
    • If you do not have fresh garlic or do not want pieces of minced garlic mixed into your asparagus dish, you could use 1/8 tsp (0.625 ml) of garlic powder, instead.
  2. Add a dollop to the asparagus before serving. Place roughly 1 Tbsp (15 ml) of garlic butter on the hot, microwaved asparagus, tossing the spears gently to melt the butter and coat the asparagus.
    • If you want to flavor the asparagus as it cooks, use the tender-cook method outlined above and add the 1 Tbsp (15 ml) of garlic butter to the asparagus when you add the salt, just before you cover and cook it.
    • The rest of the butter can be stored and refrigerated in an airtight container for 3 days.

Things You'll Need

Asparagus

  • Dry paper towels
  • Vegetable peeler
  • 4 paper towels or microwave-safe dish
  • Tongs

Garlic Butter

  • Small mixing bowl
  • Fork
  • Airtight container

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.bhg.com/recipes/how-to/cook-with-fruits-and-vegetables/how-to-cook-asparagus/
  2. ↑ http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/steamed-asparagus-recipe/index.html
  3. ↑ http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=198381&sc=3023
  4. ↑ http://allrecipes.com/recipe/the-best-steamed-asparagus/
  5. ↑ http://www.marthastewart.com/319245/garlic-butter

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