White Asparagus Recipe
This white asparagus recipe is incredibly easy and such a delicious change to your normal vegetable routine. You should really try it.
🍽️ Recipe Name: White Asparagus Recipe
⏰ Ready In: 35 minutes
⏳ Prep Time: 5 minutes
🔥 Cook Time: 30 minutes
👥 Serves: 6
🥕 Main Ingredients: White asparagus, water, vinegar, sugar, butter (optional), egg yolks, lemon juice, salt, pepper.
🍳 Special Equipment: Vegetable peeler, chef’s knife, cutting board, large pot or asparagus pot, double boiler (for hollandaise).
⭐ Why You’ll Love It: A simple, elegant side dish with tender-crisp asparagus and delicate flavor. Pair it with buttery hollandaise for a classic European-inspired meal.
👇 Full measurements and instructions are in the recipe card below.
White asparagus is a popular vegetable dish in Europe, especially Germany and Western Europe. It is not as easy to find it in the United States, but at certain times of the year, we can find it.
The season that it’s available starts in April and lasts only until mid-June. White asparagus has been cultivated in Europe since the 1500’s.
What Is White Asparagus?
White asparagus is exactly the same genus and species (Asparagus officinalis) as green asparagus. The difference is that the white version is blanched, similar to white cauliflower. In the case of the white version, soil or mulch is mounded up around the stalks so that they grow underground and receive no sunlight.
This stops the process of photosynthesis because no chlorophyll can be produced without sunlight. It is said to make the white version more tender than its green neighbors. I must agree.
What You Need
- White asparagus
- Sugar
- White vinegar – or substitute white wine
How to Make It
Add sugar and vinegar to pan.
Peel the bottom ⅔ of each spear; this tough outer layer is tough.
Add water to pan.
Add asparagus. Simmer for 30-35 minutes, until tender-crisp.
Optional Hollandaise Sauce Ingredients
- Eggs
- Lemon Juice
- Water
- Pepper
- Salt
- Butter
How to Make the Sauce
Set up a double boiler. Turn heat to medium-high. Separate eggs. Add yolks to the top of the double boiler.
Whisk. Add the remaining ingredients to the eggs.
Cut butter into 3 chunks. Place the top on the bottom of the double boiler. Stir or whisk continuously.
Add one piece of butter at a time. Stirring constantly, let the butter melt.
Great Tips For Sauce
- Monitor the heat in the bottom of the double boiler. If the heat becomes too hot, it will start to scramble the edges. Remove the top from the bottom of the double boiler until it cools a little.
- If sauce breaks or curdles, the water was too hot in the double boiler. Immediately beat in 1 to 2 tablespoons of hot water.
- Serve immediately.
- Sauce does not hold or reheat well. Leftovers can not really be used.
Pro Tips For Your Success
- Do not skip the peeling of the bottom of each spear. This layer can be quite tough.
- The sugar and vinegar will remove any bitterness that may be in the vegetable.
- Try to source fresh white asparagus spears to avoid any bitterness.
- Smaller diameter spears are more tender than thicker spears.
- Do not overcook. The texture should be tender-crisp.
- Serve with butter, drizzled with olive oil, white sauce or hollandaise sauce (recipe below).
This asparagus is delicious served as an appetizer. Wrap in prosciutto or ham, drizzle with olive oil, and make asparagus bundles. Just roast them for a few minutes in the oven until the meat browns a bit.
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Tools That Make This Recipe Work
If you don’t already have these, this is where most people struggle.
- Asparagus pot – Cooks long spears evenly while protecting the delicate tips. A regular pot makes them harder to handle and easier to overcook.
- Extra large bamboo cutting board – Gives you room to trim and peel long stalks without the mess. A small board makes prep awkward.
- Chef’s knife – Trims the woody ends with clean, even cuts. A dull knife can crush the stalks instead of slicing them.
- Vegetable peeler – Removes the tough outer layer that makes white asparagus stringy. Skipping it can leave the spears unpleasantly fibrous.
- Vegetable Steamer – Gently cooks the asparagus without making it waterlogged. It’s the easiest way to keep the texture tender.
- Mini Whisk – Blends sauces, dressings, or melted butter until smooth. Without one, you’ll often end up with lumps or ingredients that separate.
- 8-Inch Strainer – Drains the asparagus quickly without losing delicate spears or small ingredients. Using a bulky colander can make handling the cooked asparagus more difficult than it needs to be.
This pot holds long white asparagus spears without cutting them shorter. The basket makes it easy to lift the cooked asparagus from the water.
This steamer adjusts to fit different pots, making it easy to steam white asparagus. The extendable handle lets you lift the basket out safely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. White asparagus has a thick, fibrous outer layer that should be peeled before cooking. Peel from just below the tip to the bottom of the stalk.
The stalks should be tender when pierced with the tip of a knife or a fork. Cooking time depends on their thickness but usually takes 10 to 20 minutes.
Yes. Store cooled asparagus in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat it gently or enjoy it cold in salads.
Other Delicious Vegetable Recipes
That’s how easy it is to make these delicious asparagus. The flavor is more mild than green asparagus.
Inspiration for this recipe came from Patty Saveurs.
White Asparagus Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 bunch white asparagus
- 1 teaspoon Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon white vinegar
For Hollandaise Sauce – optional
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, fresh or bottled
- 1 Tablespoon water
- dash white pepper
- dash salt
Instructions
- Trim the bottom inch or so off of the spears. Peel asparagus. (save scraps for vegetable stock)
- Add vinegar and water to pot.
- Add water to just cover asparagus. If using asparagus pot, don't cover tips. Bring to boil.
- Add asparagus.
- Cook covered for 30-35 minutes until vegetable is tender- crisp in consistency.
- Serve immediately.
For Hollandaise Sauce
- Cut butter into 3 pieces.
- Set up double boiler. Do not let the water in the bottom hit the pot or bowl on top. You just want the steam from water.
- Beat eggs yolks in double boiler bowl.
- Add lemon juice and water.
- Place over lightly boiling water into the bottom pot.
- Cook, whisking or stirring rapidly until butter melts and sauce begins to thicken. Make sure to run your tool along the side of the pot to incorporate the edges, that will cook faster than the center. If this seems to be happening very quickly, remove from heat for a minute, or reduce heat on the bottom pot.
- Add the remaining butter one piece at a time, until melted after each addition.
- Sauce will thicken up nicely after the second addition. Remove from heat immediately.
- If sauce breaks or curdles, the water was too hot in double boiler. Immediately beat in 1 to 2 tablespoons of hot water. If you see sauce starting to "scramble" hold top of boiler off of the bottom for a few minutes until the pan cools some.
- Serve immediately.
See all of my favorite tools and gift ideas on my New Amazon Store!Check out Binky's Amazon Store!Notes
- Do not skip the peeling of the bottom of each spear. This layer can be quite tough.
- The sugar and vinegar will remove any bitterness that may be in the vegetable.
- Try to source fresh produce to avoid any bitterness.
- Do not overcook. The texture should be tender-crisp.
- Serve with butter, white sauce or hollandaise sauce.
