How to Blanch Asparagus

Here’s how to blanch asparagus! Cook until it’s perfectly tender and bright green, then plunge it into an ice bath.

Here’s a particularly useful method for the home cook: how to blanch asparagus! This method preserves this veggie so it stays bright green and tender: perfect for adding to salads, pasta, pizza, frittatas, and more. We know from experience: sauteed asparagus or roasted asparagus don’t save nearly as well as blanched. You can also go directly from blanched asparagus to freezing it. Ready to get started?

The method: how to blanch any vegetable

Blanching might feel like something Julia Child would do, but isn’t really applicable to the modern home cooks. Au contraire! This handy method can be used for many vegetables: as a step before freezing, or to cook something like green beans for a hearty main dish Nicoise Salad.

Blanching is a cooking method that involves boiling vegetables until they’re crisp tender, then plunging them into ice water to stop the cooking process. The ice water helps to keep the veggies as colorful as possible, and you’ll notice that it makes the spears beautifully bright green. Some experts say the ice water isn’t technically needed, but we like using it because it just tastes better (we think).

Trim the asparagus first

The only prep step for how to blanch asparagus? Trimming it! You’ll need to trim off the woody, tough ends of the asparagus. It’s fast and easy with a chef’s knife; here’s how to do it:

• Line up all the asparagus in the same direction.
• Use a chef’s knife to cut off the ends, just where the green part starts to turn white.

How to blanch asparagus (and how long)

When it comes to asparagus, all you need to know is the timing for blanching! Then you don’t even need to use a recipe. Memorize it, and then you’ll never need to read this again. Here’s what to know:

• First, trim the asparagus. If you’re planning to chop into pieces, you can do it either before or after you boil.
• How long to blanch asparagus? About 3 minutes, depending on thickness, until just crisp tender. Blanch thin spears for up to 2 ½ minutes and thick spears for around to 4 minutes.
• Plunge into an ice bath. Add to a bowl of ice water for 1 minute. Then drain and season!

How to freeze asparagus after blanching

Once you blanch asparagus, you can proceed right to freezing it. Here’s what to do:

• Place the blanched asparagus spears on a baking sheet in a single layer.
• Freeze 1 to 2 hours until solid. Then place in a freezer safe container. That’s it!

Storage info

How long does blanched asparagus last? It’s good for 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator, stored in a sealed container. Or, freeze it right away and you can store it 3 months or more.

Ways to use blanched asparagus

What are the best ways to use blanched asparagus? We’ve got lots of ideas! Blanching this vegetable makes it beautifully bright green and helps it hold up well in the refrigerator. This makes it great for throwing into salads or pasta throughout the week. Here’s what to try:

• Green salad: Try it in a green salad like Asparagus Salad with Feta
• Lentil salad: Use it in French Lentil Salad
• Main dish salad: Substitute for blanched green beans in a Nicoise Salad
• Pasta: Add it to Lemon Asparagus Pasta or White Sauce Pasta
• Pizza: Make a tasty spring pizza by adding to a Classic Burrata Pizza

And that’s it! Let us know what you think and what recipe you use for your blanched asparagus.

More asparagus recipes

Got more asparagus? Here’s what we recommend to give a try:

• Fire up the oven for Baked Asparagus or Roasted Asparagus with Lemon
• Grab a pan for Sauteed Asparagus or Steamed Asparagus
• Try creamy and lemony Asparagus Risotto or Asparagus Pasta with Lemon
• Go fresh and delicious with Shaved Asparagus Salad with Parmesan

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Asparagus Pasta with Lemon

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Roasted Asparagus with Lemon

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Asparagus Risotto

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Sauteed Asparagus

This blanched asparagus recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free, and gluten-free.

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