With this easy recipe, you’ll be able to turn white asparagus into the most delicious version you’ve ever tasted. If you’ve never tried white asparagus before, you’re in for a real treat!
Take it from a German: when the first Spargel hits the markets, the whole country goes absolutely crazy. We even joke that there’s a fifth season in Germany – called Spargelsaison (white asparagus season) – and trust me, it’s a big deal! While finding white asparagus in the U.S. can be a little tricky, over the years I’ve discovered a few good sources. And every spring, I can’t wait to get my hands on this delicate vegetable and bring a little taste of home to my table.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
The ingredients
- Fresh white asparagus: Ideally, you will want to find the freshest asparagus possible
- Butter: Fat carries flavor and butter brings out the natural flavors of white asparagus
- Lemon juice: The acidity of the lemon cuts through the slight bitterness
- Salt: Without salt, this dish would be really bland
- Sugar: Adding a pinch of sugar heightens the sweetness of the asparagus
Useful tools and equipment
Of course, you don’t need much but here are my favorites:
- Vegetable peeler: Often also called Sparschäler or Spargelschäler in German, my favorite one is this Swiss vegetable peeler
- Sharp knife: I like a little paring knife to cut off the woody ends
- Large pot: While they have specific asparagus pots in Germany, any pot large enough to hold the asparagus will do
- Slotted Spoon or Tongs: Asparagus tongs help remove the asparagus spears from the cooking water without damaging them
- veg peeler: https://amzn.to/3Yn5lp7, asparagus tongs: https://amzn.to/437csVi
Substitutions and variations
- Lemon: If you don’t have any lemon juice you can also use some apple cider vinegar or sherry vinegar
- Butter: You can also use a little olive oil instead of the butter or even use brown butter for a more pronounced butter flavor
- Roasting: While this white asparagus recipe is the most traditional way of cooking it, you could also roast this vegetable with some olive oil, salt, and sugar androast at 400°F (200°C) for about 20–25 minutes until tender and slightly golden
How to serve
There are many different ways to serve white asparagus, I will list the most traditional ones:
- As a main course with some melted butter and boiled potatoes is definitely my favorite way
- Or serve it with a Hollandaise sauce
- If you would like this to be a bit more substantial you can serve it with ham or prosciutto
- You can also serve it as a side dish next to potatoes and a good Schnitzel
- Of course, white asparagus is a great vegetable to serve with chicken breast, fish, or hard-boiled eggs
How much asparagus per person?
This will largely depend on what else you are serving this white gold with. As a rule of thumb:
- As a main, calculate about 1 pound of asparagus per person
- As a side dish, serve about ½ pound per person
Other German recipes you might like
German Meatballs in White Sauce
How to make this dish
This is just a summary of the steps. For the complete instructions, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
1. Peel the asparagus:
Cut off the woody stems and with a vegetable peeler or a sharp knife, carefully peel all the asparagus spears.
2. Cook the asparagus
In a large pot, bring enough water to a boil so that the asparagus can swim freely. Add the asparagus, butter, lemon juice, salt, and sugar. Let the asparagus cook for about 10-15 minutes or until just tender. This will largely depend on the thickness of the asparagus.
3. Drain and serve
With a slotted spoon or tongs, remove the asparagus from the cooking water. Transfer it to a serving plate and enjoy while hot.
PRO TIP: If you save the asparagus cooking water, you can make a delicious white asparagus soup with it.
Frequently Asked Questions:
You can definitely use the green variety however, the flavor is quite different from white asparagus.
Green asparagus grows above ground and gets its color from sunlight, which also gives it a slightly stronger, more grassy flavor. White asparagus, on the other hand, is grown completely underground to keep it tender, pale, and much milder in taste.
In short, yes! While you do not need to peel green asparagus, the peel of white asparagus is tough and stringy, even after cooking.
You definitely want to check it often to prevent overcooking. Ideally, the spears will be tender but not falling apart.
Yes, you can peel it and wrap it in a damp kitchen towel then keep it in the refrigerator for up to 1 day before cooking.
This is an old question. Ultimately it will depend on what you can find and your preference. However, peeling thick spears will go faster than peeling very thin ones.
Authentic German White Asparagus | Weißer Spargel
With this easy recipe, you’ll be able to turn white asparagus into the most delicious version you’ve ever tasted. If you’ve never tried white asparagus before, you’re in for a real treat!
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 128kcal
- 4 pounds white asparagus
- 1 TBSP butter
- 1 TBSP lemon juice
- 1 TBSP sugar
- 1 tsp salt
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Cut the woody ends of the asparagus and with a vegetable peeler or sharp knife, peel the asparagus, being careful not to break the spears.
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In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Add the asparagus, butter, lemon juice, sugar, and salt. Add more water if necessary to make sure all the asparagus is covered.
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Over low heat, cook the asparagus until just tender, about 15 minutes, depending on the thicknes.
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With a slotted spoon or tongs, carefully remove the asparagus. Serve immediately.
- calculate 1 pound per person if you’re serving the asparagus as a main or about ½ pound person if you’re serving it as a side
- you can either hold the asparagus spears in your hands for peeling or if they are very thin, place them on a cutting board so as not to break them
- avoid overcooking the asparagus by testing the doneness frequently; ideally, the asparagus will be tender but still holds its shape
- serve with boiled potatoes and lots of melted butter, a Hollandaise, ham or prosciutto, Schnitzel, or your favorite pairings
Calories: 128kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 613mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 12g | Calcium: 110mg | Iron: 10mg