5 Must-Try Weeknight Dinners for Asparagus Lovers

Asparagus is in season! Enjoy the veggie in this week’s meal plan in everything from stir fries to homemade pizza. You’ll have loads of fiber, protein, and potassium in your meals this week.

By
Katie Morford, MS, RD
Katie Morford
Katie Morford, MS, RD
Katie is a culinary dietitian with a master's degree in clinical nutrition. She has 25 years of experience as a recipe developer, writer, and teacher.
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Published May 28, 2021
Katie Morford
"What's for Dinner?" with Sheet Pan Chicken with Asparagus and Potatoes pictured behind the caption.

Simply Recipes

Even though asparagus is sold all year long, spring is where it’s at when it comes to these sturdy green stalks. To help you make the most of this veggie while it’s in season, we’ve compiled a week’s worth of recipe inspiration.

We’ve got a scrumptious sheet pan chicken you’ll want to make more than once, an asparagus-crowned pizza, and a quick steak and asparagus stir fry that’s perfect for weeknight dinner. Before you start your shopping list, here are a few things to know when it comes to asparagus:

  • Asparagus can be fibrous and woody at the bottom, so it requires a bit of trimming. Here is the perfect guide to prepping asparagus before cooking. 
  • The thickness of the stalks isn’t an indicator of how sweet and tender the vegetable is. Thick or thin, asparagus can be tough or tender. If you’re eating it in spring, though, it’s likely to be pleasingly sweet and crisp.
  • You can eat it raw. Shave or cut it very thin and asparagus is quite appealing straight from the garden with just a splash of olive oil and something acidic, like lemon juice or vinegar.
  • It’s good for you, a source of fiber, protein, and potassium. It’s also considered good for the gut thanks to its prebiotic fiber.  

Below, we have some delicious and interesting ways to try asparagus—everything from pizza to stir fry to soup.

  • Shaved Asparagus and Potato Pizza

    Shaved Asparagus and Potato Pizza
    Sally Vargas and Emma Christensen

    Pizza makes a perfect canvas for enjoying seasonal produce. Here, pizza dough is piled with sliced new potatoes, shaved asparagus, and creamy fontina cheese. Make weeknight dinner extra easy by buying store-bought pizza dough.

  • Flank Steak Stir Fry with Asparagus and Peppers

    Flank Steak Stir Fry with Asparagus and Red Bell Pepper
    Elise Bauer

    Pull out your wok, it’s time for a stir-fry (a standard skillet will work, too). Flank steak and asparagus are a dream team in this tasty dish that gets finished with a soy, ginger, garlic sauce. Make a pot of rice to go with it and dinner is done. If you don’t have asparagus on hand you can always sub in springs other favorite—sugar snap peas.

  • Sheet Pan Chicken with Asparagus and Potatoes

    Sheet Pan Chicken with Asparagus and Potatoes

    There’s so much to love about this sheet pan chicken dinner, starting with the fact that it demands very little clean up. Chicken legs and thighs seasoned with lemon and fresh thyme get nestled among sliced potatoes and tender asparagus. One and done (though if you feel like adding a salad, this is a good one).

  • Spring Minestrone Soup

    Spring Minestrone
    Elise Bauer

    The season for hot soup is waning, so now’s the time to give this one a whirl. It’s lighter than typical minestrone, made with asparagus, peas, artichoke hearts, and spring greens. A big spoonful of herby pesto goes in at the end, adding a punch of bright flavor to this nourishing soup. Make your own pesto using this classic recipe or pick up a ready-made one from the market.

    Continue to 5 of 6 below.

  • Skillet Shrimp with Asparagus

    Skillet Shrimp Asparagus
    Elise Bauer

    Start to finish, this shrimp recipe is done in under 30 minutes. Butter, olive oil, onions, garlic, chives, and lemon lightly coat the shrimp and asparagus in a dish that manages to be both light and satisfying. Serve it with crusty bread to soak up the tasty pan juices.

  • Weekend Baking: Rustic Apricot Tart

    Rustic Apricot Tart
    Elise Bauer

    Since asparagus doesn’t translate well to dessert, we are featuring another seasonal ingredient for this week’s sweet dessert: apricots. This is a free-form tart that doesn’t require a fancy baking pan. It’s made with a sweet/tangy filling of fresh apricots, cardamon, pecans, and raisins. The recipe includes instructions to bake it on your outdoor grill if the mood strikes.