Creamed Asparagus is pure comfort food. It’s a wonderful light supper to serve on buttered toast with crusty bread and some cold Chablis or Sauvignon Blanc, especially when it’s just me and the hubby and we want to eat light.
So the kids are away at a sleepover and it’s just you and your partner. And you want a light supper on the terrace by candlelight just to reconnect and keep those embers burning. You want a light meal for occasions like this.
Creamed Asparagus on toast is not only filling, it’s a wonderful celebration of the cornucopia of spring vegetables popping up in our garden and at the local farmers’ market.
I think it’s good for us to eat all vegetables and grains some nights and cleanse the system. My hubby and I sometimes spread a blanket on the ground and eat by moonlight and have a light supper just like this.
Making the Perfect Creamed Asparagus
Asparagus is best when steamed but still with a bite to the exterior. The creaminess of the sauce complements that crunch. You can get as decadent as you want with this sauce, too. Since it’s a butter-based cream sauce, why not go French and add heavy cream. Better yet, add some very, very finely diced shallots right into that butter and sauté them until translucent and then add that flour.
After the roux (that’s the name of the flour-and-fat mix) thickens, add a little white wine or, with cream sauce, cooking sherry. It will provide your sauce with a nice finish. So add enough to thin it. After that is reduced, add your cream, then sherry, then alternate until you have the most heavenly wine and cream sauce to add to your asparagus.
At this point, too, you could add some Fontina, Swiss, or provolone cheese for the most decadent and delicious creamed asparagus sauce in the world.
How do I store the asparagus?
You can store the sauce in the refrigerator, separate from the asparagus for three days. I don’t recommend freezing already cooked asparagus. The refrigerator doesn’t love it either. Try to make just enough for dinner and always cook your asparagus for that night’s meal. It just tastes best that way!
How else can I cook the asparagus?
Asparagus is good when cooked any number of these ways: steam, sous-vide, air-fry, or lightly boil. You could also simply sauté the asparagus in a pan, but it would be better to finish your sauce first! Otherwise, it will get cold!
Other great additions?
Celery pairs lovely with this dish, as do sauteed mushroom caps.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this with a crisp salad, like my new favorite spring salad, this Peach, Pecan, and Goat Cheese Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette, and some kind of crisp bread, like my toasted Sweet and Simple Honey Bread (don’t think you can only eat sweet stuff on honey bread). Honey bread is a nice contrast alongside all kinds of savory, garlicky foods. Believe it!
Creamed Asparagus
Ingredients
- 2 pounds fresh asparagus trimmed
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 6 slices bread toasted
Instructions
- In a large pot, bring enough water to cover the asparagus to a boil. Add the trimmed asparagus and cook until tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the asparagus and set aside.
- In the same pot, melt 3 tablespoons of butter over medium-low heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture is smooth and the flour has dissolved.
- Gradually add the milk to the butter and flour mixture, stirring constantly. Add the cooked asparagus and salt. Continue to simmer the mixture, stirring frequently, until it has thickened, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
- Spread the remaining butter on the toasted slices of bread. Serve the creamed asparagus over the toast.
Leave a Comment