What Is Natural Pressure Release Aka Npr
A natural pressure release happens when the cooking time is over and the valve is left closed. The pressure decreases without doing anything. Your Instant Pot will automatically switch to the Keep Warm setting.
As soon as it switches to Keep Warm the pressure will begin to drop and will release the pressure by itself. Youll know its done when the pin drops.
How To Cook Asparagus In An Instant Pot
The Instant Pot is my go-to appliance for steaming vegetables. Steaming not only locks in the bright green color of the asparagus, but it also gives it a pleasantly soft bite. Use the Instant Pot to prepare asparagus for appetizers, side dishes or salads.
You can also steam asparagus ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator until youre ready to eat. Just let the asparagus come to room temperature before servingice-cold asparagus doesnt taste that great.
Instructions
The Best Garlic And Parm Instant Pot Asparagus
While I love a roasted vegetable, I have to say the Instant Pot is moving right up into competition. I cant even begin to tell you how fast and easy this recipe is for such flavorful asparagus! When garlic and parmesan come together I have to say it is always a winning dish.
Instant pot Garlic Parmesan Asparagus is great with Instant Pot Honey Ham, Skillet , Or even my French Onion Pot Roast
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How To Blanch Asparagus
Blanching asparagus is a simple way to cook it for eating, but its also a method used to pre-cook it before using other methods, or when adding it into other dishes.
You dont necessarily need to blanch it before every cooking method, but when cooking it at a high temperature for a shorter period, you might end up with asparagus that seems done on the outside, but overall is still tough/undercooked.
As I outline each cooking method below, Ill mention blanching if its recommended.
Another use for this method: Youll also need to blanch fresh asparagus before freezing it. Im sharing more info about freezing and storage later in this post.
How To Choose And Store Asparagus
When buying asparagus I like to look for tender young stalks to medium sized ones that are bright green in color with an inch or so of white at the bottom tip. Did you know that once an aspargus plant matures that the stalks mature in 24 hours? I didn’t either but you can read more about this and what farmers have to do at harvest time at The Spruce Eats.
Once you get your fresh asparagus home be sure not to rinse or put the ends of the stalks in water. Trim about a half-inch off the bottom if you don’t plan to use it right away then store up to 3-4 days in the fridge.
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How To Pick A Good Asparagus Bunch
Color: Look for asparagus that is bright green in color with a hint of purple in the tip.
Texture: The stalks should be smooth and firm. There should not be any wilting evident.
Thickness: I generally look for a medium sized bunch of asparagus. Thin asparagus is sometimes stringy, while thicker stalks can sometimes be chewier
Avoid: Try to avoid asparagus that appears woody. This means that asparagus has matured for too long and will be tougher and very stringy.
How Long To Cook Asparagus
One of the most frequently asked questions is how long to cook asparagus. The answer depends on the size of your asparagus and your cooking method. Thin spears could take just a couple of minutes, especially if you’re using a high-heat method of cooking, such as grilling, roasting, or pan-frying. Thicker spears will take longer to cook. Here’s how to avoid overcooking your asparagus.
- Allow plenty of extra spears for testing as you cook.
- No matter which cooking method you choose, the residual heat will continue cooking the asparagus. Remove it from the stove/grill/oven when it’s almost done to your taste.
- If you’re blanching and reheating asparagus, remove it from the boiling water when it’s still a bit more crisp than you like. The reheating will finish cooking the spears.
Read Also: How To Cook Brussel Sprouts In Instant Pot
How To Make Steamed Asparagus In An Instant Pot:
Place asparagus in a steaming rack, set inside your pressure cooker insert and add the water.
Twist the lid into the Locked position, turn the knob to the Sealing position. Plug in the Instant Pot, press the Steam button and adjust the cooking time to 2 minutes*.
When the timer beeps, turn Off the pressure cooker and carefully release the steam. Lift the steamer basket out of the Instant Pot and place asparagus in a serving bowl.
Season as desired and serve immediately. This Easy Blender Hollandaise Sauce is perfect poured on top, or served on the side as a dip.
Easy, right?
- I used this Silicone Steamer Basket and this Instant Pot®.
- If your asparagus stems are thin, reduce cooking time to 1 minute* and check to see if they done. If they are very thin, cook for “0” minutes. They will cook while the pot is building pressure, then shut off.
- You can cook any amount of asparagus for the same amount of time.
- Yes, any brand of pressure cooker will work, but I have not used any other brand and cannot guarantee your results will be the same or that you will have the same buttons…so think of these as guidelines
***This recipe was made using a 6-Quart IP Duo Instant Pot if you have an 8 quart or a 6 quart Instant Pot that is less than 2 years old, you may need to cook for “0” minutes. The newer versions are much more temperamental and cook hotter causing BURN notices, and vegetables to turn to mush more easily.***
Enjoy!!
When Is Asparagus Season
Although it’s available all year round, spring is when you can relish the best harvested crops. Depending on your location, the warmer states in America will start seeing freshly harvested Asparagus from Late February to June. However the colder states in America they are in season from March to April. In Canada it’s April To July. While here in Germany, the Asparagus season is from April to June.
No farmer’s market in Germany is complete with Asparagus that time of the year.
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How To Cook Asparagus In A Pan
My Flavor Tip: Add fresh chopped basil towards the end of cooking. Then, sauté and add a squeeze of lemon juice on top before serving.
One of my favorite brunch recipes uses this method of cooking asparagus in the pan to make vegan eggs benedict. The asparagus spears add a nice bite with the tofu egg, tomato slices, and homemade hollandaise sauce. Its so delicious!
How To Cook Asparagus In The Instant Pot
STEP. 1 Make sure your asparagus fit in the pot. Trim the ends to make them fit.
STEP. 2 Place a steam basket or the trivet. Add the cup of water, place the asparagus in the steam basket.
STEP. 3 Place the lid on the pot and lock it in place. Turn the steam release knob to the Sealing position . Press STEAM and the + or – button to choose 0 minutes. The pot will take a few minutes to build up the pressure before the timer starts.
STEP. 4 When the cooking cycle has finished, then do a Quick Release of the pressure by turning the knob towards the Venting position . When the metal pin in the lid drops down, you can open the lid facing away from you.
STEP. 5 Lift the steamer basket out of the Instant Pot and place asparagus in a serving bowl.
Have you ever wonder how to buy the best-looking asparagus and how to keep them fresh longer well, here are some helpful tips.
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How To Steam Asparagus On The Stove
My Flavor Tip: Season the steamed asparagus with your favorite herb seasoning and a drizzle of olive oil.
This recipe for lemon tarragon asparagus uses the steaming method but with a flavorful twist! The spears are dressed with fresh lemon juice and tarragon and combined with the tang of minced garlic and dijon mustard. Its scrumptious when served with grilled salmon.
How Long To Steam Instant Pot Asparagus
Accounting for the time it takes the pot to come to pressure, it will take approximately 10 minutes to steam asparagus.
How long you set the timer for will depend on how thick your asparagus is and how crispy or soft you like it. The times listed below should yield tender asparagus that still has a bit of bite.
| How thick is your asparagus? | Set the timer for: |
| Thick, ½ inch round or larger | 2 Minutes |
If the asparagus is not cooked quite enough when the timer completes, simply place the lid back on the pot for a minute or two. The steam in the pot will continue to cook the asparagus without needing to bring it to pressure again.
If you are worried about overcooking the asparagus, reduce the time for medium or thick stalks.
It is important to set the pot to low pressure. High pressure will overcook it.
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How To Trim Asparagus
Be sure to trim asparagus before cooking. The ends of the stalks can be woody, meaning they are thick, tough, and hard to digest. You should easily be able to feel where it goes from soft to tough .
- The most accurate way to trim is to use a sharp knife to cut right where the woody ends begin.
- A quick and easy way to trim asparagus is to just snap it off. Place your fingers at the end of the stalk and mid-stalk. Then bend it and it will snap off where it needs to.
- To clean it up, use a sharp knife to cut off any tough parts that may have been left behind.
How To Steamed Asparagus In Instant Pot
Don’t forget to share it!
Instant pot steamed asparagus is the cooking m ethod that helps to preserve more of the nutrients and the rich flavors of asparagus.
Its asparagus season! Spring is the peak season to buy fresher asparagus. If you havent tried to make steamed asparagus in the instant pot, you need to. Once I discover how easy it is and that I don’t have to worry about overcooking them, I was sold for this appliance one more time. It is super easy to make asparagus in the pressure cooker that I wont steam asparagus on the stove anymore. With this instant pot asparagus recipe, you will love your instant pot even more if you havent done steamed vegetables in it.
If youre thinking about getting a replacement or want another instant pot I recommend you to get an ultra, with this instant pot you dont need to remember to turn to seal, you can make yogurt. With the ultra setting, you can control the temperature of the water, perfect for sous vide, and is compatible with the air fryer lid, which I love too.
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Pin This Instant Pot Asparagus Recipe
Instant Pot Asparagus is fresh tasting, and the lemon butter sauce is delicious over it. This is a perfect vegetable side dish for your Holiday meal, or with salmon.
- 1bunchFresh Asparagus,about 10 oz
- 1/2cupWater
- 1cloveGarlic,minced
- 1/4tspSalt
- 2-4tspFresh Lemon Juice
- 1/4cupGrated Parmesan Cheese
Make sure your asparagus fit in the pot. Trim the ends to make them fit.
Add the water and butter to the pot. Also add garlic, if using.
Press the Pressure Cook/Manual button or dial. Then press the +/- button or dial to select 1 minute. Select 0 minutes for thinner asparagus*, or for crisper results .
When the butter is melted and the water is hot, add the asparagus, laying half in the pot, and the other half crossways over the first layer. You don’t need a steamer rack, it is optional.
Close the lid and set the steam release knob to the Sealing position. The pot will take a few minutes to come to pressure.
As soon as the cooking cycle is finished, turn the steam release knob to the Venting position. When the pin in the lid drops back down, open the lid.
Use tongs to gently take the asparagus out of the pot onto a plate.
Add the salt and lemon juice to the liquid in the pot. Taste and adjust salt and/or lemon juice as needed.
Stir in the parmesan and then spoon mixture over the asparagus.
Serve immediately.
*If your asparagus is really thin, or you like it a little crisper, try using LOW pressure to avoid overcooking it.
How To Prepare Asparagus
Rinse the stalks well in cold water. Snap off the ends as far down as they will easily break when you gently bend them, or cut off the tough white portion. If youre working with large stalks, use a vegetable peeler to gently peel the tough area of the stalk from the end to just below the tip. If the tips are large, scrape off some scales with a knife.
For more tips, follow our step-by-step guide to how to prepare asparagus.
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Tips For Cooking Asparagus
Best to cook your asparagus as soon as you can for fresh delicious flavors.
For our pressure cooking experiments, our ideal Instant Pot Asparagus cooked just right are:
- Texture: crisp-tender & juicy compared to oven roasted asparagus
- Color: vibrant green
- Flavors: distinctive sweet earthy, grassy-savory-bitter flavors
How To Steam Asparagus
You can steam asparagus in a frying pan or skillet, like in this Garlic Parmesan Asparagus recipe. Simply fill a large skillet with about 1/2 inch of water and bring it to a boil. Add the asparagus, and cover and cook it for 3 to 5 minutes until it reaches your ideal tenderness. Then drain, season and serve!
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Instant Pot Asparagus With Garlic Lemon Pepper
The easiest and most delicious Instant Pot Asparagus with Garlic Lemon and Pepper. Bye bye mushy, soggy, or undercooked pressure cooker Asparagus. You will love just the perfectly crispy tender texture of this Instant Pot Asparagus that is ready in less than 15 minutes. Can be made Vegan. Fits Keto and Low-Carb Diet. 1 minute Video Recipe Are you ready for it?
Anvita
LETS BE FRIENDS ON ! WERE ALWAYS PINNING TASTY RECIPES!
Ways To Cook Asparagus
There are so many easy ways to cook asparagus, and Im going to give you the quick step by step for each method! These are my favorite base asparagus recipes.
Were sticking to the basics here when it comes to flavor, so well be using only salt, pepper, and oil to cook. But you can use the same methods and add your preferred seasonings.
I wont mention it every time, but be sure to rinse and trim asparagus before starting each cooking method.
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Ingredients To Make Asparagus In The Instant Pot
Ready for this ingredient list? Its short and sweet so dont blink.
- 1 bunch asparagus, medium thickness spears are best
- water
- salt & pepper
Thats it! For the base recipe at least.
If you want to pretty things up once the asparagus is cooked you can garnish with some sea salt, chili flakes, fresh parsley and/or lemon.
What Do We Mean By Healthy
Our recipes focus on real ingredients and homemade elements. We try to avoid processed flour and sugar, like white flour or white sugar. Our recipes often swap less healthy options for an easy homemade version.
Our recipes are not necessarily low fat or low calorie, and we arent afraid of fat or carbs! Some of our recipes will be skinny, low carb, keto, paleo, dairy free, grain free, gluten free, Whole30, or vegan, and they will be labeled when they qualify for any of these diets. All our recipes are easy and family friendly!
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How To Cook Asparagus In The Oven
My Flavor Tip: Sprinkle the baked spears with shredded parmesan cheese .
One dish I highly recommend making is this spring asparagus tart in the oven. This recipe calls for buttery puff pastry and this delicious homemade garlic spread that works perfectly with the roasted asparagus.
