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    Home » Sides » Purple Asparagus Recipe

    Purple Asparagus Recipe

    May 23, 2021 · by Valentina · 22 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe

    Purple Asparagus Recipe with lime and shallots takes only 15-minutes, and it's as delicious as it is beautiful. This is a perfect vegan or vegetarian spring or summer side.

    Peeled Purple Asparagus Recipe in a bright white dish with bits of shallots.

    Purple Asparagus

    Did you expect it to be a vibrant green beneath it's purple-reddish exterior?

    It's beautiful inside and out.

    One of my favorite things to do on Cooking On The Weekends is simply to celebrate the beauty of food.

    I often look at raw ingredients as paint. When I look at this photograph below I see purple textured brushstrokes. Delicious brushstrokes. 😉

    Several spears of dark purple asparagus on a minty green-colored, wooden background.

    Green Asparagus vs. Purple Asparagus

    • Purple asparagus is only slightly different in flavor and texture from green asparagus.
    • The purple is sweeter with a sugar content that's about 20% higher.
    • And purple asparagus is typically less fibrous and is therefore often more tender.
    • With these subtle differences, purple asparagus recipes are interchangeable with green asparagus recipes.

    Close up of the tips of a few dark purple asparagus spears on a light green piece of wood.

    Do you have to peel asparagus?

    Asparagus doesn't necessarily have to be peeled, but unless it's very thin, it's a good idea.

    Peeling it removes the more tough and fibrous portions -- and it makes it even prettier. Especially with purple asparagus recipes -- when you peel it, it's suddenly becomes two stunning colors. The contrast is lovely, and makes purple asparagus recipes a work of art!

    Peeled or not, purple asparagus recipes are beautiful!

    Collage of 3 photos of dark purple asparagus peeled, showing the bright green underneath.

    As pretty as a bouquet of freshly cut flowers.

    Close up of the tips of purple asparagus with blurred green stems.

    Even the scraps are a bundle of beauty.
    Peels and stems from purple asparagus in a pile on a cutting board.

    What makes purple asparagus purple?

    • Purple asparagus is rich in anthocyanins (don't even try to pronounce it!), which is what makes it purple.
    • Anthocyanins are antioxidant compounds -- those that are also found in blueberries and blackberries among a handful of other purple, red, and blue-like foods.

    This purple asparagus recipe below is super simple and would be delicious with any asparagus variety -- purple or not.

    Purple Asparagus Recipe in a bright white, square dish.

    You should be seeing purple asparagus in the specialty section of some grocery stores and at your local Farmer's Market.

    Enjoy this light and healthy Purple Asparagus Recipe!

    More asparagus recipes:

    • Vegan Asparagus Soup
    • Parmesan Asparagus Salad
    • Lemon-Dill White Asparagus
    • Lemon Grilled Asparagus in Foil
    • Asparagus Aussie Lamb Crostini
    • Pickled Asparagus
    Peeled purple asparagus with green stems in a white square dish

    Purple Asparagus Recipe with Lime and Shallots

    Valentina K. Wein
    This Purple Asparagus Recipe takes only 15-minutes, and it's as delicious as it is beautiful. It's the perfect vegan or vegetarian spring or summer side dish!
    5 from 5 votes
    Print
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 5 minutes mins
    Total Time 15 minutes mins
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine American
    Servings 4
    Calories 76 kcal

    Equipment

    • steamer pot

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 1 pound purple asparagus
    • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
    • 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
    • 1½ tablespoons shallots, super finely diced
    • salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

    Instructions
     

    • Place a medium-sized bowl of ice water on your work space.
    • Prep asparagus. Cut the bottom few inches (the tough portion), off of the asparagus and discard. You can actually "snap" the ends off with your hands -- it almost always breaks right where it should.
      Rinse the asparagus and then peel from just below the floret to the bottom, using a vegetable peeler.
    • Steam. Place a steamer in a pot with the water level just below it.  Over high heat, bring the water to a boil, add the asparagus to the rack, sprinkle it with salt and cover.  Reduce the heat to low and steam until tender, 5 minutes. (The cooking time will vary, depending on the thickness of the asparagus.)
    • Shock. Immediately add the steamed asparagus to the bowl of ice water and let it sit for a couple of minutes. (This is called shocking.)Then remove, pat dry with paper towels, and add them to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Set aside.
    • Make and add sauce. In a very small saucepan, melt the butter with the lime juice and shallots. Then season to taste with salt and pepper. (Here's How to Season to Taste.)
      Drizzle the butter sauce over the asparagus and carefully toss to be sure it's well coated.
    • Serve! (I like cutting the asparagus spears in half vertically because I love how it looks.)

    NOTES

    Calorie count is only an estimate.

    NUTRITION

    Calories: 76kcal
    Keywords pretty salads, colorful vegetables
    Have you tried this recipe?I'd love to see it on Instagram! Tag me at @cookingontheweekends or leave a comment & rating below.

    This post contains Amazon affiliate links for your convenience at no additional cost to you. I received the purple asparagus from Melissa's Produce -- as always all opinions are my own.

    Recommended for this recipe:

    Save

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Patricia@FreshFoodinaFlash

      June 01, 2015 at 1:11 pm

      5 stars
      Beautiful! Valentina, always love your photography, but this is special. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
      • valentina

        June 01, 2015 at 3:59 pm

        Thanks so much, Patricia! 🙂

        Reply
    2. Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious

      June 01, 2015 at 2:46 pm

      Stunning photography!

      Reply
      • valentina

        June 01, 2015 at 4:00 pm

        Thank you so much, Dorothy! XO

        Reply
    3. Sippitysup

      June 02, 2015 at 8:56 am

      The first time I ever saw purple asparagus my jaw dropped (so I could take a bite). Great recipe and beautiful pics that do look like paintings. GREG

      Reply
      • valentina

        June 02, 2015 at 2:19 pm

        Thanks, Greg -- I loved your salad recipe. 🙂

        Reply
    4. David

      June 03, 2015 at 8:12 pm

      Seems like you, Greg, and I have been enjoying our love affair with purple asparagus this summer. Love your simple and fresh vinaigrette! xo

      Reply
      • valentina

        June 03, 2015 at 11:04 pm

        True! I loved seeing it on both of your sites. Great minds think alike! 😉 xo

        Reply
        • David

          April 17, 2022 at 1:28 pm

          Oddly, I haven’t seen any purple asparagus this season… makes me sad. But the green asparagus has been sweet and wonderful!

          Reply
    5. Cathy | She Paused 4 Thought

      June 13, 2015 at 4:51 pm

      Absolutely gorgeous!

      Reply
      • valentina

        June 13, 2015 at 9:43 pm

        Thanks, Cathy! XO

        Reply
    6. David @ Spiced

      May 25, 2021 at 4:24 am

      5 stars
      Wow, you're totally right about the artistic value in food - especially this purple asparagus! Once you peel it, the colors are just so fun and striking. I love asparagus, and this is asparagus season right now. Thanks for sharing this tasty recipe, Valentina!

      Reply
      • valentina

        June 04, 2021 at 1:09 pm

        You are welcome! Thank YOU! 🙂 ~Valentina

        Reply
    7. Dawn - Girl Heart Food

      May 25, 2021 at 6:03 am

      5 stars
      How gorgeous is that asparagus??! I was so elated the other day to find some asparagus growing in our garden. Granted, there are only a couple of stalks, but it gets me all excited for what's to come. This pairing with lime and shallots sounds wonderful!!

      Reply
      • valentina

        June 04, 2021 at 1:10 pm

        Oh how awesome to have asparagus growing in your garden -- even if only a few stalks. Love that. Thank you for visiting, Dawn. 🙂 ~Valentina

        Reply
    8. Kim Lange

      May 25, 2021 at 3:03 pm

      5 stars
      I love asparagus! This looks amazing as a great side dish! Pinning! xo

      Reply
      • valentina

        June 04, 2021 at 1:11 pm

        Thanks for pinning and for visiting, Kim. 🙂 ~Valentina

        Reply
    9. Liz

      May 26, 2021 at 4:38 am

      5 stars
      Beautiful with a delicious recipe! I've been ODing my family on asparagus so needed a new idea for it. My latest batch was part purple, but yours is definitely a show-stopping, gorgeous color!!

      Reply
      • valentina

        June 04, 2021 at 1:12 pm

        Ha! I too have been serving a ton of asparagus -- much to my older son's dismay 😉 -- I just love it and the purple is so fun. Thanks for visiting, Liz. 🙂 ~Valentina

        Reply
    10. John / Kitchen Riffs

      May 26, 2021 at 7:58 am

      Love the looks of purple asparagus. Drop. Dead. Gorgeous. Wonderful flavor, too, of course. 🙂 Such a nice recipe -- thanks.

      Reply
    11. valentina

      June 04, 2021 at 1:13 pm

      Thank YOU, John. 🙂 ~Valentina

      Reply
    12. Eha

      April 16, 2022 at 5:21 pm

      Well, have to wait about four months to check whether the local farmers' markets can supply the elegant purple variety . . . do not remember the local supermarkets being 'friendly' re that ! Looks absolutely lovely . . .

      Reply

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