Asparagus Stir-Fry

Stir-fried Asparagus comes together in minutes and has so much zippy Szechuan flavor. But what I love most is the texture of the asparagus – tender, crisp, with just a little bit of snap.

In Shanghai, this dish is typically made with Chinese long beans (similar to green beans), and during our visit there, it easily became one of my favorites. Today I substituted asparagus, but know that green beans are another great option too!

I wasn’t expecting to fall in love with Shanghai, a city of 23 million people in Eastern China, but I did! I’m not sure whether it was the city itself, the amazing street food, the people, or the culture… whatever it was, by the end of our first day, I was completely smitten.

People started their day by doing Tai Chi in city parks and squares.  And as we sat there watching them slowly move the air with their hands, I began to feel a surprising sense of peace and calm. I had been waiting for the chaos that usually accompanies densely populated cities, but there was none to be found.

Most days, we would meander through the city, which housed both ultra-modern and ancient structures, finding little alleyways to get lost in.  Here, we discovered the tiny food stands, offering an endless array of tasty bites for mere pennies. I can’t articulate how much joy this brought.

One thing we learned is that in China, many people don’t own ovens. Most cooking is done on a stovetop, using a wok, China’s most common cooking utensil, where ingredients can be quickly fried, steamed, poached, braised or seared. Shanghai was a vegetarian paradise, with so many different kinds of fresh vegetables available everywhere!

 Asparagus Stir Fry Ingredients

• Fresh asparagus- try to find pencil thin asparagus, for the quickest cooking.
• Garlic and Ginger – add savory depth and zing.
• Peanut or coconut oil – for stir-frying. Peanut oil (expeller-pressed) adds a great flavor here!
• Dried red Chinese chilies – infuse the stir-fry with gentle heat. You won’t eat these.
•  Szechuan Peppercorns (or sub black peppercorns)
•  Soy sauce (or Gluten-Free Liquid Aminos)
•  Honey (or sub maple syrup, coconut sugar, brown sugar or sugar alternative)
• Toasted Sesame oil
• Rice wine vinegar (or Chinese black vinegar)
•  Chinese cooking wine (shaoxing) or mirin (both optional)
•  Garlic chili paste (or  sambal oelek), more for more spicy or substitute 1 teaspoon chili flakes
•  Chinese Five Spice
• Optional Garnishes: roasted peanuts, scallions, sesame seeds

How to make Asparagus stir-Fry

Step one:  To start the recipe, make the Szechuan sauce by mixing ingredients together in a small bowl. 

Step two:  Chop the asparagus, garlic, and ginger.

Step Six: Add the Szechuan Sauce and stir-fry for an additional minute.

Chef’s tip

Don’t overcook the asparagus, you want it vibrant green and tender crisp!

Serving Suggestions

Storage

Leftovers will keep up to 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.