This asparagus rice is a simple side dish made with rice, fresh asparagus, and lemon. It's ready in about 30 minutes and pairs well with fish, steak, or chicken.
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Adding a delicious side of asparagus rice to your fish or meat entrée can take any meal from okay to extraordinary!
Why This Rice Dish Works
Jasmine rice is light and fluffy, with a clean flavor that works well with simple ingredients.
Asparagus cooks quickly and adds fresh spring flavor. Lemon juice and zest brighten the whole dish and keep it from tasting flat.
You can also change it up with other vegetables, like peas or carrots, or add fresh herbs such as dill, parsley, or mint.
It's an easy side dish that comes together fast and works with fish, chicken, steak, shrimp, or almost any weeknight dinner.
What You Need
- Jasmine rice (or other white rice)
- Asparagus Stalks
- Lemon
- Parsley
- Unsalted Butter
- Salt
- Pepper
- Water
How to Purchase Fresh Asparagus
Look for firm, bright green asparagus with tight, closed tips. Thin to medium spears work best for this recipe because they cook quickly and stay tender.
Avoid asparagus that feels slimy, smells strong, or has soft tips that are starting to open. Those are signs it is past its prime.
If you can't find good asparagus, use broccoli, sugar snap peas, or green beans instead.
Instructions
- Rinse the rice in a colander until the water runs clear.
- Bring water to a boil over high heat.
- Add the rice and ½ teaspoon of salt. Return to a boil.
- Then, lower the heat to the lowest setting.
- Cover the pot and set a timer for 15 minutes.
- Remove the pot from the heat and let it stand, covered, for 10 minutes.
Cut asparagus into 1-inch pieces, leaving the tips intact.
Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Drop in the asparagus and cook one minute. Using a slotted spoon or spider, remove the asparagus from the water and set aside for a moment.
In a large bowl, combine cooked rice, parsley, asparagus, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Toss.
Add olive oil or butter and toss. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Substitutions
Asparagus Lemon Rice can easily become Asparagus Cilantro Lime Rice.
Swap the parsley for cilantro, and the lemons for limes.
- Rice - I used white Jasmine rice in this recipe. You can always use long-grain brown rice or Basmati rice. Uncle Ben's converted rice is always an option too. Use what you have on hand.
- Asparagus can be substituted with broccoli, green beans, diced carrots, or green peas. Even frozen peas and carrots would work!
- Parsley - cilantro, chives, or dill can be used instead of parsley. Make it fresh!
- Lemon - limes, or key limes can be swapped out for lemon in this recipe.
- Water - use chicken or vegetable broth in place of the water for cooking the rice.
- Butter - I used a tablespoon of Kerrygold butter in the rice. You can use a fruity extra-virgin olive oil or leave it out--your choice.
Variations
- Spicy - add chili pepper flakes or stir a teaspoon of Cholula hot sauce into the cooked rice for some heat.
- Sweet - mix in a sauteed onion for a little sweetness.
- Veggies: sub small pieces of other green vegetables. like broccoli, bell peppers, or artichoke hearts for asparagus.
- Fruit: instead of asparagus, fold in diced mango, pineapple, pear, or apple.
Storage and Reheating
Store leftover asparagus rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Freezing is not recommended because the asparagus can get soft.
Reheat the rice in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes, depending on the amount.
What Goes with Asparagus Rice?
Asparagus rice is a simple side dish that pairs well with fish, steak, chicken, shrimp, and grilled seafood. The lemon and asparagus keep it fresh, so it works especially well with rich or pan-fried main dishes.
Try it with these seafood recipes:
- Pan-Fried Yellowtail Snapper
- Grilled Red Snapper
- Oven Roasted Mahi Mahi
- Crispy Pan Fried Mahi Mahi
- Roasted Whole Red Snapper
- Air Fryer Snapper with Old Bay and Veggies
Try more of our Florida Keys recipes.
Takeaway
Asparagus rice is an easy spring side dish made with fluffy white rice, tender asparagus, fresh lemon juice, and lemon zest.
It comes together in about 30 minutes and pairs well with fish, chicken, steak, shrimp, or grilled seafood.
Serve it as a simple side for weeknight dinners, holidays, or any meal that needs something fresh and green.
FAQ
Rinse the jasmine rice in a fine mesh strainer until the water runs mostly clear to remove excess starch. Add the rice, water, and salt to a saucepan and bring it to a boil over high heat. Stir once, reduce the heat to low, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and let it sit, covered, for 5 to 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork before serving.
There are 145 calories per serving of asparagus rice.
Cooked white rice is easy to flavor with roasted garlic, lemon zest, fresh herbs, dried spices, butter, olive oil, or a splash of broth. You can also stir in cooked vegetables, such as asparagus, peas, carrots, mushrooms, or bell peppers, cut into small pieces so they mix evenly through the rice.
Fish and rice go well with simple sides like steamed vegetables, roasted asparagus, green beans, or a fresh garden salad. For extra flavor, add lemon garlic butter sauce, cucumber dill yogurt sauce, tartar sauce, or a squeeze of fresh lemon over the fish before serving.
Lemon Asparagus Rice
Ingredients
- 1 cup jasmine rice
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 pound fresh asparagus
- 4 tablespoons minced parsley, flat or curly leaf
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or unsalted butter
- Salt to taste
- Freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Rinse rice in a colander until the water runs clear. Bring water to a boil over high heat. Add rice and ½ teaspoon salt. Bring back to a boil and then lower the heat to the lowest setting. Cover the pot and set timer for 15 minutes. Let pot sit off the heat for 5 minutes. Lift cover and fluff with a fork.
- While rice is cooking, snap the ends off the asparagus. Cut the stalks into 1-inch pieces and leave the asparagus tips whole.
- Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Drop in the asparagus and cook one minute. Using a slotted spoon or spider, remove the asparagus from the water and set aside.
- When the rice is cooked, pour the hot rice into a big bowl.
- Add asparagus, chopped parsley, lemon juice, lemon zest, and butter.
- Toss with a rubber spatula until combined.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.
Felice says
❤️🐠🇺🇸
mallory k says
This worked exactly as written, thanks!
Michael says
This worked exactly as written, thanks!