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, fluffy, and has a clean flavor that works well with simple ingredients.
Asparagus cooks quickly and pairs well with fish, steak, or chicken. A little lemon brings everything together and keeps the dish fresh.
You can change it up with other vegetables like peas, carrots, or herbs like dill or mint.
It's an easy side dish that comes together fast and works with almost any 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 spears with tight, closed tips. Thin to medium stalks work best for this recipe.
Avoid asparagus that feels slimy or has tips that are soft or starting to open up. That's a sign it's past its prime.
If you can't find good asparagus, you can substitute broccoli or sugar snap peas.
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 the cooked rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Freezing is not recommended.
Reheat the rice in the microwave on high for a minute or two, depending on how much you have.
What Goes with Asparagus Rice?
Asparagus rice is a simple side that pairs well with fish, steak, or chicken. It's especially good with fried fish, roasted snapper, baked mahi mahi, shrimp, or grilled seafood.
It also works with steak or grilled chicken when you want an easy dinner.
Try some of our favorite fish recipes:
- Pan-Fried Yellowtail Snapper
- Broiled Yellowtail Snapper
- Oven Roasted Mahi Mahi
- Crispy Pan Fried Mahi Mahi
- Roasted Whole Red Snapper
- Oven Roasted Mahi Mahi (Dolphin)
- Air Fryer Snapper with Old Bay and Veggies
- How To Roast a Whole Snapper in The Oven
Try more of our Florida Keys recipes!
Takeaway
This springtime asparagus rice is an easy side dish that pairs well with fish, steak, or chicken.
It's made with simple ingredients, comes together in about 30 minutes, and works for weeknight dinners or a quick side.
You can serve it with just about anything or enjoy it on its own.
FAQ
Rinse the rice in a colander until the water runs clear. Then, bring water to a boil over high heat, add the rice and ½ teaspoon of salt, and bring it back to a boil. Afterward, lower the heat to the lowest setting, cover the pot, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and let it sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Finally, lift the cover and fluff the rice with a fork.
There are 145 calories per serving of asparagus rice.
You can flavor rice with roasted garlic, lemon zest, dried herbs and spices, butter or olive oil. You can also add cooked vegetables in bite-size pieces.
Steamed vegetables or a fresh garden salad complement fish and rice well, adding color and texture to the meal. For a flavor boost, consider a tangy lemon butter sauce or a refreshing cucumber dill yogurt sauce.
Lemon Asparagus Rice
Ingredients
- 1 cup jasmine rice
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 pound fresh asparagus
- 4 tablespoons minced parsley, flat or curly leaf
- 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!