A seasonal spring take on a classic, quick weeknight dinner; fried rice with asparagus and peas.
Asparagus is one of my favourite spring vegetables. My favourite way to eat it? Honestly, it’s the the simplest way. Tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper and roasted in the oven at 425F for about ten minutes. I know. It’s not much of a recipe.
Over the years I’ve shared many asparagus recipes–my asparagus soup and bacon and asparagus frittata are two of my favourites–but this year I was stuck. What could I add to my asparagus recipe repertoire?
I’ve been making a lot of fried rice recently. It’s a staple. Not sure what to have for dinner? Fried rice. Not sure what to have for breakfast? Fried rice. So naturally, as I was thinking about what to do with asparagus, I went for fried rice.
Easy, weeknight friendly, and not made with too many ingredients. Sounds like a winning recipe to me.
Should I use leftover/day-old rice to make fried rice?
Honestly, you don’t need to, but it will make it much tastier. Using day old rice allows the rice to dry out a little bit in the fridge ahead of time, so instead of soggy/gummy rice, you’ll have individual grains of rice with great texture.
But, honestly, the number of times I’ve made fried rice with freshly cooked rice? Too many to count. So if that’s all you have, it will do the trick!
A tip for using fresh rice:
If you do find yourself using freshly cooked rice, a simple trick is to arrange the cooked rice on a baking sheet to allow it to cool faster. Slightly cooled rice is better than steaming hot!
Along with the asparagus, this recipe uses frozen peas and eggs. Along with the holy trifecta of onion, garlic and ginger.
Asparagus Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp canola oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp minced ginger
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp chili flakes
- 1 lb asparagus, tough ends trimmed, asparagus thinly sliced
- 4 cups cooked white rice, or 1 cup, uncooked rice cooked to package directions
- 2 eggs
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp soy sauce, or Tamari for gluten free
- ½ cup frozen peas
Instructions
- Heat a large frying pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add canola oil and onion. Cook, stirring frequently for 2 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, chili flakes and salt. Cook until fragrant, another 2 minutes.
- Add thinly sliced asparagus and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until asparagus is bright green and starting to get tender.
- Add rice and cook for two minutes. Allow grains of rice to toast slightly and become lightly golden. Create a well in the rice big enough to scramble the eggs. Crack the eggs into the well, and scramble until cooked, 1-2 minutes. Add peas and stir to distribute eggs and peas into the rice.
- Add soy sauce and sesame oil, stirring to coat every grain of rice. Serve.
Clara 
Louisa Clements
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