Three Chinese-ish Ways to Cook With Green Asparagus

A buttery stir-fry with shrimp and douchi, a punchy salad, and a fried rice

When you live in Berlin, even if you have zero interest in cooking, it’s hard to miss the arrival of two spring-summer seasonal obsessions: asparagus and strawberries. Germany’s obsession with asparagus—especially the white variety—runs deep. There’s an official end to the season, entire festivals devoted to it, and even an asparagus queen crowned each year. It’s impossible to miss the bright red, strawberry-shaped sheds selling the sweetest local berries from Karl’s Erdbeerhof. This beloved producer has its own theme park, adorable merch, and even a strawberry döner.

Signs of asparagus in a Berlin farmer’s market

Asparagus was something I started to truly love after moving to Germany (…and sparkling water). While most of the national craze surrounds white asparagus, I’ve always preferred green. Its crisp, tender texture reminds me of ingredients I grew up with in China: spring bamboo shoots, garlic scapes, celtuce, and jiaobai (茭白), also known as water bamboo (but actually a product of fungal infection of wild rice).

Asparagus isn’t native to Chinese soil, and it only began appearing regularly in local markets and kitchens in the past few decades. These days, green asparagus is easy to find—even in the small town where my parents still live. I used to think white asparagus was a strictly German obsession, until I came across a book on small-town food culture in Sichuan that mentioned farmers in Bazhong, in the province’s mountainous northwest, have been cultivating white asparagus since 2013. On the other side of the country, in coastal Fujian, growers on Dongshan Island are not only farming white asparagus but incorporating it into distinctly Chinese dishes.

Asparagus and shrimp stir-fry

There are countless ways to cook with this crisp, springy green vegetable, but I almost always return to two basics: a quick blanch—白灼 (baizhuo)—or a stir-fry. Both methods let asparagus shine for what it is. For stir-fries, often toss it into a wok with frozen shrimp for a light, protein-packed meal that’s done in under 20 minutes.

Here are three of my go-to ways to cook green asparagus, inspired by Chinese flavors and pantry staples I always keep on hand. They’re unfussy, adaptable, and quick to cook. And yes, there’s butter in two of them. That’s where the “-ish” in Chinese-ish comes in.

(Pro tip I picked up from America's Test Kitchen via TikTok: soaking asparagus in a bit of sugary water can make it more tender and sweet.)

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Buttery Asparagus Shrimp Stir-fry with Douchi丨豆豉芦笋炒虾

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 300g (10 oz.) green asparagus

• 150g (5 oz.) shrimp (peeled and deveined)

• 1 tsp vegetable oil

• 2 tsp unsalted butter

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 1 tsp douchi (fermented black beans), roughly chopped

• 2 tsp light soy sauce

• 1 tsp fish sauce

• salt and black pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. Trim the woody ends of the asparagus. Slice off the tips, then cut the stalks diagonally into 1-inch pieces.

2. Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan over medium heat. Add the asparagus and stir-fry for about 1 minute.

3. Add 1 tbsp of water, cover with a lid, and steam for 2 minutes. Remove the lid and let any excess water cook off. Add the shrimp and cook until they turn pink, about 1 minute.

4. Push the shrimp and asparagus to the side of the pan. Add the butter, let it melt, then stir in the garlic and douchi. Stir-fry everything together until coated and fragrant. Season with soy sauce, fish sauce, salt, and pepper. Serve hot.

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Blanched Asparagus Salad丨白灼芦笋

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 300g (10 oz.) green asparagus, preferably thick stalks

• 1 dried chili (preferably Sichuan or Chinese chilis), deseeded and sliced

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil

• ½ tsp Sichuan peppercorns

• 1 tsp light soy sauce

• 2 tsp Chinese black or rice vinegar

• 1 tsp sugar

• salt, to taste

• a few drops of sesame oil

Instructions:

1. Trim the woody ends of the asparagus. Bring a large pot of water to a boil with a pinch of salt and a splash of oil. Blanch the asparagus for 1½ minutes, then transfer to an ice bath.

2. Once cooled, drain and pat dry. Lay one asparagus spear on a cutting board. Using a knife or vegetable peeler, slice from root to tip into long, thin strips (each spear should yield 3–4 ribbons). Arrange on a plate. You can also just cut the asparagus into shorter stems and quarter or halve them lengthwise if you don’t feel confident about slicing.

3. Thinly slice the dried chili. Place the chili and Sichuan peppercorns in a small heatproof bowl. Heat the oil until shimmering, then carefully pour it over the chili mixture. Add soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and a pinch of salt to the bowl. Stir, then drizzle over the asparagus. Finish with a few drops of sesame oil. Toss to combine.

Notes: I want to keep the crisp texture so it’s not fully cooked, you can also use raw asparagus here if you don’t like them blanched.

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Egg Fried Rice with Asparagus丨芦笋蛋炒饭

Serves 1

Ingredients:

• 1 portion cold cooked rice (preferably day old)

• 3–4 spears of green asparagus, thinly sliced

• 1 shallot, thinly sliced (optional)

• 1 scallion, white and green parts separated

• 1 tbsp caipirinha or other preserved vegetables, finely chopped

• 1 egg

• 1 tsp light soy sauce

• salt to taste

Instructions:

1. In a wok or skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add shallots, asparagus, and the white part of the scallion. Cook until the shallots are translucent.

2. Add the cold rice. Stir-fry until heated through and the grains separate—no wet clumps.

3. Push everything to one side of the pan. Add a little more oil, if needed, and crack in the egg. Scramble quickly, then mix with the rice and vegetables.

4. Season with the soy sauce, salt, and optionally some butter (I added a tsp of leftover miso butter). Finish with the green part of the scallions. Serve hot.

Notes: You can toss more ingredients such as carrots, edamame, or protein into the fried rice.

For miso butter, I just smashed 1 part butter, 2 parts miso, and added a little bit of maple syrup, mix until well combined.

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More Ideas If You Can’t Get Enough

You can also grill asparagus and serve it with a Sichuan-style salt and pepper spice mix and a sprinkle of crushed roasted peanuts. I roasted mine at 200°C (about 400°F) for 15 minutes. I used this seasoning to serve new potatoes, which are also in season!

Salt & Sichuan Pepper Smashed Potatoes

Or try making a Chinese-style sesame sauce to drizzle over cooked asparagus—whether roasted or blanched.