The Food Lab's Micro-Steamed Asparagus With Poached Egg and Walnut Vinaigrette Recipe

By
J. Kenji López-Alt
Kenji Lopez Alt
J. Kenji López-Alt
Culinary Consultant
Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site. He is also a New York Times food columnist and the author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.
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Updated April 13, 2020

Why It Works

  • Since a microwave very efficiently and rapidly uses the liquid inside the vegetables themselves to heat them from the inside, you can micro-steam the asparagus in a matter of minutes.
  • Straining eggs in a fine-mesh strainer removes excess wispy, loose whites, creating tight, perfectly shaped eggs.

A poached egg and walnut vinaigrette round out this steamed asparagus, made by harnessing the power of your microwave. You can also use the vinaigrette on roasted vegetables, like beets or sweet potatoes, or on robust bitter greens, such as radicchio, endive, or frisée.

poached egg with asparagus
Photograph and video: J. Kenji López-Alt

This recipe is excerpted from The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science. You can sign up for The Food Lab Newsletter for news about upcoming events.

Recipe Details

The Food Lab's Micro-Steamed Asparagus With Poached Egg and Walnut Vinaigrette Recipe

Active 5 mins
Total 10 mins
Serves 2 servings

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Place asparagus in an even layer on a large microwave-safe plate and season with salt and pepper. Lay a triple layer of damp paper towels on top of asparagus, completely covering them, or cover with a clean, damp kitchen towel. Microwave on high power until asparagus is bright green and tender but still crisp, 2 1/2 to 6 minutes, depending on the power of your microwave.

  2. Remove asparagus and arrange on warmed serving plates. Top with poached eggs, drizzle with vinaigrette, and serve.

Special Equipment

Fine-mesh strainer, microwave

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
317Calories
27gFat
11gCarbs
13gProtein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories317
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 27g34%
Saturated Fat 4g19%
Cholesterol 185mg62%
Sodium 468mg20%
Total Carbohydrate 11g4%
Dietary Fiber 4g15%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 13g
Vitamin C 9mg45%
Calcium 84mg6%
Iron 3mg15%
Potassium 458mg10%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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