This super quick and easy to make asparagus tempura is light, crispy, super moreish and highly addictive. Best scoffed then and there, it makes great impromptu snack to enjoy during short asparagus season.
Asparagus tempura is one of those unexpected little foodie discoveries that has brought me so much joy.
Every year during brief asparagus season I try to make the most of this beautiful veg and find new ways to enjoy it. Even though you really cannot beat having it gently steamed and served simply with a sprinkle of salt, pepper and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, why not try something new when there is asparagus aplenty?
You might want to try my Tomato and Asparagus Puff Pastry Bundles, Asparagus and Spinach Soup or perhaps Creamy Salmon and Asparagus Pasta - all super delicious and slightly different ways to enjoy asparagus.
Tempura is Japanese dish prepared by dipping selection of vegetables and seafood in a light, airy batter and deep frying them until golden and crispy. [source: Wikipedia]
There are so many different ways of preparing tempura batter out there but I kept mine super simple. Is it authentic? Perhaps not. Does it work and is it delicious? Without a doubt.
From health point of view you might want to enjoy this dish in moderation but do try it at least once this season, you won't be disappointed.
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✔️ Why you'll love this recipe
- Different way of enjoying asparagus.
- Who doesn't love deep fried food?
- Simple to make, joyful dish to share with family and friends.
- So good you won't be able to stop eating it (⬇️ see below).
- Highly addictive (⬆️ see above).
- Egg-free batter so allergy and vegan friendly.
- Made with simple ingredients you most likely already have in your cupboard.
🛒 Ingredients to make Asparagus Tempura
Here's what you will need to make my Asparagus Tempura:
Asparagus - An obvious ingredient and a star of this recipe. Make sure that you use freshly picked asparagus that hasn't lost its snap and crispness. Also you want spears that aren't super thin but not super thick either (although the thick ones you can simply cut in half). Look for something in the middle, just like in the photo above.
Ice cold water - If you've made tempura before you might be surprised that I'm not using sparkling water here. There is nothing stopping you of course if you want to use it. I hardly ever have any sparkling water to hand though so went with regular water (I filter mine) and it works equally well.
It's the temperature rather than fizz that makes the biggest difference, and so do make sure your water is indeed ice cold!
***Quick Tip*** To get your water ice cold quickly, simply pop it in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before mixing the batter.
Bicarbonate of Soda - As I'm not using sparkling water, baking soda will help my batter to achieve its airy lightness. You can still use it even if you're using sparkling water.
Plain (All-Purpose) Flour - This type of flour is lower in protein in comparison with strong bread flour (don't use it here) and therefore gluten is not as developed. That's what we want to achieve the lightest batter possible.
Cornflour aka Cornstarch - It is completely gluten-free and so using it together with plain flour will ensure there is even less gluten in the mix. You can also use potato starch here.
Salt - Flavour. I use a hefty pinch of fine salt in the batter and then season tempura generously with flaky sea salt once done.
Oil for frying - Use flavourless oil like cold-pressed rapeseed oil or sunflower oil. They have high smoke point and are good for frying.
🍳 How to make Asparagus Tempura
Ingredient quantities & detailed instructions to be found in recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Prepare the asparagus by trimming their woody ends.
Fill the large pan with oil (at least 4cm/1.5in deep) and gently heat it up until it reaches 180°C/350°F.
***Quick Tip*** Use digital kitchen thermometer if you've got one or if you don't, submerge the end of a wooden spoon into the oil and if you see bubbles appearing around it, it means the oil is ready. Alternatively, drop small amount of batter into the oil and if it sizzles and floats to the top, your oil is ready.
In a large dish long enough to fit asparagus spears and deep enough to accommodate some liquid, mix together plain flour, cornflour and salt.
Add ice cold water and very briefly mix it into the flour to create quite a thin batter. The less you mix the better as mixing develops gluten and in case of tempura batter takes away the lightness which we don't want. Don't worry about the lumps, they're absolutely fine.
Dip prepared asparagus spears into the batter ensuring that they're well covered.
Once oil has reached required temperature, carefully place the asparagus spears into the hot oil without overcrowding the pan.
Let them fry for about a minute before flipping/rolling each spear over and let them fry for another minute or so.
***Quick Tip*** I like to use two forks to flip the asparagus but you could use kitchen tongs as well.
The batter should be getting nice and light golden brown by this point which is just how we want it. It means crisp batter with perfectly cooked asparagus that is tender yet with some bite still to it.
Using slotted spoon or kitchen tongs lift asparagus out of the oil and onto a plate or baking tray lined with some paper towels to soak up excess oil.
Repeat with the remaining asparagus.
Serve immediately with plenty of sea salt and your favourite dip. Enjoy!
🥡 Storing and reheating Asparagus Tempura
Store: Asparagus tempura should really be enjoyed immediately after frying as the longer it sits the soggier it gets. However, if you find yourself with leftovers you can store them in the airtight container in the fridge for up to two days.
Try and keep tempura in a single layer or at least divided with some baking paper.
Reheat: In order to enjoy leftover asparagus tempura you will need to crisp it back up by reheating it either in the oven or the air fryer at 200°C (400°F) for approx. 5 minutes or until crispy again .
I don't recommend reheating it in the microwave unless you like soggy mess.
💭 Pro Tips
Don't overmix the batter or you risk chewy and heavy texture as opposed to light and crispy. Gently and only just incorporate water into dry ingredients with a fork, lumps are fine, no smooth batter required here.
Batter should be mixed at the last minute when your oil is almost at the right temperature for frying, as the longer it sits the more gluten develops.
Always use ice cold water for your batter. It slows down gluten formation. You can even add few ice cubes to the batter to keep it super cold. Again, it'a all to keep the batter light.
Don't be tempted to use strong bread flour. Only plain (all-purpose) flour will do.
Keep an eye and adjust temperature of the oil if need be in between batches. You don't want for it to be too cold as tempura will soak up too much oil and become heavy and chewy or too hot as it will burn.
🍴 Serving suggestions
Keep it simple! Sprinkle of good quality sea salt and your favourite dip/sauce is all you need here.
Personally, my favourite way to enjoy it is with some homemade tartar sauce. Definitely not authentic but perfect together as far as I'm concerned.
If you'd like lighter dipping sauce try mixing together some soya sauce, grated ginger, touch of rice vinegar and a bit of sweetener like sugar, honey or maple syrup. Quick, easy and delicious.
For a bit of heat drizzle over your favourite crispy chilli oil or to make it creamy mix it with some mayo to keep the heat at bay.
Have you tried my Asparagus Tempura?
Please consider giving it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in recipe card below and share your views or tips in the comments.
❓FAQ
Definitely not. The longer tempura batter sits the more gluten develops and instead of light and crispy batter you're risking chewy and heavy texture. For best results mix your batter at the very last minute just when you're ready to fry.
Personally I haven't tried it but you could try swapping plain flour for rice flour and leaving all the other ingredients the same.
😋 More asparagus recipes
Spring Pea and Asparagus Risotto
Warm Potato Asparagus Salad with Lentils
Sun-dried Tomato Risotto with Asparagus
📋 Recipe
Asparagus Tempura
Equipment
- Elongated dish for mixing batter You want slightly deeper dish that will hold the batter and is long enough for the asparagus.
- Fork
Ingredients
- 250-300 g asparagus woody ends trimmed; see notes
- 50 g plain (all-purpose) flour
- 50 g cornflour/cornstarch/potato flour
- ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 150 ml ice cold water
- good pinch of salt
- 500 ml neutral oil for frying I use cold-press rapeseed oil but sunflower oil would be great too
- your favourite sea salt to serve
Instructions
- Prepare the asparagus by trimming their woody ends.250-300 g asparagus
- Fill the large pan with oil (at least 4cm/1.5in deep) and gently heat it up until it reaches 180°C/350°F.***Quick Tip*** Use digital kitchen thermometer if you've got one or if you don't, submerge the end of a wooden spoon into the oil and if you see bubbles appearing around it, it means the oil is ready. Alternatively, drop small amount of batter into the oil and if it sizzles and floats to the top, your oil is ready500 ml neutral oil for frying
- In a large dish long enough to fit asparagus spears and deep enough to accommodate some liquid, mix together plain flour, cornflour and salt. Add ice cold water and very briefly mix it into the flour to create quite a thin batter. The less you mix the better as mixing develops gluten and in case of tempura batter takes away the lightness which we don't want. Don't worry about the lumps, they're absolutely fine.Dip prepared asparagus spears into the batter ensuring that they're well covered.50 g plain (all-purpose) flour, 50 g cornflour/cornstarch/potato flour, ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda, 150 ml ice cold water, good pinch of salt, 250-300 g asparagus
- Once oil has reached required temperature, carefully place the asparagus spears into the hot oil without overcrowding the pan. Let them fry for about a minute before flipping/rolling each spear over and let them fry for another minute or so. ***Quick Tip*** I like to use two forks to flip the asparagus but you could use kitchen tongs as well.The batter should be getting nice and light golden brown by this point which is just how we want it. It means crisp batter with perfectly cooked asparagus that is tender yet with some bite still to it.
- Using slotted spoon or kitchen tongs lift asparagus out of the oil and onto a plate or baking tray lined with some paper towels to soak up excess oil. Repeat with the remaining asparagus. Serve immediately with plenty of sea salt and your favourite dip. Enjoy!your favourite sea salt to serve
Notes
- Nutritional information is approximate, per serving (based on 2 servings) and does not include the oil for frying. It should be treated as a rough guideline only.
- The weight of asparagus bunches you can buy differ with 250g-300g being an average size. You get way more batter than needed so it will definitely accommodate more asparagus.
- Asparagus tempura is best consumed straight away but leftovers can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 days. For more information on how to reheat leftover tempura see 🥡 Storing and reheating Asparagus Tempura.
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