Rinse the asparagus and break off the ends. Bend the asparagus and where it breaks is where the tough end stops and the tender asparagus starts.
Lightly oil the asparagus spears and season with salt and pepper
Steam & Crisped Asparagus in the 2 Lid Ninja Foodi Models
Place ½ cup of water in the inner pot and put the basket or crisping plate into the Foodi. Add the asparagus to the basket or plate.
Put the pressure lid on and turn the valve to VENT. Select the steam function and set the time for 1 minute. The pot will take a few minutes to preheat and then the countdown will begin.
When the time is up, remove the pressure lid. If the pin is up, turn the Foodi off and wait for it to drop, then open the lid.
Close the Crisping lid and select air crisp on 400°F/200°C and set the time for 5 minutes. Check on the asparagus after about 3 minutes and continue to air crisp/ air fry until it is done to your liking.
When the asparagus is done, remove and place on a platter. Serve with lemon wedges and top with grated parmesan cheese if desired.
Steam & Crisped Asparagus in the OL Series with Smart Lid
Once the asparagus is prepared and seasoned, add ½ cup water to the inner pot and place the basket or crisping plate into the inner pot. Put the asparagus on the plate or in the basket.
Close the lid and slide the slider to the middle. Select Steam & Crisp function and set the temperature to 450°F/230°C and the time for 7 minutes.
Hit start and you will see "PRE" with dashes across the display. This is letting you know that the water is heating up for the steam portion of the cooking cycle. Once it preheats and steam is built, the countdown will start. It's important not to open the lid during the first 3 minutes or you will lose a lot of steam and impede the cooking process.
After 5 minutes (when the countdown is at 2 minutes) open the lid and check on the asparagus. Try a spear and see if it done to your liking. 5 minutes has always been a good time for me and results in a crisp asparagus. If you like it softer, then close the lid and keep going. You can also increase the time during the cooking cycle as long as you don't let it run out.
If you do let the cycle end and the asparagus are still not cooked to your liking, then switch over to air fry on 400°F/200°C and continue cooking until it is done the way you like it.
When the asparagus is done, remove and place on a platter. Serve with lemon wedges and top with grated parmesan cheese if desired.
Steamed Asparagus in any model Ninja Foodi
Depending on how you are serving the steamed asparagus, you can oil and season it with salt and pepper (any seasonings you like) or leave it plain. I leave it plain when using in salads or par cooking for stir fry and season it when serving as a side dish.
Add 2 cups of water to the inner pot. Place the basket or crisping plate into the Foodi. Add the asparagus to the basket or plate.
For the 2 lid models, use the pressure lid with the valve VENTED. For the 1 lid models, close the lid and slide the slider to the far right. It doesn't matter where the valve is on the 1 lid models.
Select the steam function and in the 2 lid models set the time for 1 minute if you want crisp asparagus spears to add to a salad or stir fry and 2 minutes if you want it a little softer. In the 1 lid models, set the time to 3 minutes for crisp asparagus and 4 minutes for softer asparagus. The one lid model has more heat loss due to the vents in the lid and it takes longer to steam, but definitely check on the asparagus the first you make it and you can stop the cooking cycle at any time.
When the asparagus is done, remove and either put it in an ice bath to stop the cooking process if using in salad or reheating later or place it on a platter and serve with lemon wedges and top with grated parmesan cheese.