Recipes and Cooking Asparagus and Morels Be the first to rate & review! Here's a spring side dish that'll be "limited edition" thanks to in-season morel mushrooms and asparagus. Of course, you can likely find asparagus out of its peak season, but when there are no morels to be found, you can sub dried morels. By BHG Test Kitchen BHG Test Kitchen The Better Homes & Gardens Test Kitchen has been in continuous operation for nearly 100 years, developing and testing practical, reliable recipes that readers can enjoy at home. The Test Kitchen team includes culinary specialists, food stylists, registered and licensed nutritionists, and other experts with Bachelor of Science degrees in food science, food and nutrition, or culinary arts. Together, the team tests more than 2,500 recipes, produces more than 2,500 food images, and creates more than 1,000 food videos each year in the state-of-the-art test kitchen. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Published on April 14, 2021 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Marty Baldwin Total Time: 20 mins Servings: 6 Ingredients 1 pound thick asparagus spears 3 tablespoon butter 6 - 8 ounce fresh morel mushrooms*, cleaned, trimmed and halved lengthwise Salt Freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoon lemon juice Snipped fresh chives Lemon wedges (optional) Directions Snap off and discard woody bases of asparagus. If desired, scrape off scales. Place a steamer basket in a saucepan. Add water to just below the bottom of the basket. Bring water to boiling. Add asparagus to basket. Cover and reduce heat; steam for 3 to 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove basket; discard liquid. Meanwhile, heat 2 Tbsp. of the butter in a large skillet. Add morels and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Season to taste with salt and pepper. In a large bowl toss hot asparagus with remaining 1 Tbsp. butter and lemon juice to coat. Arrange asparagus and morels on a serving platter and sprinkle with chives. If desired, serve with lemon wedges. * If fresh morel mushrooms are not available, substitute 1 1/2 to 2 oz. dried morel mushrooms. Soak dried mushrooms in warm water for 30 minutes. Drain and pat dry. To clean morels Cut a thin slice off the bottom of each stem and, if desired, cut the mushrooms in half from stem to tip. Rinse in cool water to remove any dirt and insects. If the mushrooms look clean, this may be enough; if not, a 10 to 15 minute soak in lightly salted water brings out any remaining insects and dirt. If soaking, change the water as needed until dirt and debris are removed. Rinse the morels well, pat dry. Rate it Print