Wash the asparagus spears. Trim their ends. You can either trim enough of the ends so that the spears fit into your microwave-safe bowl, or, after trimming just the ends, cut them in half (or even chop them).
Place the trimmed spears in a microwave-safe bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of water.
Cover with a microwave-safe plate and microwave on high until tender-crisp, about 3 minutes.
Use oven mitts to remove the bowl from the microwave, and be careful when removing the lid - hot steam will escape.
Transfer the asparagus to a serving plate. Sprinkle with kosher salt and serve. Or season with melted butter, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Serve immediately.
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Notes
The nutrition info assumes that the optional toppings were used. Generally speaking, there's no need to peel asparagus. However, if the ends are thick and fibrous, you might want to peel the very bottom of the spears after trimming the ends.