5 Ways to Enjoy Asparagus Right Now

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Asparagus. It’s what’s for dinner. No, seriously, I think we’ve had it every day this week. As my friend Maria put it “It’s the only thing AT the farmer’s market right now.”

Though that’s not exactly true (hello ramps, arugula, beautiful lettuce, spring garlic!), it is the most plentiful, fresh, local thing you can find at the moment. But though I’ve had a lot of asparagus recently, I’m not sick of it yet!

If you use just a little creativity you can take advantage of asparagus season without losing your love for those cute little spears. Here are five ways to enjoy it, one for every night of the work week.

  1. My absolute favorite sure-fire way to love asparagus: ROASTING. I trim the ends, toss with oil, sea salt and sometimes garlic, and roast at a high temp like 425 (or even 450 depending on how rushed I am) for just 5-10 minutes. Less for thinner, more for thicker, but I like them bright green and al dente, just a little crispy on the ends, with all their nutrients intact. Also, don’t skimp on the oil here. You don’t have to DROWN them, but if you use too little they’ll really just steam. Fat won’t make you fat, in general, so use enough to coat the spears (but not make them swim) and you’ll be fine.
  2. Soup. See below for my new easy favorite recipe. We had it last night, and it made tons of leftovers to make some easy meals this coming busy week.
  3. Blanched for dipping. Throw the whole spears into a large pot of boiling water for a minute or less, then immediately put them in cold/ice water until they’ve cooled–a few minutes. Arrange on a platter with hummus or avocado cream for yummy dipping without the processed chips. Finger food reinvented!
  4. With eggs. This is not technically a new way to prepare them, but it is a great way to make an interesting breakfast or dinner. I often serve the roasted ones alongside a frittata and it makes dinner feel elegant, yet is so easy to prepare. You can cut up the roasted spears and put them in a frittata or omelet. You can poach or fry a couple of eggs (organic, free roaming, veggie fed and local if possible of course) and put them over the top of the roasted spears. A few shavings of parmesan, pecorino or manchego plus a sprinkling of truffled sea salt or truffle or basil infused oil and/or some roasted/pan seared mushrooms makes for a stellar meal (perfect with a glass of white wine, like Pinot Gris). WAY more elegant than you’d think from such a simple creation.
  5. Last one. And, I know this might seem a little out there, but ok, I’m weird, I like it. Cut the spears into bite-sized pieces and sauté them until desired degree of “doneness” then use as a base for your favorite pasta sauce. I love them with avocado/basil cream and a sprinkling of pine nuts. Also with marinara and a crumbled veggie burger. Wonderful with a faux “Vodka” sauce of roasted or sun-dried tomatoes blended with cashews, nutritional yeast, a little water and oil, then topped with chunks of avocado and again pine nuts. Pine nuts over anything is great!

Oh my gosh, I’m getting hungry. I’m off to make one of these options for dinner. But tell me, got any other creative ways of using asparagus? I don’t think I want them in a smoothie, but I’m up for almost anything savory. (Duh, of course, Risotto!) Weigh in! Happy Spring! -L.

The Recipe: Roasted Asparagus Soup

Ingredients:

About 2 lbs asparagus
Olive or Coconut Oil
Sea Salt
½ Cup Cashews
½ Medium or 1 Small Onion or 1 Medium Leek
3-8 Cloves Garlic
4 Cups Veggie Broth

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450, line a baking sheet with foil for easy cleanup if you like, spread the asparagus on the sheet and drizzle with oil. Toss to coat and sprinkle with sea salt.

Roast until fairly cooked through. 10 minutes or so depending on thickness.

Meanwhile, dice garlic and roughly chop onion, sauté in a little more oil plus some of the broth until translucent.

Blend the cashews and ½ cup of the broth until creamy.

Reserve the tips of some of the asparagus spears for a garnish and to add a little “chew” at the end.

If you blender is small, do this next step in batches. Add remaining broth, cooked asparagus, and onion/garlic mixture to blender and blend well.

Return to pot and stir to heat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve topped with reserved asparagus tips.

NOTES: This recipe is sort of an amalgamation of several I read recently. It’s not perfect, and I monkeyed with it a little as I went. This is what I THINK you should do, but you probably can’t ruin it. You could use fewer cashews, more or less broth. I didn’t weigh the asparagus either. I had two pretty large bunches. But I may have added some water to fluff it up in the end. Start with less liquid and add more if you want a thinner consistency.

Also, you could sub almond or coconut milk (the kind in the carton, unsweetened) for the blended cashews if your blender isn’t really up to that task or you just don’t have any.

Not into onion and garlic? Leave it out and add dill and lemon for a fresh, herbal flavor.

Actually, I think I may have liked it better with just garlic, no onion, myself.

Don’t feel like roasting? I’m sure you can sauté the asparagus for a fine result.

 

If your mix ends up too thin for some reason, you can thicken it up with raw zucchini blended with a tiny bit of water to make a paste. Seriously, you’ll never taste it.

 

I know this is a lot of instruction, but all of it is to say, this is an easy easy recipe. Make it tonight. Send me a picture! This one didn’t come out as great as I’d like. I was in too much of a hurry to eat it!

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