Hi everyone! Whenever I want to make a meal special, I serve asparagus. I’m not sure what it is about the vegetable. Maybe it’s because asparagus seems to be the harbinger of spring, or that it is always offered as a special (expensive) side in your high-class steak houses, but having asparagus on the table really elevates a meal for me.
I prefer to buy and eat thin stalks of asparagus. If the stalks are thick, I use a vegetable peeler to trim bottom so that it will cook more evenly, but if you use the thin stalks, this isn’t an issue.
After rinsing the asparagus in a colander under running water, the first step you need to do is to remove the tough ends from the rest of the stalk. The ends can be pretty woody, even on the thin stalks, so they should be removed. There are a couple of schools of thought on how to remove the ends. Many people say that the asparagus stalk has a natural breaking point, and it will let you know where it should break. You can hold the stalk in one hand, and the end of the stalk in your other hand, and bend the end of the stalk until it snaps off. This method is easy and keeps you from dirtying a knife, but it can result in more waste by removing too much of the end. I usually just take a knife and slice off a couple of inches. Either method is fine. Just don’t throw out the ends!
The easiest way I’ve found to prepare asparagus is to roast it in the over (or toaster oven). I preheat the oven to 425 degrees. I put the bunch of trimmed asparagus spears onto a baking tray lined with aluminum foil. I drizzle 2-3 tbsp of olive oil over the spears. I sprinkle ½ tsp of salt and ¼ tsp fresh ground pepper over the spears. I also sprinkle 1 clove of minced garlic over the spears. I use my hands to massage the oil, salt, pepper and garlic all over the spears so that they are evenly covered. Then I put the tray into the oven for 10-15 minutes, depending on how thick the spears are. The roasted asparagus should be just starting to brown. Here is the recipe:
Ingredients
1 bunch thin asparagus spears, trimmed
2-3 tbsp olive oil
1 clove minced garlic
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp fresh ground pepper
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees
Place asparagus spears onto a baking tray lined with foil
Sprinkle the spears with the garlic, salt and pepper and mix on the tray to cover the stalks
Roast for 10-15 minutes, just until the spears start to brown
Other flavor options would be to sprinkle the asparagus spears with parmesan cheese or sprinkle them with lemon juice, but I like the flavor of the asparagus with just the salt, pepper and garlic.
Now remember up the page where I was talking about trimming the asparagus ends? This is because I don’t want to waste any part of the spear. I love to make creamy asparagus end soup with the leftover ends. The soup really needs the ends of at least 2 bunches of asparagus to give it a really deep asparagus flavor, so if I’m only using one bunch for a meal, I’ll freeze the ends and use them the next time I trim a bunch for dinner.
I also keep 3-4 spears to add to the soup, both as a garnish and to give it more texture. I don’t even cook these reserved spears – I just cut them into about 1-inch lengths and put them in the hot soup. The temperature of the soup softens these up a little, but they still reserve a great crunch. I also put in any leftover roasted asparagus, although we don’t often have a lot of leftovers. You can also add any leftover meat or other vegetables you have on hand, but I would suggest tasting the soup first to make sure you want the leftovers added.
This recipe calls for two red potatoes for the soup. Red potatoes have less starch and a bit more sugar that russets. They contribute a nice thickness and consistency to the soup. Here is the recipe I use:
Ingredients
Trimmed ends from 2 bunches of asparagus (fresh or frozen)
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 medium red potatoes, dices
Juice from ½ lemon
¼ cup heavy cream
1 ½ tsp salt
½ tsp fresh ground pepper
Instructions
Put the asparagus ends and garlic cloves into a large pot with 3 inches of water (the water should be about 1 inch over the layer of asparagus ends). Bring the water to a boil and simmer for 1 hour until the asparagus is soft (the ends will still be very woody).
Using an immersion blender, blend the asparagus and liquid right in the large pot. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can use a regular blender, but blend it in small batches.
Strain the pulp out of the liquid, reserving the liquid. I pour the liquid through a mesh strainer over a large bowl. Then with the back of a wooden spoon, I press the ends into the strainer so all the liquid is extracted and is in the bowl. All that should be left in the strainer is the fibrous wood from the ends.
Rinse out the large pot and heat the oil over medium high heat in it. Add the onion and potatoes, stirring continuously for 8-10 minutes, or until the potatoes are starting to brown.
Add the asparagus stock to the potatoes and onions. Bring to a boil, then simmer for ½ hour. Blend with the immersion blender so the soup is smooth.
Take the soup off the hear and add the juice of ½ lemon and the cream, salt and pepper. Add additional salt and pepper to taste (I always need more salt). The cream and lemon juice can be optional, but I definitely suggest using them. They add a creaminess and brightness that is wonderful.
