The Asparagus Special
The greatest season is upon us
Asparagus season has arrived notably early this year, hooray! Here are some excellent ways to make the most of it.
Asparagus, ditalini & white bean soup
Recipe
Makes 4-5 portions
1 large leek, diced and washed
3 shallots, diced
6 cloves garlic, crushed or finely chopped
1 tbsp picked thyme leaves
160g ditalini or similar short pasta
650g jar white beans (no need to drain)
350g asparagus, any woody stalks trimmed off and the rest sliced at a slight angle into 1cm pieces
1 large lemon
Olive oil
Salt & pepper
For the stock (or skip this step and use 1l vegetable stock instead):
Any aromatics you have to used up, this might include: asparagus stalks, leek trimmings, shallot and white onion trimmings, carrots, thyme and parsley stalks, Parmesan rinds, celery.
First make the stock (or skip this step and use shop-bought). Add your aromatics to a large pan, cover with 2l water and bring to a simmer. Cook for an hour or so, then pass through a fine sieve
Place a large pan over a medium heat with a little oil. Add the shallots and leek, sweat until softened, then stir in the garlic and thyme. Sweat for 5 more minutes or so
Stir in the pasta and 750ml veg stock. Simmer until the pasta is about half-way cooked, then stir in the beans (no need to drain) and asparagus. Simmer until the pasta and asparagus are just tender, stirring regularly and quite vigorously as it cooks to release the starches so the soup becomes a little “creamy” in texture. Add more veg stock as needed if the pan becomes too dry
Season to taste with salt and lemon juice
Raw asparagus, mint & pecorino salad
Recipe
Makes 2 portions
