It started snowing the week of Thanksgiving where I live, and I haven’t seen our grass since. After a long (and I mean LONG!) winter, seeing our farmer’s markets open, and abundant bundles of spring asparagus pop up makes every last ounce of winter blues melt away! These three asparagus recipes are a few of my favorites.
West Michigan is known nation-wide for our abundant asparagus in the late spring, and every April and May I load up our house with green goodies bursting with spring flavor.
We eat pretty seasonally, so after our long winter, I can’t tell you how *good* asparagus tastes!!!
Roasted asparagus is a great start if you have never had asparagus before. The flavor is incredible, and the recipe is very easy. Serve it alongside beef roast and potatoes, or a roasted chicken and squash!
Fertility diet benefits of asparagus
Packed with nutrition, these little green (or even purple or white) stalks have 4 grams of protein, 4 grams of fiber and 404 milligrams of potassium. It’s also a great source of fiber, folate, vitamins A, C, E, and K. Plus it contains chromium, a trace mineral that enhances the ability of insulin to transport glucose from the bloodstream into cells (great for helping blood sugar regulation).
Asparagus is also one of the top-ranked veggies for antioxidants which help to prevent damage to our cells (and is really important for egg and sperm health.
Three asparagus recipes:
Roasted Asparagus
Roasted Asparagus
Ingredients
- 1 lb asparagus coarse ends cut off
- 2 Tbsp butter melted
- 1 clove garlic minced - optional
- 1/4 tsp sea salt to taste
- few shakes pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Toss the asparagus with the melted butter, garlic, salt, and pepper on a sheet pan and spread out evenly.
- Roast at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes. I love the little tree tops a little “crispy” so sometimes I go a little longer – all in your preference – check them around the 20 minute mark in case you want them less “done”.
Notes
Asparagus soup
Right around the end of May when the asparagus season comes to a close, the farmers at the market start selling their asparagus bundles super cheap. As in usually half the cost per pound and even less if you buy them in 10-pound groups. So what do I do with all that asparagus? Soup! This soup freezes up so great. And you can make large batches that you can stash away so that late fall or early winter you can pull it out for something different to have!
Asparagus Soup
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp butter
- 2 onions medium - sliced
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 5 red or yellow potatoes small - chopped
- 2 lbs asparagus hard ends discarded and coarsely chopped
- 1/2 tsp sea salt to taste
- 1/4 tsp pepper to taste
- sour cream optional for garnish
Instructions
- Saute the onions in butter over medium-high heat for about 5-10 minutes with a couple of pinches of salt to bring out their juices and sweeten.
- Add the garlic and cook a couple of minutes.
- Add the stock, potatoes, and asparagus and bring to a boil.
- Reduce to a simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the asparagus and potatoes are cooked through.
- Use a handheld blender or regular blender to puree the soup smooth. Add salt/pepper to taste.
- Garnish each serving with sour cream or coconut milk if you wish.
Veggie Pasta with Asparagus
You can stir-fry asparagus SO well. The flavor is amazing, and you can pair it with other spring favorites like peas or radishes. If you have those really thick asparagus stalks that have a bit different texture (in my opinion!) you can shave the spears with a peeler and it makes perfect stir fry veggie additions!
Spring Veggie Pasta
Ingredients
- ½ package brown rice pasta
- ½ medium onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 bunch asparagus coarse ends removed, chopped
- 1 cup peas fresh or frozen
- 1 large tomato seeds and juices scooped out and chopped
- 1/4 cup reserved water from cooking pasta
- 1 ½ cups cheese shredded
- 1/2 tsp sea salt to taste
- 1/8 tsp pepper to taste
- extra virgin olive oil optional - to drizzle over top to garnish
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to box directions to al dente and set aside. Reserve about 1/4 cup of the starchy cooking liquid for the veggie mixture sauce.
- Saute the onion in a few Tablespoons of butter and a pinch of salt for a few minutes.
- Add the garlic and saute for one minute longer.
- Add the asparagus and another pinch of salt and cook on medium high for a few minutes until bright green and slightly tender.
- Add the peas and tomatoes for a minute or two and then add the starchy pasta liquid.
- Simmer the mixture about 5-10 minutes and then pour over the cooked pasta.
- Stir cheese into the sauce until melted and creamy.
- Serve veggie sauce over pasta with a drizzle of olive oil if desired.
Notes
Renee
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