Spring is always a time when the market is full of greenery, and one of the most exciting things to see is the green asparagus in season!
Asparagus is known as the “king of vegetables”. Asparagus is rich in selenium, folic acid, and nucleic acid, making it a great cancer-fighter, and eating it regularly can help boost immunity, improve digestion, slim down, and lose weight, making it a highly nutritious ingredient suitable for different people.
It is said that the first people to eat asparagus were the Egyptians around 20,000 years ago, and the Syrians and Spanish also ate it. The Greeks and Romans not only ate it fresh in the season but also stored it in a special way to eat it in winter.
Today, many countries list asparagus as one of their top ten dishes. It is nutritious, easy enough to cook, and has the advantage of a crunchy, sweet taste. Although asparagus came late to China, it is now the world’s leading asparagus producer.
There are many ways to eat asparagus, it can be stir-fried with a variety of ingredients, made into soups, or just roasted, all of which can add to our tables. Here are a few different ways to eat asparagus and enjoy the flavors of spring ~
Ⅰ. Light and refreshing asparagus with three veggies
2 asparagus / 200g yam / 100g pumpkin / 100g wood ear / sesame oil / salt
1. Peel and slice the yam and pumpkin, cut the asparagus into hobnail shape, soak the fungus and tear it into large pieces, blanch them in a pan and set aside.
2. Put a little sesame oil in the pan, pour the blanched vegetables into the pan, and stir-fry for two minutes, add the right amount of salt to taste, then remove from the pan and serve.
Ⅱ. Asparagus quiche with cheese aroma
1 catty asparagus / 1 teaspoon unsalted butter / 3 onion heads
6 eggs / 2 tablespoons of ricotta cheese / shallots
Salt / Black pepper / Dried tarragon / Parmesan cheese
1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Beat the eggs, add the ricotta, shallots, and dried tarragon and mix well.
2. Finely chop the onion heads. Heat a pan, add the butter and sauté the onion heads until melted, then add the asparagus pieces and sauté until half cooked.
3. Take a baking tray, spread the sautéed asparagus evenly on the bottom of the tray, pour in the whisked egg mixture, and bake in the oven until the top layer of the quiche is just set.
4. Remove the baking dish, sprinkle the parmesan cheese over the top of the quiche, return the quiche to the oven, and bake until the cheese has melted.
Ⅲ. Creamy asparagus soup
Green asparagus 150g / Light cream 50ml / Butter 30g
1. Peel the asparagus and cut it into medium pieces. Boil water in a pan and blanch the asparagus.
2. Place the blanched asparagus in a multi-purpose blender and puree.
3. Heat a saucepan over medium heat, add a little butter until melted, add the asparagus juice and stir until smooth and pureed, add the light cream to the pan and bring the soup to a boil.