On Sunday my boyfriend brought be a surprise from his mom. A huge bunch of asparagus, literally bigger than any bunch I’ve even seen in a supermarket. It’s fresh from the farm where she goes to buy her eggs and veggies.
With all this asparagus I started looking for recipes to use it all up. On the menu for today is fresh asparagus soup with croutons [I spent a good 15 minutes in the supermarket searching for croutons because the boyfriend had to have them in his soup] and spicy asparagus-tempeh stir fry.
Fresh Asparagus Soup (recipe adapted from AllRecipes.com)
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh asparagus
- 3/4 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 pinch ground black pepper
- 1 1/4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
- Place asparagus and onion in a saucepan with 1/2 cup vegetable broth. Bring the broth to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer until the vegetables are tender.
- Reserve a few asparagus tips for garnish. Place remaining vegetable mixture in an electric blender and puree until smooth.
- Melt butter in the pan that was used for simmering the asparagus and onions. Stir while sprinkling flour, salt, and pepper into the butter. Do not let the flour brown. Allow the mixture to cook only 2 minutes. Stir in remaining 1 1/4 cups vegetable broth and increase the heat. Continue stirring until the mixture comes to a boil.
- Stir the vegetable puree and milk into the saucepan. Whisk yogurt into the mixture, followed by lemon juice. Stir until heated through, then ladle into bowls. Garnish with reserved asparagus tips. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if desired.
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Spicy Asparagus-Tempeh Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 3/4 pound asparagus spears
- 3/4 cup vegetable broth
- 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil, divided
- 1 (8-ounce) package tempeh, thinly sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 (6-ounce) package sliced shiitake mushrooms
Directions
- Snap off tough ends of asparagus. Cut spears diagonally into 2-inch pieces. Set aside.
- Combine vegetable broth, soy sauce, and cornstarch in a small bowl; stir with a whisk until smooth. Set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tempeh, and stir-fry 4 to 5 minutes or until golden. Remove tempeh from pan; set aside.
- Heat remaining 1 tablespoon sesame oil in same pan. Add garlic, red pepper, asparagus, and mushrooms to pan, and stir-fry 3 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender. Add broth mixture; bring to a boil, and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until thickened. Add tempeh, and cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Serve over brown rice.
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| Prepped for the pan. |
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| Ready for my belly! |
Both were absolutely delicious and will be made again! It was also my first time trying tempeh and I have to say I really enjoyed it. Happy eating!
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