Meatless Mondays: Asparagus, Broccoli, and Spinach Soup

A very long time ago, while watching Rachael Ray, I heard her say to save the woody ends of asparagus instead of throwing them away because they can be made into soups. I remembered this little tip while I was making Marinated Asparagus, Tomatoes, and Hearts of Palm the other day.

I scoured the internet looking for recipes for asparagus soup using the leftover parts of asparagus, but every singe recipe called for whole asparagus.

 I decided to go for it anyway and threw in spinach and broccoli because I had those on hand and knew it would bulk up the nutritional value and flavor of the soup. I used vegetable soup as the base but used a little half and half to make it more velvety and creamy. Shredded parmesan cheese added in at the end made the soup richer. This soup is uber healthy and chock full of veggies. I hope you'll give a try the next time you have asparagus ends and if you do, please let me know what you think!

Asparagus, Broccoli, and Spinach Soup
An Ashley's Cooking Adventures Original
Printable Version


Ingredients
1 pound of the leftover woody ends of asparagus
1 cup spinach (frozen or fresh)
1 cup broccoli (frozen or fresh)
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup halt and half
2 tablespoons garlic
3 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese


Directions
In a dutch oven or large pot, bring the vegetable broth to a slow boil. Add the asparagus and broccoli to the pot and cook for about five minutes. Add in the spinach and cook two minutes more. Stir in the garlic. Take the pot off the heat and with a hand blender, slowly begin to puree the vegetables until only a few small chunks remain (or to your desired consistency).

Add in the lemon juice and half and half. Stir in Parmesan cheese until combined, then season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Garnish with additional Parmesan cheese and sour cream if desired (this was my hubby's touch). 

Marinated Asparagus, Tomatoes, and Hearts of Palm

It's been a while since I first saw this beautiful dish on Elizabeth's Blog, Dutch Oven, and bookmarked it. I had to wait for asparagus season and now that's in full swing here in Virginia, I decided to finally make this marinated veggie dish. It was very fresh and the combination of tomatoes, hearts of palm, and asparagus made it very light and refreshing. It's an excellent summer side dish or vegetarian dinner! 

Marinated Asparagus, Tomatoes, and Hearts of Palm
As seen on Dutch Oven, From Pioneer Woman
Printable Version


Ingredients
1 1/2 lb fresh asparagus
1 can (14 oz) hearts of palm, drained and cut into 1/2 inch slices
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/8 cup sugar

Directions
Steam asparagus until tender crisp (about 12 minutes). Allow to cool. Meanwhile, combine oil, vinegar, salt, sugar, and soy sauce. 

Place cooled asparagus, hearts of palm, and tomatoes in a large plastic bag. Pour sauce over veggies. Refrigerate for 8 hours and serve. 

Meatless Mondays: Fettuccine with Asparagus and Mushrooms

For my second Meatless Mondays post, I am sharing a recipe a modified from my Williams-Sonoma Bride and Groom Cookbook. The original recipe calls for peas, which would be absolutely lovely in this dish, but I didn't have peas and used mushrooms instead. A combination of asparagus, mushrooms, and peas would be really great in this light, creamy, citrusy pasta dish. It's a wonderful spring meal.

Fettuccine with Asparagus and Mushrooms

Modified from Williams-Sonoma Bride and Groom Cookbook

Printable Version

Ingredients

1 bunch thick asparagus 

1 tablespoon butter or lie oil

2/3 cup heavy cream (I used fat free half & half)

Minced zest and juice of 1 or 2 lemons

Kosher salt and pepper

3/4 cup peas OR 8 ounces fresh mushrooms OR both

1 pound fresh fettucini (I used Bertolli, in the refrigerated section)

Leaves from several sprigs of fresh basil (I used dill instead)

Shaved or grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese for garnish

Directions

To prepare the asparagus, snap off the tough woody ends. Cut the asparagus into diagonal pieces. In a small saute pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add in the mushrooms and asparagus and saute for 2 minutes. 

Reduce the heat to low, add the cream, and heat until warm. Add lemon zest, salt, and pepper to taste. Do not allow the mixture to boil.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the peas and cook for 30 seconds. Add the pasta and cook until the pasta is tender and rises to the surface, 30 seconds - 5 minutes depending on the freshness. Stir occasionally so that the pasta cooks evenly. Drain the pasta and peas, reserving a few tablespoons of the cooking water.

Return the pasta and peas to the pot and season with salt. Pour the asparagus cream sauce mixture over the pasta and toss to coat. Add the reserved pasta liquid as needed to loosen the sauce. Tear some of the basil leaves into pieces and add along with lemon juice to taste and additional salt and pepper. Serve at once, garnished with additional basil leaves, pepper, and cheese. 

Crab & Asparagus Supreme

My fabulous Aunt Chris shared this recipe with me once spring rolled around and fresh asparagus was abundant. This is a unique way to use lovely spring asparagus. We are spoiled living so close to the Atlantic because our fish counter sells fresh crab straight out of the ocean, but if you don't have access to fresh crab, you can use imitation crab. I really enjoyed this creamy, filling dish and modified it from the original recipe to use fresh tarragon instead of dried. Anytime I use fresh tarragon I am surprised at how much it changes the flavor of the dish, but always in a good way. I also added in half of a sauteed onion. I liked how it added a crispy, savory layer to this supreme dish.

Thanks Auntie Chris for another yummy recipe!!

Crab & Asparagus Supreme

Ingredients

6 ounces of crab meat

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 soup can of half and half

Half an onion, chopped

3 or so leaves of fresh tarragon, chopped

1/4 teaspoon salt

Dash of pepper

1 pound fresh asparagus

2 tablespoons lemon juice

4 cups of rice, cooked

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

Place crab meat into skillet over low heat. Add undiluted soup, half and half, salt, and pepper. Stir, cover, and cook on low heat until heated through. In a separate pan saute onions until slightly browned.

While the mixture is cooking cut asparagus into diagonal slices and cook for 8 minutes in boiling water. Drain. Add to creamed crab mixture with lemon juice and tarragon. Stir in shredded cheese. Once cheese has melted, serve over hot rice. 

I had to show this picture of perfectly laid out rice - my cute husband's contribution to this dish. :)

Asparagus-Wild Mushroom Risotto with Parmesan

I have become quite fond of risotto. I like how it is creamy, filling, and the fact that there are about 300 million different risotto variations. I found this recipe on Foodnetwork.com. It's a recipe from Robin Miller, and although I consider myself a Food Network fan, I've honestly never heard of her. She must be on during the day when I'm at work? Regardless, her recipe was fantastic. The combination of mushrooms, fresh asparagus, and fresh parsley was really scrumptious. It made such a huge batch that my husband and I ate it as our main course and the hubs couldn't stop complimenting it. He made sure to ask if he could take some leftovers for lunch the next day, too! That's when I know a recipe is a hit!

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (or 2 teaspoons pre-minced garlic)
• 8 cups sliced wild mushrooms (any combination of shiitake, cremini, oyster, etc). **I only used 2 cups and it was more than enough mushrooms!!!
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 cups cooked Arborio rice **This is important, be sure your rice is cooked before you start this recipe!
• 1 cup reduced-sodium beef broth
• 2 cups chopped fresh or frozen asparagus spears (1-inch pieces)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
• Salt and ground black pepper

Directions

Heat oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic and cook 1 minute. Add mushrooms and saute 5 minutes, until tender and releasing juice. Add thyme and cook 1 minute, until fragrant.

To the mushrooms in the pot, add rice and broth and asparagus and bring to a simmer. Simmer 5 minutes, Stir in Parmesan and chopped parsley. Season, to taste, with salt and black pepper. Ladle risotto into bowls and serve hot.