To me asparagus is a spring time vegetable! It’s been on special at our grocery stores lately, which is another plus! My favorite way to fix it as a vegetable side dish is so simple it really isn’t even a recipe. I trim off the tough ends, line a cookie sheet with tin foil, sprinkle a good amount of olive oil over the asparagus to coat, then sprinkle with kosher salt and roast uncovered in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes (depending on how done you like it) turning once. I like to sprinkle a little parmesan cheese over it after I take it out of the oven. I also fix broccoli and green beans this way.
If you want to put a little more work into it, I made the following cream of asparagus soup last week and it was a hit!
Cream of asparagus soup:
2lb asparagus, tough ends cut off, discarded,
then cut into 2 inch pieces, putting tips aside
1 cup chopped onion
6 Tbsp butter
5 Tbsp flour
2 cans chicken broth
2 cups half and half
1 Tbsp dill weed
salt and pepper to taste
Melt butter, add asparagus (not tips) and onion, cook 8-10 min, add flour blend and cook 2-3 minutes then slowly add broth, stir and cook 10 minutes. Let cool a few minutes then puree in batches in a blender. Place asparagus tips in microwave safe dish and microwave for 1 min, set aside. Return pureed mixture to heat add half and half along with tips, dill weed and salt and pepper to taste. Heat until hot and serve. Have a great week!