For Mother’s Day, serve a cream of asparagus soup as a starter, Asian asparagus – sprout salad, basmati rice with mango coconut chutney for the main course and a strawberry tiramisu for dessert!
Asparagus cream soup
1 kg white asparagus
2 l vegetable stock
1 tbsp sugar
60 g butter, alternatively vegan butter or ghee
60 g flour
300 ml cream, alternatively vegan cream
3 – 4 tbsp grape juice (or white wine)
2 tbsp lemon juice
grated nutmeg
salt and pepper
Peel the asparagus from the head and cut off the woody ends, save the peelings and ends. Pour the vegetable stock into a large pot and bring to the boil with a little salt and sugar. Add the asparagus peelings and cut ends to the boiling water and reduce the heat. Cover and simmer gently for about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, cut the peeled asparagus spears into bite-sized pieces (approx. 2-3 cm).
Then drain the asparagus water through a sieve and collect it. Discard the asparagus peels and ends. Return the asparagus water to the pot, bring to the boil briefly and remove from the heat. Add the sliced asparagus pieces and leave to infuse until the pieces are soft.
Then drain the soup again through a sieve and collect it. Set the strained asparagus pieces aside. Melt the butter (or vegan alternative) in a high saucepan over a low heat and gradually add the flour, stirring constantly. Whisk until you have a roux without lumps. Now gradually stir in the asparagus water. Season to taste with lemon juice, nutmeg, salt and pepper and refine with cream (or vegan cream) and optionally some grape juice or white wine, add the asparagus pieces again.
Asian asparagus shoot salad, basmati rice and mango – coconut chutney
Asian Asparagus Shoot Salad
1 chilli
50 g ginger
750 g green asparagus
200 g fresh bean sprouts
2 tbsp sesame oil
3-5 lime leaves
1 tbsp sugar
juice of 1 orange
3 tbsp rice or lemon vinegar
4 tbsp coconut oil
salt, pepper
optionally approx. 1-2 tbsp. fresh chopped coriander, sesame seeds or spring onions
Halve the chilli, remove the seeds and cut into small pieces. Peel and finely chop the ginger. Cut off the woody ends of the asparagus and cut the asparagus into ½ cm thick slices. Wash the bean sprouts.
Heat the sesame oil in a pan and sauté the chilli and ginger. Add the lime leaves and sauté a little. Add the bean sprouts to the pan with the asparagus and fry as well. Add about 1 tablespoon of sugar and let it caramelise. Deglaze with the orange juice and reduce slightly. Add the rice vinegar and coconut oil, mix well and season with salt and pepper.
Optionally, you can add some freshly chopped coriander, some sesame seeds and/or spring onions.
Basmati rice
240 g Basmati rice
1 tbsp sesame or coconut oil
480 ml vegetable stock
optional chopped herbs (such as coriander, basil etc.), cardamom, lime leaves, lemongrass
salt
Put the rice in a sieve, rinse under warm running water and drain well.
Heat the oil in a saucepan and fry the rice briefly without letting it colour. Now add the cardamom, lime leaves or lemongrass, pour in the vegetable stock and cover the pot with a lid. As soon as the rice starts to boil, reduce the heat and remove the pot from the heat. Let the rice simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes with the lid on.
Finally, season with salt and add chopped herbs if desired.
Chutney
120 g coconut strips
2 mango
1 clove garlic
100 g shallots
1 tbsp coconut oil
200 ml vinegar (wine or fruit vinegar)
250 g sugar
½ tsp curry
1 tsp ginger powder
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
1 pinch cinnamon
½ tsp salt
50 g goji berries, cranberries or pomegranate seeds
approx. 20 – 30 g herbs (e.g. basil, mint, lemon thyme)
salt, pepper
Chop the coconut strips slightly smaller. Peel the mango, remove the core and cut into small cubes. Finely chop the garlic, dice the shallots and sauté in the coconut oil over a high heat (do not brown!). Add the mango, shredded coconut strips, vinegar, sugar and spices. Bring to the boil briefly and then simmer over a low heat for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. When the liquid has reduced considerably, add the berries and herbs. Simmer further until the chutney has the consistency of jam. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Strawberry tiramisu
200 g spelt biscuits
40 g ground almonds
4 tbsp maple syrup
Crush the spelt biscuits, fold in the ground almonds and mix everything with the maple syrup.
100 g strawberries
600 g quark, alternatively almond quark
80 ml maple syrup
150 ml cream, alternatively almond cream
Clean, wash and halve the strawberries and then puree them. Put the the quark (or almond quark) in a mixing bowl and mix with the maple syrup, then fold in the pureed strawberries. Whip the cream (or almond cream) and fold into the strawberry quark mixture.
300 g strawberries
4 tbsp vanilla sugar
Clean the strawberries, wash, halve and marinate with the vanilla sugar.
To serve, place approx. 3 tbsp. of the biscuit mixture in a glass, layer the strawberry quark and the marinated strawberries on top and finally sprinkle with some spelt biscuit crumbs or dust with icing sugar!
Enjoy your meal!
