Parmesan Broth with Fresh Asparagus
This week was the last hurrah for asparagus at the Sunday farmer’s market. It’s always a bittersweet moment. It means that, well, I won’t be enjoying asparagus until the following year. BUT it also signals the end of spring and the start of summer. Stone fruit and tomatoes are right around the corner.
I wanted this final bunch of asparagus to get a light treatment so that its flavor would really come through. The broth is spritely, despite the inclusion of such heavy hitting ingredients like onion, garlic, Parmesan and lemon. A perfect base for the vegetal freshness of the asparagus. I think that my favorite part of this dish is that ladling the aromatic broth over the raw asparagus will cook it to perfection. It becomes bright green but doesn’t lose its crisp and crunchy texture.
INGREDIENTS
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 ½ tsp salt, divided
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 qts + 2 c (2.3 liters) water
5 oz (150g) Parmesan rinds
1 large bunch of asparagus, sliced on the diagonal
½ medium lemon juiced & zested
Black pepper
DIRECTIONS
Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium low heat. Add onion and ½ tsp salt. Stir to combine and saute for 5-7 minutes, until the onion begins to darken slightly and soften.
Add garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes until it becomes aromatic.
Add water, Parmesan and the remaining 1 tsp of salt. Cover and bring to a gentle boil. Lower to a simmer and continue to cook for 30 minutes. Strain solids from the broth and compost. Add lemon juice and black pepper to the broth. Taste and adjust seasonings.
To serve, divide asparagus into 6 bowls and ladle hot broth on top. Garnish with lemon zest and additional grinds of black pepper.
Serves 6
NOTES
For a heartier soup add pasta, barley or chickpeas.
You can’t go wrong with a garnish of shaved Parmesan or chile flakes.
If there are any leftovers, simply store the asparagus and broth in separate containers in the fridge.