Asparagus Dishes – A Superb Food For Health

You will typically find two kinds of asparagus in the store: white, also referred to as blanched and green.

But there is no confusion as to how they differ In fact the green and white asparagus comes from similar variety of plant, but due to the fact that the shoots are shielded from light. This deprives them of enough chlorophyll and the vegetable does not turn green. The white asparagus has a subtle flavor, especially when compared to green They are grown underground and are harvested only when the top of the plant surfaces to the ground.

A good green asparagus will be green throughout the length of its stalk. Moreover the stalk shouldn’t be rigid or dried and should ideally be brittle and breakable when bent. A pliable asparagus is a clear sign that it has wilted.

Since asparagus is grown and harvested in sandy soil, it is very important to clean it adequately. You could use a brush the tips with brush and dip and wash the stalks in warm water.

The base of asparagus is generally tough and can be used in soups and can also be used as a supplementary ingredient in some other vegetable dishes.

Mind you, the rigid base of the asparagus will need a lot of cooking than the rest of the vegetable which is softer. You could use a pot and cook the asparagus in some kind of a vertical position, so that the base gets warmed more while the tips are adequately steamed.

If you do not have such a pot, you can peel the tougher outer layer off of the stalks and steam them. Many people will peel the stalks in either case.

The tenderness of the stalks is an indicator that the asparagus is well cooked. You could serve them hot or cold. Its generally served cold with vinaigrette dressing or hot with hollandaise sauce and butter.

Recipe to prepare Asparagus Cream Soup.

A nice bunch of Asparagus , preferably green.

Add in some flour, around 2-3 tablespoons.

2 tablespoons butter.

2 cups milk.

1/2 cut heavy cream.

Salt and pepper to taste

Cook the asparagus tips and stalks separately in just enough water to cover. Drain the tips and set them aside. Save the cooking water. When the stalks are soft, process them in the food processor with some of the cooking water to a fine pulp. Like already stated above, you could cook the asparagus in vertical position or simply cut the stalks and cook them separately Here we will cut the stalks and cook them separately Once the stalks are cooked, do not throw the cooking water, save it. Mash the cooked softer stalk in a mixer.

Now add scalded milk(2cups) and flour(2tablespoons) and cook until the lumps are evened out and the flour heats up adequately . Add the water in which the asparagus was cooked and the asparagus pulp. Cook a few minutes to cook the flour and thicken the soup. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the cream and the asparagus tips. Reheat, but do not boil.

For further details on asparagus recipes please look at Asparagus Recipes You can also take a look at some fantastic video recipes by clicking White Asparagus Recipes