There is probably nothing we look forward to more in the spring at our house than asparagus!
My mother would not have agreed. Asparagus was one of the few vegetables she did not like, and I give her credit because she tried it every way under the sun. Luckily, I did not inherit that from her. I learned to love it from her sister, my Aunt Jeanette. She always had an amazing garden, and her asparagus was a thing of pride. She loved it with just a bit of lemon juice, which is an excellent way to enjoy these tasty spring spears. Simple is often best.
Serve it up while it is around!
We eat as much of it as we can while in season; the taste is so much better than whatever variety they grow to ship from afar, so spring in New England is feasting time. We don’t tire of it, and serve it up every way from raw to roasted. In our house, you might find it in a soup, or stir-fry, on the grill, or most likely just lightly roasted and served up as is in all its flavorful glory. Breakfast, brunch, lunch, or supper, it’s even party food.
I know, let’s make risotto!
We had ours this week in a risotto. I had roasted up a large batch of asparagus with the intent of using half in a meal the next day, and also had a craving for rice. I found some beautiful spring garden peas at the farm stand, so the two decided to join forces with the rice.
Faster but not better
There are faster ways of making risotto without employing the ladle-at-a-time method, but I don’t think they taste as good, and making this dish is all about the ritual of it all, the slowing down and paying attention. Put on some good music, maybe jazz, and enjoy the journey. Whenever you use rice, always soak it for a good long time, and then rinse, rinse, rinse. Rice can contain a high arsenic content, so eat it sparingly and prepare it well.
All parts used
We used every bit of our vegetables in this recipe, the pea pods, asparagus ends, and mint stems. The broth using this method is delicious enough to drink on its own, and very refreshing. Using it here, the resulting dish was extremely flavorful, pea forward with the asparagus still very present. I used a brown rice, which took longer to cook than white arborio, and used a bit more stock so I added water at the end with good results.
Spring Risotto with Fresh Peas and Asparagus
- 1 purple onion, diced
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, pressed
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1 ¼ cup brown arborio rice
- 6 cups pea broth, warm, or vegetable broth*
- 1 cup peas
- 10-12 spears asparagus, chopped
- 2 tbsp. minced fresh mint
- Mint and flowers to garnish
*First, make the pea broth while your rice is soaking. Shell the peas and toss the pods in a pot along with the woody stem ends from the asparagus, a couple of bay leaves, a star anise, a pinch of salt, and black pepper. Since you will be using mint in the final preparation, toss in the stems from the mint as well, along with the trimmings from the onion. Add two quarts of water, some will evaporate. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and let cook for a half hour. Strain, and keep warm. It’s important that the stock be nice and hot as you add to the risotto.
Heat the olive oil in a skillet and add the onion. Sauté until the onions have softened and are translucent. Add the soaked and rinsed rice and garlic, and stir it around for a couple of minutes to completely coat everything, then add the wine.
Once the wine has been absorbed, add a couple of ladles of the stock and stir well. Let this bubble away, stirring now and then until the water is absorbed and a spoon dragged across leaves a trail. Make sure to scrape down any rice clinging to the sides of the pan or you will end up with very dried out and unpleasant kernels. Continue with this process until all the stock is absorbed, and test for doneness. If the rice needs more time, add hot water until the rice is just about cooked.
Toss in the asparagus and peas and cook for an additional five minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the mint.
You can stop right here and have a delicious vegan dish. If you like, you can add some Parmesan or vegan parmesan to add more richness, and a tab of regular or vegan butter if you are not watching your fat.
To plate, serve up the risotto in a bowl, and garnish with a bit of mint and edible flower petals. To enhance the experience, I like to crush some more mint leaves and toss on the liner plate just before serving for an amazing aroma that gets the salivary glands activated!
Asparagus and Spinach Quiche
We have asparagus, and we have local spinach. A match for sure, and in a quiche, a special treat. I fiddled with this one a lot to reduce the fat content, eliminate the dairy, and came up with a good compromise, all the flavor but not as guilty a pleasure.
Without sacrificing flavor or texture, this pie comes in at just 212 calories a slice. It still has a fair amount of fat, 13 grams, but is a large reduction all around. A good portion of the fat comes from the crust, so if you make this crustless, you can save even more. Additionally, a slice has just 14 carbs, 2 grams of fiber, and is an excellent source of vitamin A, potassium, calcium, protein, and iron, and it’s dairy free so many can indulge.
- 1 whole wheat pastry crust
- 1 ½ cups unsweetened oat milk
- 3 eggs
- 2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
- Pinch of salt
- A few grinds of pepper
- ½ tsp. sweet or smoked paprika
- A shake or two of hot sauce
- 1 cup chopped, cooked asparagus
- 5 oz. chopped cooked spinach, well dried
- 2 tbsp. minced chives
- 2 oz. Cabot reduced fat Cheddar
- 2 tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. (180 C.) Blind bake your pastry crust just until it is set and starting to brown. Set aside.
In your blender, or whisk by hand, combine the milk, eggs, mustard, salt, pepper, paprika, hot sauce, and blend until smooth. Sprinkle the bottom of the shell with the cheddar, then pour the filling into the shell, add the vegetables evenly around the pie.
Bake quiche until it is set on the edges and still wobbly in the middle. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and return to the oven until nicely browned.
Let cool, then slice and serve up. Great with a simple salad of greens.
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Oooh, I wish you could save me a piece!!
Alas, you are too late! But I’ll let you know when I make it again!
It’s been a long time since I’ve attempted a vegan quiche but you’re tempting me, lady! Also LOVE asparagus risotto and you’ve made it look very Spring-y
Thank you Natasha! It’s such a wonderful time of year!
I grow my own they are so good usually use with eggs <3
They do go well with eggs!
My favorite combo.
I love asparagus! That asparagus quiche looks especially divine!
Thank you! The quiche was really delicious, and tasted every bit as decadent as the full-fat version.
Grilled, in soup, in an omelet, in risotto …. all so delicious …. but I have never had asparagus quiche. That needs to be remedied ASAP! Everything looks fantastic, D!
Hurry, while the local stuff is still available!
You should see the smile on my face – and I have until the end of August to wait to see the first new season asparagus on the market Down Under! I absolutely love your recipes. Have never thought of making pea broth – how logical! And just love the goatmilk idea for the quiche AND the ladle-at-a-time method which is the most delightful way of meditation I know
I definitely love the process as much as the outcome Eha! Do try the pea broth when it is in season down your way, it is really delightful!
Am I allowed to say here that asparagus, while I’ll eat it, isn’t high up on my list of vegetables to look forward to? But you do you, boo.
We all have our likes and dislikes! My mother would totally agree with you!
Superb!! Beyond a Shepherd’s pie, certainly!😋
Thank you!
Thank you, Dorothy, for this beautiful dish!
Joanna
You are very welcome Joanna!
Hello Dorothy, I realise of course that health is never to be underminded and that rice does indeed contain some arsenic. (see link below for those who were not aware of this). Also, that everyone should go about making risotto any way they want to. Kindly allow me to point out that when making risotto, however, it would be a mistake to rinse and soak the Italian rice. I am a little abashed to confess that I got Chatgpt to write this for me but here are the reasons: Starch is Essential in Risotto
Risotto relies on the rice’s natural starch (specifically amylopectin) to create its signature creamy texture. When you rinse rice, you wash away a significant amount of that surface starch.
🥣 Why You Shouldn’t Rinse for Risotto:
Loss of Creaminess:
The starch released during slow cooking and stirring is what makes risotto naturally creamy—no cream or flour needed. Rinsed rice won’t release enough starch.
Texture Problems:
Rinsed rice may result in a more separated, pilaf-like texture rather than the cohesive, silky mouthfeel of a proper risotto.
Traditional Technique:
In Italian cooking, arborio, carnaroli, or vialone nano rice is never rinsed for risotto. These varieties are specifically chosen because of their high starch content.
✅ The Right Approach:
Do not rinse the rice.
Toast it briefly in oil or butter (called tostatura) to seal the grains.
Slowly add warm broth, one ladle at a time, stirring frequently to coax out the starch.
In short: Rinsing removes what risotto needs most—starch. So skip the rinse and let the rice do what it was meant to do: turn broth into gold.
BACK TO ME: Now, if I were to eat risotto every day, or at least several times a week, I too would think about rinsing and soaking the rice. And again, everyone should do whatever they like in their own kitchen. I just wanted to comment on the link between the starch and the end result of a risotto. Also: I love asparagus, peas and mint – fab combination!
(.https://edition.cnn.com/2025/05/15/health/arsenic-cadmium-rice-wellness#:~:text=Arborio%20rice%20from%20Italy%20contained,of%20118%20parts%20per%20billion.
Thank you for this thoughtful reply. I do realize you risk much of the creaminess if you rinse the rice, but with so many food problems to maneuver, sometimes we go too far in the other direction!
Love, love asparagus
It’s definitely one of my favorites too!
Asparagus, peas and mint . . . does it get any better at this time of year? 😊 Wonderfully inspiring recipes as always. Thank you, Dorothy!
Thank you Lis! It is such a marvelous time of year.
Asparagus is high on my list of loved vegetables. Either steamed, roasted or tumbled into a quiche. To save carbs my quiches are usually crustless but I do miss a lovely brown crust. As it isn’t Asparagus season here yet, patience must be exercised. :))
Yes, always patience when waiting for asparagus!
Two delicious looking recipes!
Thanks Judy!
Asparagus and Quiche. Such a winning combination. 🌟✨💫
Perfect for celebrating, like Happy Thursday!
I like that. 👏
That quiche looks great! I love quiche and a lower fat version would be welcome. I always make a crustless quiche and really if the filling is flavorful no one even notices.
Thanks Joni! I like the quiche both with and without crust, although the crustless has much less saturated fat!
I love asparagus too and often make a risotto with it. But that quiche looks amazing. I’d definitely like a slice of that!
I’ll save you one!
😀
Asparagus is my favorite vegetable, it is so versatile and I bet the risotto is amazing!
Jenna
It was a nice treat nestled in the rice!
Your risotto recipe speaks to me, it looks so good!
Thank you Jan! It was quite tasty!
Both recipes sound very nice, Dorothy. I’ve been trying to make more vegetarian meals.
I have too, for health reasons, both my husband and my own, and I feel really good!
I absolutely adore asparagus as well!
Ours should still be around another week since the heat disappeared, so we’ll still feast!
My first few tastes of asparagus nearly turned me off forever, as my mother had bought it canned from the supermarket. But once I tasted it fresh, steamed or roasted, I became a believer! Your risotto sounds perfect for spring, but what I really want is a slice of that quiche! YUM!
Thanks Terrie! I think that canned/jarred stuff should be outlawed!
I’ll save you a slice of the quiche!
What a great read! I love asparagus in the spring too, especially roasted—it’s so simple but so good. I might have to try it in a risotto now! Funny enough, I’ve been living off quick meals lately since I’m in the middle of moving. I’ve been using an on-demand storage company to keep things organized (and my kitchen chaos-free), so I finally feel like I can slow down and enjoy cooking again. This post is inspiring me to get back to it!
It will feel so good to get back in your kitchen! I know that’s where I done of my best thinking, Jeanie, and I know what you are feeling. We moved a couple of years ago, and all was not well until I had the kitchen where I wanted it!
Delicious recipes, as always, Dorothy. I like asparagus as a main dish roasted with seasonings and either pine nuts or pumpkin seeds. Sometimes, I also add parmesan cheese.
I love the sound of the nuts!
We had a decent harvest this year and had it a few different ways. I hadn’t thought to do a quiche. Maybe this weekend with the few left over stalks I have.
These recipes all sound great! I especially love that Asparagus and Asparagus Quiche–it looks so delicious!
Thanks Nancy! I fear we are now at the end of the season, so we’ve been indulging frequently while it’s still around.
That quiche looks delicious Dorothy! I stopped picking my asparagus a few weeks ago.
Ours is finally done too I’m afraid. There’s always next year!