There is something about green asparagus and red onion that reminds me of a springtime supper. The following recipe makes for an interesting combination of al dente asparagus stalks with sweet roasted red onion wedges. Prepare the vegetables in advance and serve them with a dip of Turkish yoghurt and fresh dill.

Ingredients

• 1 bunch of fresh green asparagus
• 30 grams of extra virgin olive oil
• a sprinkling of Himalaya salt
• 2 red onions
• 5 grams of raw cane sugar
• 5 grams of fennel seed
• 1 teaspoon of honey or agave syrup

Preheat the oven to 215 degrees. Layer a baking tray with baking paper. Break off the first 3-4 centimeters of the asparagus, saving them to make a broth for risotto. Wash the asparagus and peel the first half with a vegetable peeler. Lay the asparagus on the baking tray. Brush the asparagus with olive oil and grill them in eight minutes. Serve the asparagus warm or at room temperature with caramelized red onions.

Lower the temperature of the oven to 170 degrees. Layer a baking tray with baking paper. Peel the onions, cutting them in half. Cut each half into four wedges. Lay the wedges tightly against each other on the tray. Sprinkle the onions with a bit of pink Himalaya salt, followed by the raw cane sugar and the fennel seeds. Roast the onions 20 minutes. Turn the onion wedges over with a spoon and drizzle a small amount of honey over them. Put the onions back into the oven for 10-15 minutes, until they are roasted, dark purple in color and slightly caramelized.

Put the asparagus on a platter and scatter the red onions over them, drizzling the fennel seeds and roasting juices over the roasted green stalks. Add some olive oil if so desired.

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♦  Suggested combinations
The asparagus and onions make a beautiful salad with endive or red radicchio. They also work well with pasta. Bake the grilled asparagus and onion wedges in an egg frittata, serving it as a light meal with a salad of greens and red radishes. Slice the green asparagus into bite-size pieces and stir it through a farro risotto.

♦  Notes
Double the recipe if expecting friends for dinner. Once prepared, the vegetables keep well and can be used as a filling for pasta, risotto or fish baked in the oven.

The dip made of yoghurt with fresh dill which I suggest as a dressing for this combination, works well with all sorts of grilled vegetables in season. This recipe will be the subject of my next post.