BROWN RICE SOUP WITH ASPARAGUS

This soup is chunky and thick with vegetables and rice so it can stand on its own with no real need for a side dish—I serve soups with a warm baguette. And it’s healthy. Asapargus is among the richest food sources of folate, which helps to keep blood levels of homocysteine, an amino acid, in check. High homocysteine levels have been linked to atherosclerosis.

Ingredients

3/4 cup brown rice

1/4 cup wild rice

2 teaspoons salt, or to taste

1 bunch asparagus

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 celery stalks, chopped fine (about 2/3 cup)

1/2 onion, chopped fine (about 1/3 cup)

1 small carrot, chopped fine (about 1/3 cup)

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Instructions

6 cups Vegetable Stock (page 125) or store-bought vegetable broth

2 tablespoons minced scallions or green onions

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon natural soy sauce (such as tamari)

1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Parsley sprigs for garnish

1. Put the rice with the salt in 3 cups of water in a medium saucepan. Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender and the water is absorbed, about 45 minutes.

2. Trim the tough ends off the asparagus stalks and discard. Steam the asparagus until tender yet crisp, about 2 minutes. Drain it in a colander, then rinse under cold water. Let the asparagus cool for a few minutes. When completely cooled, cut into 1-inch pieces, reserving 1/4 cup of tips for garnish.

3. Coat the bottom of a large pot with the olive oil. Add the celery, onion, carrot, and thyme. Cover and cook over low heat for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender.

4. Add the vegetable stock and cooked rice and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool a bit.

5. Carefully transfer small batches to a blender and blend until smooth. Return all the blended mixture to a pot. Stir in the asparagus, scallions, parsley, soy sauce, pepper sauce, and ground pepper.

6. Return to a simmer for 2 minutes. Ladle into bowls and garnish with reserved asparagus tips and parsley sprigs.

You can learn a lot sitting on the tailgate of a pickup truck. That’s where my buddy Chris, from Zuckerman’s Farm, used to sit me down and teach me about all things asparagus. Chris worked hard—awfully hard—as a farmer. He was true salt of the earth, and as generous as they come. Normally, there’s an invisible line: farmers behind their wares and buyers on the other side, but Chris always insisted I “step into his parlor.” Both of us were always so excited when the first asparagus of the season showed up. He’d put aside a bunch for me, and then we’d both hop up on that tailgate and talk—about recipes, how amazingly nutritious asparagus is, and, a lot of the time, about life and family. Chris passed away not long ago, and I felt the best way I could honor him was to create a recipe featuring his favorite veggie. I think he would have enjoyed this, and I hope you will, too.

Ingredients

1/3 cup hazelnuts

2 bunches asparagus (about 2 pounds), tough ends snapped off and discarded, then peeled (see note*)

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Sea salt

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Freshly ground pepper

4 cups loosely packed arugula

2. Put the hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet. Put them in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes as it preheats, until aromatic and browned. Transfer to a plate or, if you’d like to remove the skins for a more refined texture and appearance, wrap them in a towel and give them a good rub. The majority of the skins will come right off. Coarsely chop the hazelnuts.

3. Put the asparagus on the same baking sheet in a single layer. Drizzle with the 2 teaspoons of olive oil and generously sprinkle with salt. Toss gently to evenly coat the asparagus. Bake for 8 minutes, until just barely tender.

4. Put the lemon juice, the 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and a few grinds of pepper in a small bowl and mix well with a small whisk.

5. Put the arugula in a large bowl. Drizzle with half of the dressing and toss until evenly coated. Mound the arugula on individual plates or a platter and arrange the asparagus on top. Drizzle with the remaining dressing and sprinkle the hazelnuts on top.

Variation: Substitute toasted pistachios or walnuts for the hazelnuts.

*Note: Peeling the asparagus gets rid of the stringy, sometimes tough outer layer and exposes the sweet flesh underneath. To peel it, use a regular vegetable peeler with a light touch to shave off just the skin. This technique is not necessary with thin asparagus spears.