10 Delicious Ways You Can Make the Most of Leftover (or too much) Asparagus

I recently splashed out and bought some Cornish asparagus which, as you probably know, is delicious.  I ate half of the tips with some smoked trout fillets – not just any smoked trout fillets these were Lidls’ smoked trout fillets which were (quite correctly) recommended to me by a friend.  I couldn’t quite finish the fish.  Hence today’s lunch … 

I lightly crisped the leftover trout in a little butter whilst poaching some asparagus tips. 

I gently heated some M & S Hollandaise which surprised me in 2 ways.  Firstly that it contained cream and secondly that I didn't make my own but it’s a lot of faff to make for a person who has just been to M & S! 

Here, however, is my recipe for Hollandaise Sauce which I made gallons of every Sunday for several years - not as a hobby, you understand, but as part of my job.

I still have the some asparagus left with which I may do one of the following ... 

9 More Ideas for Leftover or Just a Little Asparagus

~   Serve as “soldiers” with dippy eggs.

~   Just a little asparagus and several people to serve?   Make a pretty side dish of peas, snow or snap peas and asparagus all tossed together in butter. 

~   Toss just cooked asparagus in butter with new pots.

~   Add leftover asparagus to omelette, frittata or scrambled eggs add bacon or ham if you can (and you want to!).

~   Stir into risotto.

~   Add to stir fries.

~   Toss with cooked pasta and Alfredo Sauce – add ham or chicken or smoked fish etc.

~   Raw asparagus - cut very thin diagonal slices or shave into fine strips with a potato peeler and toss in a salad with a light lemony, peppery vinaigrette, finely shaved Parmesan would be a good addition to this.

If your asparagus stalks are woody they won’t make good soup as they will remain woody whatever you do with them BUT you could cook them in a little water to make asparagus stock and then use the stock to give a boost to risotto, soups and sauces.