Quick-Braised Spring Vegetables
Quickly “braising” your veggies with spring onion, garlic, olive oil, and a few tablespoons of chicken broth adds bucketloads of flavor to them, as does a good sprinkling of chives and grated Parmesan. I can’t wait to whip up this spring dish after a visit to the farmers’ market—it’s a testament to the season. Fava beans have an inedible pod and an outer skin that is only edible when the beans are very young. To prepare fava beans, remove the beans from the pods. Next, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the beans and cook for 30 seconds. Immediately transfer the beans to a bowl of ice water. When chilled, drain the beans and, using your fingers or a small knife, peel the outer skins from the beans.
Ingredients
1 spring onion or 4 scallions, trimmed and sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons low-sodium chicken broth or water
8 ounces asparagus, woody ends trimmed, stalks cut into 1 1⁄2-inch pieces
1 cup shelled fresh fava beans (from about 1 pound pods), peeled (see note above), or sugar snap peas, trimmed and halved crosswise
1 cup shelled fresh English peas (from about 1 pound peas in the pod)
1/2 head escarole, torn into bite-size pieces (about 2 cups)
3 cups loosely packed baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives
A small chunk of Parmesan cheese, for grating
Directions
PREP TIME
MINS
COOKING TIME
MINS
Serves
In a large heavy skillet, combine the spring onion, garlic, oil, and broth and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cover and cook for about 2 minutes, or until the spring onion softens slightly.
Add the asparagus, fava beans, and peas and sauté for about 2 minutes, or until the beans and peas are heated through. Add the escarole, spinach, and basil and sauté for about 2 minutes, or until the escarole wilts and the asparagus is crisp-tender.
Stir in the lemon zest and juice. Season to taste with salt. Transfer to a serving platter. Sprinkle with the chives, grate the Parmesan over, and serve immediately.
