Asparagus bowls with herb broth

for 4 people

Chef and food writer

Ingredients

2 cups	Vegetable stock
1 stick	Celery, roughly chopped
1	Fennel bulb, roughly chopped
30 g	Butter
½ cup	Watercress
½ cup	Chopped parsley
1 Tbsp	Celery leaves, chopped
16	Asparagus spears, trimmed and cut in 4cm lengths (Main)
16	White asparagus, trimmed and cut in 4cm lengths (Main)
¼ cup	Peas
½ cup	Broad beans, podded and carefully skinned
4	Bocconcini, very fresh, drained and torn into 3-4 chunks
1 loaf	Sourdough bread, for serving

Place stock in a saucepan with an extra ½ cup water, as well as the celery and fennel. Bring to a simmer, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 30 minutes. Carefully remove celery and fennel chunks and discard them.
Add butter, cress, parsley and lovage to stock and simmer a further 5 minutes, then blitz thoroughly using a stick blender. Cover and keep hot.
Meanwhile bring a saucepan of water to the boil, add salt and both kinds of asparagus, and peas. After 1 minute add broad beans and cook for 2 more minutes. Drain.
Pile vegetables and torn bocconcini in warmed bowls, then ladle broth over the top. Serve immediately with bread.