Roasted Asparagus and Farro Soup

This is the second recipe I made from the Super Grains and Seeds cookbook that I borrowed from the library. This was an absolutely delicious soup. I made a batch which I froze and when I defrosted it was a bit more like stew than soup but the flavours with the fresh and in season asparagus were just wonderful.

Roasted Asparagus and Farro Soup (from Super Grains & Seeds by Amy Ruth Finegold)
(Serves 4)

185g farro
750ml water
900g asparagus
2 small shallots
2 tbsp oil
salt and pepper
2 garlic cloves crushed
1l veg stock
1 tsp allspice
handful parsley
grated zest 1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 190C.

Put the farro into a sieve and rinse under the cold tap. Put the farro into a saucepan and cover with the water, bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 15-20 mins, then drain and set aside.

Trim the asparagus, discarding the bottom ends as they are woody. Lay on a baking sheet with the shallots. Drizzle with oil, season well and sprinkle over the garlic. Roast for 20 mins, turning once.

When the asparagus is cooked, put it into a saucepan with the veg stock and puree with a hand blender.

Bring the soup to a simmer over a high heat and stir in the allspice. Add extra water to reach the desired consistency if needed. Add the farro, lemon zest and parsley and season. Serve.