Asparagus and buckwheat risotto

Buckwheat is a very understated pseudograin that is related to rubab. The trick with it is not to overcook it, once buckwheat turns to mush it looses its subtle flavour and texture. Don't worry, it is very easy to cook to perfection. The beauty of this recipe is that you can easily substitute asparagus for other veggies, and it always comes out super tasty.

When you are shopping for buckwheat you want to make sure it is whole, not buckwheat flakes.

Serves 2

2 cups unroasted buckwheat

1 teaspoon coconut oil

7 asparagus spears, trimmed and chopped into 2 cm chunks

750 ml vegetable stock

2 sprigs of parsley finely chopped

1/4 lemon







1. Heat the coconut oil in the frying pan and add the buckwheat. Fry on medium heat for between 5-10 minutes, stirring from time to time and making sure it browns evenly. (You could use roasted buckwheat instead, in that case use half the coconut oil and fry for 1-2 minutes instead)

2. Asparagus has a natural breaking point. If you go from the end of the stalk gently bending a long the way, at the point where the tender part meets the tougher end it will just snap. I like to save the harder ends to put them through the juicer, but you only cook the tender stem. Add chopped asparagus to the pan, cook for further 2-3 minutes.

3. Add 2 ladles of stock, wait for it to get completely absorbed. After this add only 1 ladle at a time and wait for it to absorb completely each time, taste it in between until you are happy with the result. I like my risotto a little al dente, so I find that I normally use 4 ladles in total, but you might find that you like it a little softer (after you have added 4 ladles, I would start adding 1/2 a ladle at a time)

4. Dish it up in shallow bowls, garnish with parsley and squeeze the lemon juice on top. Bon appetit!