Herb couscous with asparagus and mascarpone-lime sauce

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 200 g couscous
• 200 ml vegetable stock
• 1 bunch of herbs (e.g. basil, parsley, tarragon, chervil, mint, lemon balm)
• 1 ½ kg asparagus, green
• 1 tbsp honey, spicy
• butter
• 100 g mascarpone
• 200 ml vegetable stock
• 1 lime(s), juice
• salt and pepper
• possibly sauce thickener

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 40 minutes

fine vegetarian summer cuisine

For the sauce, stir the mascarpone into the vegetable stock (you may need a little more than 200 ml) and heat gently. Add the lime juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. If the sauce is too runny, thicken with a little sauce thickener. Pour the hot vegetable stock over the couscous and let it swell, covered. Trim the asparagus, trim the woody ends, and cut the asparagus spears into pieces about 5 cm long. Melt the butter in a pan (with a lid), lightly fry the asparagus on all sides, season with a little salt, add a little water, and simmer covered over medium heat until al dente; this takes a maximum of 10 minutes. Meanwhile, chop the herbs. When the asparagus is cooked, add the honey and toss everything well. Then remove the asparagus from the pan and keep warm briefly. Purée the sauce until frothed with a hand blender. Toast the couscous in the asparagus pan, stirring occasionally (adding more butter first if necessary) and mix in the herbs. Serve the herb couscous with the asparagus and the mascarpone and lime sauce.