Classic White Asparagus with Creamy Béchamel Sauce, Boiled Potatoes and Salad

Jump to Recipe

Jump to Carbon Footprint

May is asparagus season in Germany. This is an important principle of German cuisine. In late spring or early summer, there is hardly a traditional restaurant that does not have a seasonal asparagus menu - and many home cooks also like to prepare this vegetable at this time of year.

A classic is, of course, boiled white asparagus with béchamel sauce, often served with potatoes that have been boiled in their skin, sometimes with boiled ham. But what is the carbon footprint of this classic recipe? Let’s find out!

Recipe #

Cooked white asparagus with béchamel sauce, boiled potatoes and salad

35 minutes

2 portions

Ingredients #

Asparagus

• 800 g white asparagus
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 pinch of sugar
• 1 dash of lemon juice

Béchamel sauce

• 50 g butter
• 50 g flour
• 600 ml milk
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 pinch of nutmeg

Side dish: boiled potatoes

• 300-400 g of potatoes
• 1 pinch of salt

Side dish: salad

• 100-150 g of lettuce
• 6 tablespoons of oil
• 3 tablespoons of vinegar
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 pinch of pepper
• 1 pinch of sugar
• 1 tablespoon of mustard

Directions #

1. Make the béchamel sauce: Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour to form a roux. Add the milk and the bay leaf. Simmer over low heat for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally with a whisk. Season to taste with salt and nutmeg, and remove the bay leaf before serving.
2. While the béchamel sauce is reducing, prepare the potatoes: Coarsely brush the potatoes. Boil them in plenty of salted water for about 20 minutes. At the end of the cooking time, use a fork to check that the potatoes are cooked through: if the fork meets with resistance and the potatoes are still firm inside, extend the cooking time a little. When the potatoes are cooked, pour off the water and let it evaporate in the pan.
3. Peel the asparagus. Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Add the salt, sugar, and lemon juice, then add the asparagus spears. Cook on low heat for about 10 minutes. You can use a fork to check if the asparagus is cooked.
4. Wash and trim the lettuce. Mix the remaining ingredients to make a classic vinaigrette dressing. Toss the salad with the dressing.
5. Serve the asparagus with the potatoes and the béchamel sauce.

Carbon Footprint #

In total, two portions of asparagus with béchamel sauce, boiled potatoes and salad have an estimated carbon footprint of 2507 g.

This ranks it number 45 out of 56 recipes published on the blog so far in terms of estimated carbon footprint.

On the other hand, it is still better than recipes based on meat, which have a carbon footprint at least 50% higher.

When it comes to ingredients, butter is of course the most obvious: We actually use very little of it for the roux, but it accounts for almost a fifth of the recipe’s carbon footprint. This is, of course, due to the fact that cattle farming is not exactly resource-friendly and that it takes around 20-25 litres of milk to make 1kg of butter. The asparagus itself and the potatoes have a fairly good carbon footprint. A different asparagus recipe without the béchamel sauce would therefore be expected to have a lower carbon footprint.

You might like this too! 🥕

Swabian Pancake Soup

The Swabian classic for using up pancake leftovers - simple, delicious and on the table in no time at all.

Quick and Easy Soup Vegetarian Swabian German Flour Milk Egg Carrot Celery Broth Parsley

Swabian Soul Food: Lentils with Spätzle (Vegetarian)

Lentils with Spätzle are a Swabian classic - here in a vegetarian version, but still with veggie sausages.

Swabian German Vegetarian Basic Recipe Quick and Easy Lentils Spaetzle Carrot Celery Veggie Sausage Egg

Käsewähe - Savory Cheesecake from Switzerland

A classic Swiss recipe for a savory filled tart. Perfect for the cold season

Vegetarian Swiss From the Oven Quick and Easy Quiche Butter Cheese Cream Milk Egg Flour Lettuce Cucumber Tomatoes