Trim the ends off the asparagus spears. Peel the white asparagus completely, and the green asparagus only down to the lower third. Cut the asparagus into 5 cm pieces and cook in boiling salted water with the sugar and lemon juice for 5–10 minutes until just tender. Then remove and drain.

Peel and finely chop the onion. Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the onion until translucent. Deglaze with the apple juice and allow it to reduce. Add the stock and the vegan crème fraîche and bring to the boil.

Purée the sauce with a hand blender. Season to taste with 2 teaspoons of salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Remove the stalks from the cherry tomatoes, quarter them and add them to the sauce along with the asparagus. Season to taste with balsamic vinegar and reheat briefly.