*UPDATE* Nathan was a little skeptical when I picked him up from work and told him we were having asparagus soup with dinner. But, as it turns out, he loved it. So there you go--even manly men like asparagus soup.
If you're looking for a really good spring recipe, I have one for you. I just made the asparagus soup recipe from the little cookbook that came with my hand blender, and it is way yummy. You could use a regular blender at the end, if that's what you have. I have had asparagus soup just once at a swanky lunch, and it was pretty good, so when I had the opportunity to buy two bunches of asparagus for $2, I thought this would be perfect. I am going to serve it with ham and cheese sandwiches grilled on the George Foreman, but you could definitely do something fancier. Enjoy!
Asparagus Soup
Makes 2 1/2 cups
2 oz. shallot, peeled and chopped
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
1 1/4 lbs. fresh asparagus, tough ends removed
3 oz. red potato, peeled, cut in 1/2-inch dice (I didn't peel mine)
1/4 c. dry white wine
1 1/2 c. fat-free low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1/4 tsp. dried basil
1/4 c. heavy cream (optional)
Melt butter in a 3-quart saucepan over medium low heat. Add shallots and crushed garlic and sweat over medium low heat for about 5 minutes. Do not allow the shallots and garlic to turn brown.
While shallots are cooking, cut the asparagus into 1/2-inch pieces and reserve the tips. When shallots are soft, add asparagus and potato to saucepan and cook for about 6 minutes longer, until asparagus is bright in color. Add wine and raise the heat to bring the wine to a boil. Reduce the wine until a scant tablespoon remains. Add chicken stock. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low. Simmer for about 20 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Insert the blender into the saucepan, making sure the protective guard is submerged. Blend, using a
gentle up-and-down motion, until ingredients are well combined, about 40-50 seconds. Season with salt, pepper, and basil. Stir in cream if using.
While soup is cooking, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add the asparagus tips and cook for 2 minutes until bright green. Drain immediately.
Serve soup hot, garnished with reserved asparagus tips.
4 comments:
that sounds amazing... i'm going to try it!
I knew you'd want to try it, Meredith!
I bet he'll like this recipe as well:
INGREDIENTS
* 4 medium beets - scrubbed, trimmed and cut in half
* 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
* 3 tablespoons maple syrup
* 1 (10 ounce) package mixed baby salad greens
* 1/2 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
* 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
* 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
* 2 ounces goat cheese
DIRECTIONS
1. Place beets into a saucepan, and fill with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, then cook for 20 to 30 minutes, until tender. Drain and cool, then cut in to cubes.
2. While the beets are cooking, place the walnuts in a skillet over medium-low heat. Heat until warm and starting to toast, then stir in the maple syrup. Cook and stir until evenly coated, then remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the orange juice concentrate, balsamic vinegar and olive oil to make the dressing.
4. Place a large helping of baby greens onto each of four salad plates, divide candied walnuts equally and sprinkle over the greens. Place equal amounts of beets over the greens, and top with dabs of goat cheese. Drizzle each plate with some of the dressing.
Lauren, did you use the cream in your soup? Aunt Les
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