Fresh Asparagus Soup
Fresh Asparagus Soup
The Asparagus season is here for a few short weeks, here in Andalucia where I am it’s about six weeks. It seems sacrilege to make soup from the precious spears, but I like to make the most of it whist it’s available. I make lots of soup and freeze it, I cut off the tips and use them in salads, stir-fry’s, etc. This bunch is from the very first picking of the season in my area and was kindly given to me by one of my Spanish neighbours, it weighs 3 kilos and the very first thing I’m going to do is make some soup for today’s lunch.
Fresh Asparagus Soup
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Ingredients
- 500 g asparagus
- 50 g butter
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 1 tbsp plain flour Adjust this if it’s too thick for your taste
- 1 ltr chicken stock Hot, fresh, carton or cube will be OK
- 150 ml double cream or crème fraiche
- salt and freshly milled black pepper
DISCLAIMER
I recommend using the Metric measurements (instead of cups & spoons) for more accuracy and better results.
Instructions
- Prepare the asparagus by removing and discarding the tough, stringy white ends of the stalks, reserve 12 asparagus tips to garnish the soup, then chop the green parts of the rest of the asparagus into 1 inch (2.5 cm) lengths.
- Next, melt the butter in a large saucepan over a gentle heat and cook the chopped onion in it for 5 minutes, keeping the heat low to prevent the onion colouring.
- Stir the asparagus into the melted butter and onion, then put a lid on and let it sweat for about 10 minutes, giving it a stir now and then. Sprinkle in the tablespoon of flour, stir again to soak up the juices and add the hot chicken stock, a little at a time, stirring after each addition.
- When all the stock is in, bring to simmering point, season with salt and freshly milled black pepper and keeping the heat low, let the soup barely simmer, partially covered, for 20-25 minutes. Now you need to let the soup cool a little, then pour it into a blender and blend in batches (a large bowl is helpful here).
- Taste to check the seasoning.
- Finally, stir in the double cream or crème fraiche and the reserved asparagus tips. Re-heat gently for 3-4 minutes and serve very hot in warm soup bowls or alternatively, cool and chill thoroughly before serving in chilled bowls.
There's no need to use the tips of the asparagus for this soup if you prefer to use them for something else. I like to just blanch in boiling water for a couple of minutes then plunge into ice cold water, this prevents over cooking and keeps their colour, then I use them on a nice salad.
Category: Recipes, Soups, Salads, Side Dishes & Sauces, Vegetarian,, Vegan & Free From
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Hi Brian, I agree with you, unfortunately all those little things like that we did in our work kitchen tend to sound rather complicated for some of my followers. That’s according to the feedback over the years. By simplifying things slightly encourages more people to try the recipe. Thanks for your comment I’m always please hear from you anytime.
Why use chicken stock ? I make the stock with the woody ends of the asparagus. I cut off the tips and use as garnish.