Recipe of the Week: Cream of Asparagus Soup

March is prime asparagus season.  As spring arrives, the sweetest and greenest asparagus begins to hit the stores.

It's hard to imagine that my Dad for years ate asparagus out of a can!  Yuck!  

Quite simply, roasting asparagus with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper is my favorite way to eat it, but I've had asparagus soup on a few occasions and really enjoyed it.

Happy Spring!

Enjoy!
Stacy

CREAM OF ASPARAGUS SOUP

Ingredients:

2 pounds green asparagus

1 large onion, chopped

3 tablespoons butter

salt and pepper

5-6 cups chicken broth (you could use vegetarian)

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Cut tips from 12 asparagus spears and reserve for garnish

Cut stalks and all remaining asparagus into 1/2 inch pieces (discard 1/2 at bottom).

Cook onion in 2 tablespoons butter in a 4 quart heavy pot over medium heat, stirring until softened.  Add asparagus pieces and season with salt and pepper.  Continue to cook for about 5 minutes, then add 5 cups of broth and simmer, covered until the asparagus is very tender, about 15-20 minutes.

While soup simmers, cook reserved asparagus tips in boiling salted water until just tender, about 3-4 minutes, then drain.

Puree soup in batches in blender until smooth, transferring back to pot.  Next, add heavy cream, you may also want to add a bit more broth to thin soup to desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Bring soup to a boil and whisk in remaining tablespoon of butter.

Add soup to four bowls then add lemon juice and garnish with 3 asparagus tips.

Cook's notes:

Soup keeps, covered and chilled for 3 days in fridge.  

If making ahead, add the lemon juice and butter after reheating