After a week of rain (during which cooking inspiration left me completely, I confess), we’ve emerged into Spring. Bright, windy, optimistic Spring. As I write this, T is lounging on the sofa in the sunshine, reading a magazine.  This is unusual. Changes are certainly afoot.

And so, with Spring’s arrival, comes the first appearance of asparagus at the Farmer’s Market.  I must confess that as times goes along, I’m less tolerant of the taste of asparagus.  It’s too strong –  even for someone who loves strong, stinky, flavors.  Roasted, I can eat just two-and-a-half skinny spears before I’ve had enough.  And I utterly loathe it with sauce.  But T loves asparagus, and so for its brief season, I’m obligated to be enthusiastic about asparagus.

The easiest way to turns lemons into lemonade is to make soup.  And the best soup begins with good chicken stock.  So, a bunch of asparagus, half an onion, a quart of chicken stock, and your asparagus soup is then a blank slate.  Add a bit of cream or milk, thicken it with a flour and butter roux, or simply use a machine to purée the mixture and serve your asparagus soup au nature.  If you want accompaniments, consider a bit of crabmeat, bay shrimp, diced potatoes, a dusting of Parmigiano-Reggiano, a swirl of preserved lemon or crème fraîche. Just make sure you bring it to the table very hot  - warm bowls always make a difference.  And since it’s asparagus, be sure to thank the cook, who makes the things you love, because she loves you…

Recipe: Simple Asparagus Soup

serves 3-4

 

Wash the asparagus well, including the tips, which can hide grit.  Cut off the woody bottoms (don’t snap off the bottoms, which is better when serving asparagus steamed or sauté – a little bit of firmness is acceptable when making a soup). Peel the stems if needed, and cut into thirds. In a soup pot, sauté half an onion, finely chopped, in butter or olive oil. Add the asparagus, a bit of chicken broth, and let steam until just tender when poked with the tip of a sharp knife. Don’t overcook the asparagus!

 

Purée the contents of the pot in a Cuisinart or blender, then return to the pot.  Add chicken broth, milk and/or cream according to your tastes and desired texture.  Season with salt and pepper. If you want to thicken the soup substantially, sauté 1 Tbs. flour in 2 Tbs. butter until it forms a roux – add this to the asparagus while still in the machine, and process until well-blended. Cook the soup slowly over low heat until hot, ladle into heated bowls, and add your desired garnishes. 

 

 

 

 

02 Apr This entry was published on April 2, 2012 at 9:00 am. It’s filed under French Cooking, Recipes, Soups and Braises, Vegetables + Side Dishes and tagged asparagus, green soup, recipes, simple asparagus soup. Bookmark the permalink. Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post.