Green Asparagus Soup
My best friend from Cape Cod, David, was coming to stay for a few weeks so I wanted to make a celebratory arrival dinner for him.
He doesn’t eat fish and a couple of the other guests were vegetarian so I put together a menu that felt special but catered to everyones preferences: asparagus soup to begin, a sweet pea pasta, roasted claypot lemon chicken with home made Caesar salad and because I always have abundant eggs from my gorgeous chickens, I prepared a vanilla flan with passion fruit for dessert.
I thought I would share the asparagus soup recipe, because it was originally inspired by the Harry’s Bar cookbook. I don’t know if you know Harry Cipriani, but he has the most amazing restaurants in Italy, and a couple in New York. I was lucky enough to meet him once at the restaurant in Soho.
The asparagus soup is always fabulous, but if you prepare it the day before it is even better.
It is a simple recipe with beautiful ingredients: a blend of onion (I mix yellow onion, spring onion, and leeks), fresh asparagus, cilantro, a little lemon, organic chicken broth, and Parmesan cheese.
I think you’ll love it!
Serves
4–6
Ingredients
2 bunches asparagus (around 2¼ lb / 1 kg), woody ends trimmed
3 tbsp unsalted butter
2 celery stalks
1 bunch of spring onions finely chopped
2 leeks finely chopped
2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly crushed
6 cups low-salt chicken stock
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp lemon juice (about one lemon’s worth)
½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and more for garnish
A small handful of fresh herbs such as dill, basil or thyme (optional, for serving)
Method
In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the chopped onions, leeks and garlic, and gently cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften and become translucent without browning (about 8 minutes).
While the onions and garlic are cooking, trim the tips off one bunch of asparagus and set them aside—these will be lightly blanched and used as a garnish later. Chop the remaining asparagus spears and celery, and add to the saucepan (excluding the reserved tips). Pour in the chicken stock, add a pinch of salt, and some freshly ground pepper, then bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat to low, cover with a lid, and let it simmer until the vegetables are very tender (about 30 minutes).
While the soup is cooking, bring a small pan of salted water to a boil. Blanch the reserved asparagus tips just until they are tender-crisp, then drain and, if you prefer, plunge them into cold water to help keep their bright green color.
When the vegetables in the soup are soft, use an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth. If you don’t have one, carefully blend in batches in a standard blender, then return the purée to the pan. Warm the soup gently and stir in the lemon juice and grated Parmesan. Adjust the seasoning to taste.
Serve in warm bowls and top each with some of the asparagus tips, an extra sprinkle of Parmesan, and fresh herbs if you like.
If you’d like to make this vegetarian by swapping chicken stock for vegetable stock, or if you have any serving suggestions in mind, like pairing it with a specific dish or wine, just let me know!
written by Marjolein Brugman
Marjolein Brugman is the founder of lighterliving and Aeropilates. “lighterliving is a movement and lifestyle choice we can all make. Let’s make it simple – make one decision a day to be better and watch the small steps lead to big changes. Eat smart, stay active, and you’ll live to feel a lighter life."
