Asparagus Parmesan Soup

Being 30 weeks pregnant I have been craving lots of green foods. I know, a little out of the norm! Anyways, the two main green foods have been artichoke and asparagus. I recently bought bulk of asparagus since it was on sale so I thought why not make an asparagus soup!! I used a combination of recipes to come up with this fantastic soup! First prepare the leeks by cutting them lengthwise and then in half moons. I put these into a colander and into a bowl with water and wash them very well.  All you need to do is swish swish a few times and all of the dirt falls into the bottom of the bowl.



Next cut the tips off the asparagus and then cut the asparagus stalks in 1/2 in pieces.

Melt 1 1/2 Tb butter in a large pot and added the asparagus tips. Cook them for around 2 min on med-high heat then set them aside. Lower the temp to med-low and melt another 1 1 /2 Tb butter and add the asparagus stalks and leeks. Cook those, stirring occasionally, for about 10 min or until the veggies are softened.  Turn heat up once again to med-high heat add the chicken broth, bring that to a boil then lower the heat to med-low and let it simmer for around 5min. In a separate saute pan saute 2 shallot and 3 cloves garlic with a TB of Olive oil for about 5 min and transfer it into the soup. Add the peas and the parmesan cheese then use an immersion blender to thoroughly blend the soup. If you don't have an immersion blender you can blend the soup in batches in a blender. Finally  add the lemon, the heavy cream, the asparagus tips and salt and pepper. When your ready to spoon the soup into the bowls sprinkle some parmesan cheese on top and garnish with one asparagus tip.

Asparagus Parmesan Soup Adapted from Emeril Lagasse & Cook's Country

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds fresh asparagus, rinsed
  • 3 1/2 cups chicken stock
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 minced shallot
  • 2 small leeks, whites and light greens only, well rinsed
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan

    Directions

    Trim the attractive top tips from the asparagus, about 1 to 1 1/2 inches in length. Cut the woody stem ends from each spear and reserve. Cut the remaining tender stalks into 1/2-inch pieces.

    In a medium pot, melt 1 1/2 Tb butter in a large pot and added the asparagus tips. Cook them for around 2 min on med-high heat then set them aside. Lower the temp to med-low and melt another 1 1 /2 Tb butter and add the asparagus stalks and leeks cook for 10 min or until the vegetables are softened. Turn heat up once again to med-high heat add the chicken broth, bring that to a boil then lower the heat to med-low and let it simmer for around 5min. Add the heavy cream and parmesan cheese. 

    In a medium saute pot, melt 1 Tb Olive oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add the shallots and garlic and cook until tender, about 3-5 minutes.Transfer into the soup pot.

    With a hand-immersion blender or in batches in a blender, puree the soup until smooth. Add the lemon, the heavy cream, the asparagus tips and salt and pepper. Adjust the seasoning, to taste.

4 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. I signed up for your email blog! Thanks-- I want to win the anthropologie gifts please!! TRacey
    traceysgrant@yahoo.com

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  3. Hmmm sounds so good! I've never made asparagus soup before - but I'll have to give it a try soon!

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  4. Made this last night and it was great! Husband said it tasted gourmet. A couple notes: You mention lemon in the directions but not in the ingredients. I didn't have any and don't know that it made a difference. Also, you mention peas in the first instructions with the photos but again, not in the ingredients. This one intrigued me so I added about a cup of frozen peas and I think it added a little more oomph, especially since I was a little short on asparagus. Finally, you mention adding cream both before and after blending. I did it after and it worked great. Overall a great recipe, something I will definitely use again! Thanks for posting.

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