Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4-5 bowls of soup
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4-5 bowls of soup
This recipe is based upon almost over-cooked boiled asparagus, designed to save the day!
Ingredients:
1 bunch Asparagus
1/2 Medium Red Onion, roughly chopped
2 Cloves Garlic, roughly chopped
2 Bay Leaves
1 Tablespoon Fresh Rosemary*
1 Tablespoon Fresh Thyme*
1/2 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes (optional)
1 1/2 Cups Chicken Stock (substitute low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable stock)
1 Cup Half & Half (Use heavy cream for a richer soup; low or non-fat plain yogurt for a healthy substitute)
1/4 Cup Olive Oil, plus 1 tablespoon for garnish
1/4 Stick Unsalted Butter
Kosher Salt and Cracked Black Pepper
Pinch Paprika, for garnish
Pinch Dried Parsley, for garnish
3 Cups Ice Water
*You can substitute dried herbs, just use 50% as much
Special Equipment: Blender or Food Processor
Directions:
Assuming the asparagus has had the woody ends removed and has been boiled in a large pot or dutch oven with approximately 4 cups of water... Turn off the heat and with a pair of tongs, carefully remove the stems from the water (DO NOT discard the cooking water) and place them into a large bowl with the ice water. This will stop the asparagus from cooking any further.
Discard all but about 2 cups of the cooking water and return to medium heat. Add the chicken stock and bay leaves and bring it to a gentle simmer.
Place a saucepan over medium heat and once hot, add the olive oil and butter. Once the butter has begun to melt, add the chopped onion, garlic, rosemary, thyme, pepper flakes (if using) and salt and pepper to taste. Sweat for about 6-7 minutes until the onion and garlic are tender.
In the pot with the stock and water, add the half & half and return to a simmer. Once the onions and garlic are ready, add the mixture to the stock and stir to combine. Continue simmering for 5 more minutes.
Remove the asparagus from the ice bath and place in your blender. Carefully pour the stock mixture into the blender, until it's just over half full. DO NOT overfill the blender or you'll have a big mess! If you have a large amount of asparagus you can do this in two batches.
1 bunch Asparagus
1/2 Medium Red Onion, roughly chopped
2 Cloves Garlic, roughly chopped
2 Bay Leaves
1 Tablespoon Fresh Rosemary*
1 Tablespoon Fresh Thyme*
1/2 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes (optional)
1 1/2 Cups Chicken Stock (substitute low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable stock)
1 Cup Half & Half (Use heavy cream for a richer soup; low or non-fat plain yogurt for a healthy substitute)
1/4 Cup Olive Oil, plus 1 tablespoon for garnish
1/4 Stick Unsalted Butter
Kosher Salt and Cracked Black Pepper
Pinch Paprika, for garnish
Pinch Dried Parsley, for garnish
3 Cups Ice Water
*You can substitute dried herbs, just use 50% as much
Special Equipment: Blender or Food Processor
Directions:
Assuming the asparagus has had the woody ends removed and has been boiled in a large pot or dutch oven with approximately 4 cups of water... Turn off the heat and with a pair of tongs, carefully remove the stems from the water (DO NOT discard the cooking water) and place them into a large bowl with the ice water. This will stop the asparagus from cooking any further.
Discard all but about 2 cups of the cooking water and return to medium heat. Add the chicken stock and bay leaves and bring it to a gentle simmer.
Place a saucepan over medium heat and once hot, add the olive oil and butter. Once the butter has begun to melt, add the chopped onion, garlic, rosemary, thyme, pepper flakes (if using) and salt and pepper to taste. Sweat for about 6-7 minutes until the onion and garlic are tender.
In the pot with the stock and water, add the half & half and return to a simmer. Once the onions and garlic are ready, add the mixture to the stock and stir to combine. Continue simmering for 5 more minutes.Remove the asparagus from the ice bath and place in your blender. Carefully pour the stock mixture into the blender, until it's just over half full. DO NOT overfill the blender or you'll have a big mess! If you have a large amount of asparagus you can do this in two batches.
Speaking of messes, once you're ready to purée, be careful not to completely seal the blender lid or you'll end up with a heat explosion. Not only is that a buzz kill, but it can seriously burn you. Best thing is to leave one corner uncovered and use a clean kitchen towel to cover the rest. Set your blender on purée, pulse a few times to get things moving, then purée until smooth.
Pour the purée back into your pot, return to medium heat and simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes until it thickens. Check for seasoning and add a little salt and pepper to taste, if needed.
While the soup is simmering, pour a teaspoon or so of olive in a small bowl with a pinch of paprika and a pinch of dried parsley, stir to combine.
To serve, pour the soup into bowls and garnish with a drizzle of your olive oil mix.
Congrats, your mushy, yucky boiled asparagus is now a yummy Cream of Asparagus Soup. Oh and your family, friends and/or guests don't need to know you didn't plan this all along. It'll be our little secret!
No comments:
Post a Comment