i can't lie, the weather in southern california has been anything but winter like. it doesn't matter what the groundhog said, spring is pretty much here as far as i'm concerned. and my local produce store agrees. they had some BEAUTIFUL asparagus this week. a tell tale sign that spring is upon us.
but despite the unseasonably warm weather, i am pretending it is still soup season. what i love most about asparagus soup is that it can be so creamy with out using any cream. this soup feels indulgent, and while it is an indulgence for the tastebuds, it is light on the waistline.
creamy asparagus soup
serves: 4 appetizer servings or 2 for dinner
prep time: 10 minutes
active time: 30 minutes
total time: 40 minutes
ingredients: 3 tbs olive oil, divided. 1 lb asparagus, ends removed and chopped into 1 inch pieces. 1 shallot, diced. 1 large garlic clove, minced. 1 tbs tarragon leaves, roughly chopped. 4 cups chicken stock. the zest of 1 lemon + 1 tsp fresh lemon juice. 1 tsp kosher salt. .5 tsp freshly ground pepper. 12 baguette slices. .25 cup parmesan cheese. large, heavy pot. immersion blender, blender or food processor. rimmed baking sheet.
start by preheating the oven to 375 degrees f. combine the asparagus, shallots, garlic and tarragon in the pot with 1 tbs of olive oil and half the salt and pepper. heat the veggies over medium heat until the asparagus is bright green and the shallots are translucent.
while your asparagus is cooking, make your toasts. spread your toasts out on the rimmed baking sheet. drizzle with the remaining olive oil and sprinkle it with the cheese and lemon zest.
bake the toast for 7-10 minutes until nice and toasty. reserve the toasts.
when the asparagus is ready, pour in the chicken stock and season with the remaining salt and pepper.
bring the liquid to a boil and then reduce the heat so the liquid is just simmering. cook until the asparagus is tender. about 15 minutes. once the asparagus is tender, remove the soup from the eat.
squeeze in the lemon juice and blend with your blender of choice.
blend until smooth.
serve hot with parmesan toasts.
xo, a
creamy asparagus soup
serves: 4 appetizer servings or 2 for dinner
prep time: 10 minutes
active time: 30 minutes
total time: 40 minutes
ingredients: 3 tbs olive oil, divided. 1 lb asparagus, ends removed and chopped into 1 inch pieces. 1 shallot, diced. 1 large garlic clove, minced. 1 tbs tarragon leaves, roughly chopped. 4 cups chicken stock. the zest of 1 lemon + 1 tsp fresh lemon juice. 1 tsp kosher salt. .5 tsp freshly ground pepper. 12 baguette slices. .25 cup parmesan cheese. large, heavy pot. immersion blender, blender or food processor. rimmed baking sheet.
start by preheating the oven to 375 degrees f. combinethe asparagus, shallots, garlic and tarragon in the pot with 1 tbs of olive oil and half the salt and pepper. heat the veggies over medium heat until the asparagus is bright green and the shallots are translucent. while your asparagus is cooking, make your toasts. spread your toasts out on the rimmed baking sheet. drizzle with the remaining olive oil and sprinkle it with the cheese and lemon zest. bake the toast for 7-10 minutes until nice and toasty. reserve the toasts. when the asparagus is ready, pour in the chicken stock and season with the remaining salt and pepper. bring the liquid to a boil and then reduce the heat so the liquid is just simmering. cook until the asparagus is tender. about 15 minutes. once the asparagus is tender, remove the soup from the eat. squeeze in the lemon juice and blend with your blender of choice. blend until smooth. serve hot with parmesan toasts.
