Children's Song
Carrots, peas and broccoli
Vegetables are good for me
For my snack and in my lunch
Veggie sticks are fun to munch
Carrots, peas and broccoli
Vegetables are good for me!
(sung to Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
Spring has Sprung with the bloggers of Soup Swappers. We were to take the tastes of spring and turn it into a soup. I love all spring vegetables, chard, spinach, spring peas, lettuces, green onions, you name it, I like it! Especially the misunderstood asparagus.
As a child I did not love this vegetable. I never saw it raw, only in an unusual sized can. As an adult, though,I adore seeing an asparagus patch with all the raw asparagus tips rising from the ground. My neighbors in Columbia had a large patch that always grew plenty of asparagus and we were the recipient a time or two. Delicious. I have wanted to start a bed, but it wasn't meant to be.
This asparagus soup has a secret. It is creamy, but doesn't have cream or milk in it. The creaminess comes from parmesan cheese and a whirl in the blender. That's the truth, I swear it. I wanted to consume a nice large loaf of chewy French bread while I ate this soup, so be prepared for that!
Creamy Asparagus Soup
2 bunches of asparagus, tips removed and set aside, and the stems chopped into 1" pieces
6 c chicken broth
1 onion, chopped
2 t minced garlic
3 T butter
2 T shredded parmesan
1 T fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper
In a large soup pot, melt butter. Add chopped onion and garlic and cook until translucent. Add chicken broth and asparagus stem pieces and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat. Cook for 30 minutes until vegetables are completely softened. In the meanwhile, bring 4 c water to a boil, add asparagus tips and cook for 2 minutes. Plunge into an ice bath to stop the cooking and brighten the vegetables. In small batches, blend the chicken broth and vegetables until smooth. Continue until all the soup is processed. Add the cheese and stir until melted. Add the lemon juice and stir. To serve, top with more of the cheese and two or three of the asparagus tips.
Look below for more delightful spring soup recipes. It will do your soul good!
