Asparagus Chayote And White Bean Soup Recipes

WHITE BEAN AND ASPARAGUS SALAD

Steps:

• Mix one 15-ounce can cannellini beans (drained and rinsed) with 1 grated garlic clove, 1/4 cup olive oil and 2 tablespoons tarragon vinegar or white wine vinegar in a large bowl; let stand 15 minutes. Shave 1 bunch trimmed jumbo asparagus into ribbons with a vegetable peeler. Add to the bowl along with 1 tablespoon chopped tarragon and another 1 teaspoon vinegar; season with salt and pepper and toss. Toast 3 tablespoons panko in 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet; sprinkle over the salad.

ASPARAGUS, CHAYOTE AND WHITE BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Peel and cube the squash. Trim the asparagus and cut into 1" lengths, reserving the tips. Heat oil in a large pot and sauté the onions over medium heat until soft, about 2 minutes. Try not to brown the onions. Add the garlic, sauté for 1 min, add the squash and asparagus stalks and sauté for 5 minutes more or until the squash just starts to soften. Add the chick stock, white beans, black pepper and Serrano chile and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the asparagus tips during the last 3 minutes of cooking. Serve with lemon wedges, parmesan and cracked black pepper. The Serrano chile will add just a touch of heat to the broth, but it adds a bright red contrast to the otherwise pale green vegetables. Your guests should be warned - the chile is here for looks and flavor, not for eating!

WHITE ASPARAGUS SOUP

Steps:

• In a large soup pot, add the butter and melt it over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until it begins to soften and melt, but not until brown since you want the soup to maintain a light, creamy shade. Add the peeled white asparagus (it is an extremely fibrous vegetable so make sure to peel it before cooking), the broth and the wine. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat and simmer until the asparagus is tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. Let the soup cool for about 5 minutes. Carefully add the soup, in batches, to a blender and puree. Return the soup to the pot over low heat. Add the half-and-half and season with salt and white pepper, to taste. Warm the soup until heated through. Ladle the soup into serving bowls and garnish with chervil before serving.
• In a large soup pot, add the butter and melt it over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until it begins to soften and melt, but not until brown since you want the soup to maintain a light, creamy shade. Add the peeled white asparagus (it is an extremely fibrous vegetable so make sure to peel it before cooking), the broth and the wine. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat and simmer until the asparagus is tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. Let the soup cool for about 5 minutes. Carefully add the soup, in batches, to a blender and puree. Return the soup to the pot over low heat. Add the half-and-half and season with salt and white pepper, to taste. Warm the soup until heated through. Ladle the soup into serving bowls and garnish with chervil before serving.

TUNA, ASPARAGUS & WHITE BEAN SALAD

Steps:

• Cook the asparagus in a large pan of boiling water for 4-5 mins until tender. Drain well, cool under running water, then cut into finger-length pieces. Toss together the tuna, beans, onion, capers and asparagus in a large serving bowl.
• Mix the oil, vinegar and tarragon together, then pour over the salad. Chill until ready to serve.

CABBAGE AND WHITE BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Soak beans in cold water to cover by 2 inches at room temperature at least 8 hours, or quick-soak (see cooks' note, below). Drain in a colander.
• Stick clove into onion. Bring ham hocks and 3 quarts water to a boil in a wide 6- to 7-quart heavy pot, skimming off any froth, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, 1 hour. Add beans, onion, parsley, bay leaf, thyme, and garlic and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until beans are almost tender, 40 to 50 minutes.
• When beans are almost done, peel potatoes and cut into 1-inch pieces. Add potatoes and cabbage to beans, then simmer, uncovered, until vegetables are very tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Remove ham hocks. When ham hocks are cool enough to handle, discard skin and bones, then cut meat into bite-size pieces. Stir into soup with salt and pepper to taste. Discard bay leaf and onion.
• Spread butter on both sides of bread, then toast in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, turning over once, until golden, about 2 minutes total.
• Serve soup with toasts.

SIMPLE ASPARAGUS SOUP

Steps:

• In a 6-qt. stockpot, heat butter and oil over medium heat. Stir in vegetables and seasonings; cook until vegetables are tender, 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally., Stir in rice and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until rice is tender, 40-45 minutes, stirring occasionally., Puree soup using an immersion blender, or cool slightly and puree soup in batches in a blender. Return to pot and heat through. If desired, serve with sour cream and croutons. Freeze option: Freeze cooled soup in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight (soup may separate). In a saucepan, reheat to boiling, whisking until blended.

CREAM OF ASPARAGUS AND MUSHROOM SOUP

Steps:

• Place the bacon in a large, deep skillet, and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain the bacon slices on a paper towel-lined plate. Crumble bacon when cool; set aside. Reserve 1 tablespoon of bacon drippings.
• Melt butter with drippings in a saucepan over medium heat.
• Cook and stir celery and onion in the saucepan until onion is translucent, about 4 minutes.
• Whisk flour into the mixture and cook for 1 minute.
• Whisk in chicken broth and bring to a boil.
• Add potato and chopped asparagus stalks, reserving the asparagus tips for later. Season with salt and ground black pepper.
• Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Pour the soup into a blender, filling the pitcher no more than halfway full. Hold down the lid of the blender with a folded kitchen towel, and carefully start the blender, using a few quick pulses to get the soup moving before leaving it on to puree. Puree in batches until smooth and pour into a clean pot. Alternately, you can use a stick blender and puree the soup right in the cooking pot.
• Cook and stir mushrooms and asparagus tips in the same skillet used for bacon until mushrooms give up their liquid, 5 to 8 minutes. Season with salt and ground black pepper, if needed.
• Stir mushrooms, asparagus tips, and half-and-half cream to pureed soup. Cook until thoroughly heated.
• Garnish soup with crumbled bacon.

LEMONY PASTA WITH ASPARAGUS AND WHITE BEANS

Steps:

• Grate the zest from the lemon into a small bowl. Halve the lemon and squeeze the juice from half of it on top of the zest. Add the white beans, shallot or onion, grated garlic, red-pepper flakes and a large pinch of salt and toss well. Drizzle in 1 tablespoon olive oil and set aside.
• Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until just shy of al dente, usually 2 minutes less than the package directs.
• Meanwhile, heat a 12-inch sauté pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the remaining 3 tablespoons oil, then add the asparagus. Sauté until the asparagus is tender and starting to brown at the edges, 7 to 10 minutes. Add a big pinch of salt and the sliced garlic and sauté until the garlic is lightly golden, 1 to 2 minutes longer.
• Dip a coffee mug or glass measuring cup into the pasta water and scoop out about 1/2 cup of it to use for the sauce. Drain pasta, shaking it well. Add pasta, bean mixture, parsley and Parmesan to sauté pan and cook until the beans are hot and the pasta is al dente. If the mixture looks dry, splash in some (or all) of the reserved pasta water. Squeeze remaining lemon half over pasta, toss and taste. Season with pepper; add more salt, red-pepper flakes and lemon juice, if desired.

FRENCH WHITE BEAN AND CABBAGE SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
• Add in the onion, carrot, and garlic; cover and cook 5 minutes or until softened.
• Transfer the cooked vegetables into a 6-quart slow cooker.
• Add in the cabbage, potato, beans, stock, and thyme; season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours.
• Just before serving, stir in the liquid smoke (if using), and parsley; taste to adjust seasonings.

CHAYOTE SOUP

Steps:

• Dissolve the bouillon in the hot water.
• Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir the onion, garlic, and red pepper in the butter until the onion is soft. Add the squash, 2 tablespoons cilantro, salt, and pepper and stir continually for 5 minutes. Stir in the bouillon mixture and 1 tablespoon cilantro; cover. Simmer about 20 minutes.
• Pour the mixture into a blender and puree until smooth. Pour into bowls and garnish with a sprig of cilantro to serve.

CRAB AND ASPARAGUS SOUP

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, saute onion and celery in butter. Stir in the flour, seafood seasoning, salt, pepper and nutmeg until blended; gradually add water and bouillon. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in potatoes. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes., Add asparagus; cook 8-12 minutes longer or until vegetables are tender. Stir in the cream and crab; heat through. If desired, sprinkle with parsley and pepper.

WHITE BEAN AND ASPARAGUS SALAD WITH TARRAGON-LEMON DRESSING

Steps:

• If using canned beans, drain and rinse. If using dried beans, soak in plenty of water for 6 hours or overnight. Drain beans and transfer to a medium pot. Cover beans by 2 inches with water and add 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and the bay leaves. Simmer until just tender but not at all mushy, about 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours, depending upon what kind of beans you're using. Drain.
• Break off tough ends of the asparagus. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil and prepare a bowl with ice and cold water. Blanch trimmed asparagus for 1 1/2 minutes, or until just cooked through but still firm, then plunge them into the ice bath. Let sit for 5 minutes, then drain. Pat dry and slice diagonally into 1/2-inch pieces.
• In a blender or food processor, combine tarragon, lemon zest, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, the black pepper and the lemon juice, and process until garlic is chopped. Pour in olive oil. Process until mixture is well blended and bright green, about 1 minute.
• In a large mixing bowl, gently toss together beans, asparagus and dressing. Taste and add more lemon juice and salt if needed.