Asparagus Cress Soup Recipes

ASPARAGUS CRESS SOUP

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, saute onion in butter 3-4 minutes or until soft. Stir in flour to form a smooth paste. Cook for 2 minutes. Gradually stir in broth and bring to a boil. Add asparagus and watercress; cover and simmer 5-7 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Cool. , In a blender, process soup in batches until smooth. Return all to pan; stir in cream. Heat on low until cooked through (do not boil). Season with the salt, white pepper and cayenne. Serve with a dollop of sour cream.

CREAM OF ASPARAGUS SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic, and saute 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add asparagus and saute another 4 minutes. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cook for 30 minutes, until asparagus is very tender. *Carefully transfer to a blender and puree until smooth. Return to saucepan, stir in sour cream and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer to serving bowls. Dust with paprika and serve.
• *When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.

CREAM OF ASPARAGUS SOUP

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Fill a medium bowl with salted ice water. Working in 2 batches, add the asparagus to the boiling water and cook until just tender, about 4 minutes per batch. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the asparagus to the bowl of ice water. Drain. Reserve 7 1/2 cups of the cooking liquid.
• Thinly slice 18 of the asparagus tips on the diagonal and reserve for a garnishing the soup. Chop the remaining asparagus spears into small pieces.
• Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrots and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 12 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, for 2 minutes more.
• Pour in the reserved asparagus cooking liquid and bring to a boil while whisking constantly. Tie the parsley, thyme, and bay leaf together with a piece of kitchen twine and add to the soup. Lower the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Stir in the chopped asparagus and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
• Remove and discard the herb bundle. Working in batches, transfer the asparagus mixture to a blender and puree until smooth. Using a sieve over a large bowl, strain the asparagus soup. Return the puree to the pot and reheat over medium heat.
• Whisk the heavy cream, vermouth, and salt into the soup and season with pepper. Divide among warm soup bowls, sprinkle each soup with the reserved asparagus tips, and serve immediately.

CREAM OF ASPARAGUS SOUP

Steps:

• Saute 1 chopped onion, 2 minced garlic cloves and 1 teaspoon fresh thyme in 2 tablespoons butter in a large pot over medium-high heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add 2 pounds asparagus (trimmed and chopped), 1 1/2 cups each water and chicken broth and a big pinch of salt. Simmer until tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Working in batches, puree in a blender. Return to the pot, whisk in 1/2 cup crème fraiche and warm through (do not boil). Season with salt and pepper. Top with more creme fraiche and chopped chives.

CREAM OF FRESH ASPARAGUS SOUP II

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine asparagus, chopped onion, and 1/2 cup chicken broth. Cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat, and simmer uncovered until asparagus is tender, about 12 minutes. Process the mixture in a blender to puree the vegetables. Set aside.
• In the same saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Stir in the flour, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Whisk in the remaining chicken broth, and increase the heat to medium. Cook, stirring constantly until the mixture boils. Stir in the asparagus puree and the milk.
• Put the sour cream in a small bowl, and stir in a ladleful of the hot soup. Add the sour cream mixture and the lemon juice to the soup. Stir while heating the soup to serving temperature, but don't allow it to boil. Serve immediately.

CHEESY CREAM OF ASPARAGUS SOUP

Steps:

• Prepare asparagus according to package directions; drain and set aside. In a large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour until smooth; gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened, about 2 minutes. Cool slightly., Pour half the milk mixture into a blender; add half the asparagus. Cover and process until very smooth; return soup to the saucepan. Repeat with the remaining milk mixture and asparagus. Stir in the cheese, hot pepper sauce, salt and pepper; heat through (do not boil). If desired, top with roasted asparagus tips.

FRESH ASPARAGUS SOUP

Steps:

• Place asparagus and onion in a saucepan with 1/2 cup vegetable broth. Bring the broth to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer until the vegetables are tender.
• Reserve a few asparagus tips for garnish. Place remaining vegetable mixture in an electric blender and puree until smooth.
• Melt butter in the pan that was used for simmering the asparagus and onions. Stir while sprinkling flour, salt, and pepper into the butter. Do not let the flour brown. Allow the mixture to cook only 2 minutes. Stir in remaining 1 1/4 cups vegetable broth and increase the heat. Continue stirring until the mixture comes to a boil.
• Stir the vegetable puree and milk into the saucepan. Whisk yogurt into the mixture, followed by lemon juice. Stir until heated through, then ladle into bowls. Garnish with reserved asparagus tips. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if desired.

CHEF JOHN'S CREAM OF ASPARAGUS SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter in a soup pot over medium heat. Add minced onion and salt; cook and stir until onion is soft and golden, about 10 minutes.
• Pour chicken broth and water into pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer 15 minutes.
• Place asparagus pieces in simmering broth. Cook, stirring occasionally until asparagus is just tender and still bright green, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Use an immersion blender to blend soup until smooth, about 3 minutes.
• For a finer texture, strain soup through mesh strainer. Return strained soup to pot and place on stove.
• Turn heat to low. Season with cayenne pepper, black pepper, and nutmeg. Adjust salt to taste. Whisk 1/2 cup cream into soup.
• Place 1/4 cup cream, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and lemon zest in a small bowl. Whisk until frothy and slightly thickened, about 1 minute.
• Ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle a spoonful of Parmigiano-Reggiano-lemon cream on top of each serving and swirl to form a random design.
• Sprinkle with a pinch of lemon zest and cayenne pepper, if desired.

ASPARAGUS SOUP WITH SUMAC AND WATERCRESS

Steps:

• For the soup base: Melt the butter in a soup pot over medium heat. When the butter is bubbling and frothy, add the shallot and the celery and cook for 2 minutes. Add the diced potato, thyme, bay leaf, and stock. Turn the heat to high, bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes until potatoes are tender.
• Finish the soup: While the soup base simmers, snap the woody ends off the asparagus, about 2 inches from the root end. Discard those ends and cut the remaining spears into 1-inch long pieces. Add the cut asparagus to the pot, cover, and cook for 4 more minutes. Add the watercress, tahini, cream, salt, and sumac. Remove (and discard) the bay leaf and thyme sprigs and remove from heat. Carefully pour the soup into a blender and puree until smooth. Ladle into soup bowls.
• Garnish the soup: Garnish the soup with feta, potato chips, scallions, aleppo pepper, olive oil, and serve.

CREAM OF ASPARAGUS SOUP

Steps:

• Bring 6 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan; season with 2 teaspoons salt. Add asparagus tips and blanch until bright green and just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to an ice bath with a slotted spoon; reserve for topping. Add trimmings, 1/2 shallot and 1/2 clove garlic to the same pot and return to a boil; reduce heat and simmer the asparagus stock 20 to 25 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
• In another saucepan, heat olive oil over medium. Add sliced shallot and chopped garlic and cook until softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in potato and enough of the asparagus stock to cover the vegetables (about 1 cup), and simmer until the potato is tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Strain remaining asparagus stock directly into saucepan with the potatoes. Add remaining asparagus and cook until tender and bright green, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Puree in a blender until completely smooth; remove 1 cup and reserve. Slowly stir in cream, and season to taste with salt and pepper; thin with reserved liquid as needed. Serve hot or chilled, topped with asparagus tips and a drizzle of oil.

CREAM OF ASPARAGUS SOUP

Steps:

• Soak and rinse asparagus.
• Remove top 1 inch of each spear, discard tough lower part, and reserve middle portion of stalks.
• In a 3-quart saucepan, over medium heat, sauté onion in butter for 3 to 5 minutes or until translucent.
• Add chicken stock, asparagus tips and stems, potato, celery, thyme, and pepper.
• Cover and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat to low and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes or until vegetables are soft.
• Remove from heat and let cool.
• Remove asparagus tips and set aside.
• Place half of the soup at a time in a blender container.
• Cover and blend at high speed for 20 to 30 seconds or until very smooth.
• Pass through a fine sieve and return blended soup to saucepan.
• Add reserved asparagus tips and cream (or half and half, or milk) and heat thoroughly, or refrigerate to be served cold.
• Be sure to adjust the seasoning after you add the cream (or half& half, or milk), especially if you plan to serve it cold.

EASY CREAM OF ASPARAGUS SOUP

Steps:

• In a large (4-quart) saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add shallots and thyme; cook until shallots are soft, about 5 minutes. Add flour; cook until incorporated, stirring constantly, about 1 minute.
• Add asparagus and 6 cups water; season generously with salt. Cover, and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat; cover, and simmer, until asparagus is bright green and just tender, 2 to 4 minutes. Working in small batches, purée soup in a blender until very smooth. To prevent splattering, fill blender only halfway, and allow heat to escape: Remove cap from hole in lid, and cover lid with a dish towel. (To freeze, see note.) If serving right away, stir in cream and lemon juice.

CREAMY ASPARAGUS SOUP

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add leeks and shallot; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add asparagus and 3 cups broth; bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until asparagus is very tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes.
• Working in batches (don't fill it more than halfway), purée asparagus in a blender until very smooth, 1 to 2 minutes a batch, thinning with more broth if necessary. Transfer to cleaned pan, and heat until steaming. Whisk crème fraîche with a little water until it has the consistency of heavy cream. Spoon some on top of each serving, swirling with a toothpick, if desired.

CREAMED ASPARAGUS SOUP

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, saute onion in oil until tender. Add the broth, asparagus and tarragon. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes or until asparagus is tender. Cool for 10 minutes., In a blender or food processor, puree the asparagus mixture, a third at a time; set aside. , In a Dutch oven or soup kettle, melt butter; stir in flour, salt and pepper until smooth. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until golden. Gradually add cream. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat; stir in the pureed asparagus and lemon juice and heat through. Sprinkle with cheese if desired.

ASPARAGUS POTATO AND WATERCRESS SOUP

Steps:

• Over medium heat, sweat the shallots and garlic in butter in a pot.
• Once the shallots are translucent add the potato, asparagus and tarragon.
• After a minute, add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer.
• Once the asparagus and potatoes are cooked through (timing will depend on size of pieces), puree in a blender and pass through a fine strainer.
• Place back in pot and bring to a boil.
• Since watercress is a little bitter, I suggest you add it gradually- puree& taste.
• Repeat until it suits you.
• Add the cream and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Garnish with chervil.

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.

CREAMY ASPARAGUS SOUP

Steps:

• Cut asparagus into 1 inch chunks.
• Place chicken broth in pot and add asparagus chunks.
• Bring to a boil and simmer five minutes until tender.
• In a small saucepan, melt butter and saute shallots and garlic for five minutes.
• Add flour and cook for one minute.
• Add flour mixture to chicken broth and stir until thickened.
• Blend soup in blender until semi-smooth.
• Return to pan and add half& half, thyme, and pepper.
• Simmer for five minutes.
• Add parmesan cheese until melted.
• Season with additional salt and pepper if desired.

CREME FRAICHE ASPARAGUS SOUP

Steps:

• In a 4-quart pan, melt butter.
• Add onion and cook just until soft and golden; do not brown.
• Add chicken stock and bring to a boil.
• Meanwhile, cut 3 inches of tips off asparagus and set aside.
• In food processor or blender or by hand, slice remaining asparagus into ¼-inch pieces.
• Drop pieces into boiling broth. Cover and simmer until very soft, about 30 minutes.
• Cool for 10 minutes, and then puree soup in blender or processor.
• Return soup to pan.
• Add asparagus tips and simmer until just tender, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in cream.
• Season with salt and pepper and a drop or two of lemon juice.
• Serve warm or cold.

NOT SO CREAMY CREAM OF ASPARAGUS SOUP

Steps:

• Wash asparagus and trim away outside of woody stalks.
• Cut stalks into 1-inch pieces.
• Melt margarine in a large saucepan over medium heat; saute asparagus, onion, and potatoes until onion is translucent.
• Add chicken broth and water,and bring to a boil.
• Turn down the heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes Place in blender and blend until vegetables are are pureed.
• Return to saucepan over low heat.
• Stir in white pepper, nutmeg, cream or half-and-half, and lemon juice.
• Heat a few minutes longer, but do not allow soup to boil.

ASPARAGUS SOUP WITH SHRIMP

Steps:

• Cut the tough stalk ends off the asparagus and discard them. Cut the asparagus into one-inch pieces.
• In a heavy saucepan, melt the butter with the oil and cook the leeks and shallots until they are soft. Add shrimp, in their shells, and cook until they are pink but still juicy (do not overcook them). Remove the shrimp with a slotted spoon, cool, peel and devein them. Sprinkle with lemon juice and set the shrimp aside.
• Add the chicken stock and water with the asparagus and simmer it for 15 minutes or until it is tender. Puree the mixture in a blender and return it to the saucepan. Season to taste with salt and pepper and heat through over moderate heat.
• In a separate pan, warm the shrimp. Pour soup into six bowls and add shrimp to each serving and sprinkle with basil leaves. Serve hot.