Asparagus Velvet Soup Recipes

ASPARAGUS VELVET SOUP

Steps:

• Trim asparagus by snapping tough ends off.
• Use only thin fresh asparagus.
• Bring wine and water to a simmer, add asparagus.
• Cook, covered 5 minutes or until tender.
• Drain asparagus liquid into food processor.
• Cut tips off asparagus at and angle and reserve.
• Cut the remaining spears into 1 inch pieces and puree in processor along with the liquid.
• In saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.
• Whisk in flour and cook 2 minutes.
• Whisk in vegetable stock and bring liquid to a bubble.
• Whisk in asparagus stock and return to a bubble.
• Season soup and stir in cream.
• Cook to thicken slightly.
• Serve in bowls topped with reserved asparagus tips and tarragon or chives.

GLOSSY YELLOW PEPPER SOUP WITH ASPARAGUS GARNISH

Steps:

• Peel the lower third of the asparagus stalks, and discard the trimmings. Cut the asparagus on the bias into slices about 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick. (You should have about 1 1/2 cups.) Bring 1/2 cup of the water to a boil in a saucepan, and add the asparagus pieces. Bring the water back to a boil, and boil the asparagus for 30 seconds. Drain, reserving the cooking juices, and set the cooked asparagus pieces aside in a bowl.
• Place the yellow peppers, potato, onion, garlic, salt, sugar, and pepper in a large saucepan, and add the remaining 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, add the reserved asparagus cooking juices, cover, and reduce the heat to medium. Cook the mixture for 30 minutes, then push it through a food mill fitted with a fine screen to remove the skin of the yellow peppers.
• Add the butter and oil, and emulsify the mixture with a handheld immersion blender until it is smooth and creamy in appearance. Add the reserved asparagus, heat through, and serve

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.

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.

ASPARAGUS SOUP

Steps:

• Melt 1 tablespoon butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add flour and stir 2 minutes. Gradually mix in canned chicken broth. Bring mixture to boil. Add asparagus pieces and summer savory and simmer until asparagus is very tender, about 25 minutes. Cool slightly.
• Drain asparagus, reserving cooking liquid. Puree asparagus in food processor. With machine running, Gradually add 1/2 cup cooking liquid. Return mixture to saucepan. Season with salt and pepper. (Soup can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Bring soup to simmer. Ladle into bowls. Top with dollops of sour cream or yogurt, if desired.

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.

ASPARAGUS SOUP WITH DILL

Steps:

• Place the onion in a heavy three- quart saucepan. Stir in the oil, cover tightly and cook over low heat 10 minutes, until the onion is soft but not brown.
• Stir in the asparagus, celery and potato, cook for about a minute, then add the stock, wine and dill. Simmer, partly covered, about 30 minutes, until the vegetables are very tender.
• Allow the mixture to cool briefly, then puree in a blender or a food processor. You may have to do this in two batches. Run the soup through a sieve into a clean saucepan.
• To serve, reheat the soup and season it to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon it into six warm soup plates. Float a few sprigs of dill on each as a garnish.

ASPARAGUS SOUP

Steps:

• Wash and cut up the celery and put it in a large pot with the water and the canned beans, including the packing liquid from the beans. Heat to a simmer.
• Wash the asparagus, and snap off both the tough ends and the tips. Grind the spices and add them to the soup. Add the asparagus stalks and ends to the soup and simmer until quite tender; about 10 minutes. Reserve the tips.
• Remove the tough stem ends from the soup and discard. Puree the soup thoroughly in a blender. The soup may be made ahead up to this point; it should keep in the fridge for 24 hours.
• To serve, add the cream (if using) and reheat the soup gently. Steam the reserved tips separately until tender.
• Serve the soup garnished with the steamed tips.

ASPARAGUS VELOUTé

Steps:

• 1. Wash the asparagus. Cut 2 inches (5 cm.) off the tips and save them for another use. Do not peel the stalks but cut them into 15-inch (3-cm.) pieces.
• 2. Bring the stock or broth to a boil in a soup pot. When it bubbles, add the asparagus pieces and sugar. Turn down the heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
• 3. Blend and pass through a fine strainer (a chinois if possible), pressing on the solids with a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. Put the soup back in the pot, bring back to a boil, and boil about 30 minutes more.
• 4. Thoroughly mix the cornstarch in a bowl with 1 tablespoon cold water. Beat the yolk and cream together in a bowl large enough to hold all the soup.
• 5. When the soup in the pot has been reduced by about half, whisk in the cornstarch mixture. Boil for 1 minute, whisking constantly, and then gently pour everything into the bowl with the egg-cream mixture, whisking as you pour.
• 6. Pour the contents of the bowl back into the soup pot and heat very gently in order to thicken. Stir with a spatula and turn off the heat at the first sign of boiling. Blend. Season with salt as necessary.