Web Exclusive Round 2 Recipe Cream Of Asparagus Soup

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:

• 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:

• 1.Place asparagus and chicken broth into the Vitamix container and secure lid.
• 2.Select Variable 1.
• 3.Turn machine on and slowly increase speed to Variable 10, then to High.
• 4.Blend for 6 minutes or until hot. Reduce to Variable 2; remove lid plug.
• 5.Add half and half through the lid plug opening. Blend for 10 seconds.
• 6.Season with salt and pepper and serve over reserved asparagus spears.

CREAM OF ASPARAGUS SOUP

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic, and cook, stirring until tender, about 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Add the asparagus and sauté 4 minutes. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the asparagus is very tender, about 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool at least 5 minutes.
• Working in batches if necessary, carefully transfer the soup to a blender, filling it no more than halfway. Keep the lid slightly ajar and puree on high speed until smooth. Return the soup to the saucepan, stir in the sour cream and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowls, dust with the paprika and serve.

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.

LYNN'S CREAM OF ASPARAGUS SOUP

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, saute the leeks in butter. Add broth, asparagus, potatoes and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
• In a blender, process soup in batches until smooth; return to the pan. Add milk; cook over low heat until heated through. Sprinkle with parsley.

CREAM OF ASPARAGUS SOUP I

Steps:

• Melt butter or margarine in a heavy cooking pot. Add onions and chopped celery; saute until tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in flour, mixing well. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly. Do not burn, or let it go lumpy. Add water, chicken broth, and chicken soup base; stir until smooth. Bring to a boil. Add diced potatoes and chopped asparagus. Reduce heat, and simmer for about 20 minutes.
• Puree soup in a food processor or blender in batches. Return to pot.
• Stir in half and half cream, soy sauce, and black and white pepper. Bring soup just to boil. Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve hot.

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.

CREAM OF ASPARAGUS SOUP

Steps:

• Break off the tough asparagus bottoms and discard them. Break off the asparagus tips and set them aside.
• Chop the stalks, can cook them with the onions in the butter, salting them lightly.
• After about 8-10 minutes, when onions are clear, sprinkle in the flour.
• Continue to cook over lowest possible heat, 5-8 minutes.
• Add water or stock. Cook 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently, until thickened.
• Puree the sauce bit-by-bit with the milk in the blender. Blend it until throroughly smooth.
• Return the puree to a kettle, preferably a double boiler, and add dill, salt, white pepper and tamari.
• Heat the soup very gently - don't boil it or cook it.
• As it heats, steam or saute the asparagus tips until tender, but still very green. Add these, whole, to the soup.
• Serve as immediately as possible.

SILKY CREAM OF ASPARAGUS SOUP

Steps:

• Wash asparagus, remove tips and any hard (woody) stem at the base.
• Simmer the tips in a small sauce pan using just enough milk to cover them.
• Simmer approximately 5 minutes until tender, set aside and keep warm.
• Cut tender stalks into 2" piecesand place in a medium sauce pan.
• Add stock, onion and celery; simmer covered for 30 minutes.
• Remove from heat and liquify in a blender in small batches.
• Melt butter in a small sauce pan, whisk in flour, stiring constantly to avoid burning.
• Slowly stir in the cream.
• Add the cream mixture to the asparagus stock and heat to thicken.
• Add asparagus tips discarding the milk.
• Season with salt, paprika and white peper to taste.

CREAM OF FRESH ASPARAGUS SOUP

Steps:

• Combine asparagus, 1/2 cup chicken broth, and onion in a large saucepan; cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until asparagus is tender, about 12 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a blender; puree until smooth and set aside.
• In the same saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Stir in flour, salt, and pepper; cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Increase heat to medium; add remaining chicken broth, stirring constantly, until the mixture boils. Stir in pureed asparagus and milk.
• Place sour cream in a small bowl and stir in a ladleful of hot soup until blended; pour into the soup and stir in lemon juice. Warm soup through to serving temperature, without boiling. Serve immediately.

HOMEMADE CREAM OF ASPARAGUS SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter in a stockpot over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add asparagus and bone broth; cover and simmer until asparagus is tender, about 20 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and puree with an immersion blender until smooth.
• Stir in cream, Marsala wine, lemon zest, salt, Aleppo pepper, and black pepper until well blended. Return to low heat and simmer (do not boil) until flavors are mixed and soup is hot, about 5 minutes.
• Ladle into bowls. Garnish with sour cream and croutons.

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 the 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 a mesh strainer. Return strained soup to the pot and place on the 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.

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.