Cream of Asparagus Soup
- Level: Easy
- Yield: 4 to 6 first-course servings (
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- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 6 servings
- Calories
- 235
- Total Fat
- 19
- Saturated Fat
- 12
- Carbohydrates
- 14
- Dietary Fiber
- 3
- Sugar
- 3
- Protein
- 4
- Cholesterol
- 58
- Sodium
- 368
- Total: 1 hr 10 min
- Prep: 15 min
- Cook: 55 min
Ingredients
2 pounds medium asparagus (2 bunches), cut in half crosswise
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium Spanish onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
7 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 parsley sprigs
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon dry white vermouth
Directions
- 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.