Creamy Asparagus Soup With Fennel Recipes

CREAM OF ASPARAGUS SOUP

Steps:

• Cut off asparagus tips and set aside (they will be blanched and used as a garnish). Chop remaining spears into 1/2-inch pieces.
• In a small skillet or saucepan, bring 1/2 cup water to boil. Add asparagus tips, cover, and cook until tender, about 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside to cool.
• In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in chopped asparagus spears and leeks and cook until softened, about 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add broth and bring to a simmer. Cook until vegetables are completely tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in peas and Parmesan.
• Working in batches, transfer to a blender and process soup until smooth, about 2 to 3 minutes. Wash out saucepan, then add back blended soup.
• Over medium-low heat, stir in half-and-half and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt (I like 3/4 teaspoon). Garnish with reserved asparagus tips.

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:

• 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.

CREAMY ASPARAGUS SOUP WITH FENNEL

Steps:

• Separate the fennel fronds from the bulb and stems. Finely mince the fronds to yield ½ cup. Slice the fennel bulb and stems.
• Cut off 1 ½ inches of the asparagus tips and set aside. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the tough skin off the asparagus stalks, then cut into 1-inch pieces.
• Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add sliced fennel stems, asparagus stalks, and onion and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the rice or barley and broth, cover, and simmer over low heat 30 to 40 minutes, or until the rice or barley is very tender.
• Transfer saucepan contents to a blender or food processor and puree to the desired consistency in several batches if necessary. Return the puree to the pan and stir in 1 cup of the milk, the reserved fennel fronds, the asparagus tips, salt, and pepper. IF the soup seems too thick, stir in additional milk. Heat until the asparagus tips are crisp-tender, about 1 ½ minutes.

CREAMY ASPARAGUS SOUP

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven or soup kettle, saute potato, onions, carrot and celery in butter until onions and celery are tender. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until blended. gradually add broth. bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes., Add asparagus; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Cool to lukewarm. , In a blender, puree vegetable mixture in small batches until smooth. Pour into a large bowl; stir in cream and sour cream until smooth., Serve warm, or cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and served chilled. Garnish with bacon, sour cream and asparagus tips if desired.

CREAM OF FENNEL SOUP (FENNEL VICHYSSOISE)

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add fennel; cook and stir until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Stir in leeks; cook until slightly softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add potatoes and broth. Bring soup to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 15 minutes.
• Puree soup with an immersion blender until smooth. Add carrots and red bell pepper; simmer until softened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in heavy cream and anise-flavored liqueur. Season with salt and white pepper.

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.

CREAMY ASPARAGUS PEA SOUP

Steps:

• Trim off 1 in (2.5 cm) asparagus tips from stalks, reserving a couple of whole asparagus spears for garnish. In large pot of boiling water, blanch tips for 30 seconds and plunge into bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Carefully drain and set aside.
• Coarsely chop asparagus stalks and blanch in boiling water until bright green and tender, about 2 minutes. Drain and plunge into ice water to stop the cooking. Drain and set aside.
• Trim root ends from green onions. Chop half the green onions. Reserve remaining trimmed onions.
• In 8 cup (2 L) saucepan, heat 1 Tbsp (15 mL) oil. Add chopped green onions and garlic and sauteu0301 until soft. Do not brown. If using fresh peas, add and stir together until peas are softened and bright green. Add a splash more olive oil if needed. If using thawed frozen peas, sauteu0301ing is not necessary. Transfer mixture, along with fresh sauteu0301ed peas or thawed frozen peas, to a high-speed blender. Add cooked asparagus tips, stalks, and stock. Whirl at high speed until smooth. Whirl in yogurt until creamy.
• Once smooth, return creamy mixture to clean saucepan. Gently heat, stirring until hot but not boiling. Cover and set aside.
• In frying pan, heat lemon-infused olive oil. Add remaining green onions and season with salt. Stir-fry until soft and lightly golden in places. Shave 2 remaining whole asparagus spears lengthwise and add, stirring gently just until bright green.
• To serve, ladle soup into warmed bowls. Top each with a couple sauteu0301ed green onions and strips of sauteu0301ed asparagus. Sprinkle with some chopped fresh mint and cilantro and freshly ground black pepper. Drizzle with a splash of extra lemon-infused olive oil if you wish.