Chilled Asparagus Soup Recipe
Ingredients
| Asparagus | 1 1/2 Pound | |
| Unsalted butter | 4 Tablespoon | |
| Onion | 1 Small, chopped | |
| Leeks | 2 Medium, chopped | |
| 1 medium celery rib, chopped | ||
| 1 large baking potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice | ||
| 3 1/2 cups chicken stock or canned broth | ||
| Lemon juice | 1 Teaspoon | |
| Salt | To Taste | |
| 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper | ||
| Half and Half | 1/2 Cup (16 tbs) | |
| 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons creme fraiche or sour cream | ||
| Paprika, for garnish | ||
Directions
1. Cut off the asparagus tips and set aside. Coarsely chop the stems.
2. In a large skillet, melt the butter over moderate heat. Add the asparagus tips, onion, leeks, celery and potato. Cover, reduce the heat to low and cook until soft, about 25 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring the stock to a boil over high heat. Add the asparagus stems, cover and cook over low heat until soft, about 25 minutes. Strain into a large bowl pressing on the stalks to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the stems.
4. Put the sauteed vegetables in a food processor and puree until smooth, about 30 seconds. Whisk the vegetable puree into the strained stock. Season with the lemon juice, salt to taste and the pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.
5. When ready to serve, stir in the half-and-half; mix well. Top each soup bowl with 1 tablespoon of the creme fraiche and garnish each with a dash of paprika.
2. In a large skillet, melt the butter over moderate heat. Add the asparagus tips, onion, leeks, celery and potato. Cover, reduce the heat to low and cook until soft, about 25 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring the stock to a boil over high heat. Add the asparagus stems, cover and cook over low heat until soft, about 25 minutes. Strain into a large bowl pressing on the stalks to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the stems.
4. Put the sauteed vegetables in a food processor and puree until smooth, about 30 seconds. Whisk the vegetable puree into the strained stock. Season with the lemon juice, salt to taste and the pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.
5. When ready to serve, stir in the half-and-half; mix well. Top each soup bowl with 1 tablespoon of the creme fraiche and garnish each with a dash of paprika.
Chef
