Smoky Asparagus Soup

 Smoky Asparagus Soup. This Asparagus Soup is really delicious. I make a large batch and preserve it with pressure . When it is asparagus season I never throw away any of the tips we break off the ends. I pack them up and freeze them for this soup.

Through the year's I have found so many way to use any and all things I use to discard.




Let us get started. I think there are more pictures than words in this one post !



Ingredient for Smoky Asparagus Soup

Approximately 30 asparagus ends
1 tablespoon of Olive Oil +
2 yellow onion - Chopped
4 medium red potatoes - peeled and chopped
1/4 cup cream
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (optional)

* OPTION - I roast 1/2 of my asparagus ends in the oven for about 45 minutes at 350 degrees and sprinkle with a little olive oil and salt and pepper. This gives them a smoky flavor prior to adding them to the others that I boil. Do not add them to the stock pot. You will combine them when you blend them together.



First your need to cook the ends. Take all the ends and put them into a large stock pot of water.  Make sure they are cover about one inch above the ends. Simmer for 30 -40 minutes until the asparagus is very soft and mushy.

Remove the asparagus and cool. Reserve the liquid.








In a Food Process chop/pulverize the ends. Do this in small batches. Strain the pulp using cheese cloth. Squeeze the dickens out of it to get all your liquid. You should end up with approximately 2 cups of liquid. 

Gosh it is getting so exciting!

There you go all smooched out! Alright reserve those 2 cups of liquid it is your base stock.











Using your same stock pot add your Olive Oil and grill your onions and garlic once they have a brown look and a bit translucent you are ready to take the next step.





 The browning give the soup that smoky flavor. Well so does roasting those asparagus ends.








 Once you finish your onions put them in your food processor and blend slightly and add to the asparagus liquid. It is looking better and better.










Brown your potatoes in the same stock pot until they are a light and have a slightly brown tone. Now add that reserved stock you simmered your asparagus tips in. Let the potatoes get soft and using a potato smasher mush the potatoes.Or if you have an immersion blender do it once everything is added to the stock pot.

  Once the potatoes are done you will start adding your ingredients to the stock pot. 

To your stock pot add the reaming asparagus liquid, add your cream and the salt and pepper taste. Simmer everything for 30 minutes stirring and you will have a glorious soup.

I realize it seems like a bit of work. But let us look at it this way your only using one pot.


xoxo




This recipe was adapted from the original recipe at Eating Richly