Asparagus Cress Soup Food

ASPARAGUS SOUP WITH SUMAC AND WATERCRESS

Steps:

• For the soup base: Melt the butter in a soup pot over medium heat. When the butter is bubbling and frothy, add the shallot and the celery and cook for 2 minutes. Add the diced potato, thyme, bay leaf, and stock. Turn the heat to high, bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes until potatoes are tender.
• Finish the soup: While the soup base simmers, snap the woody ends off the asparagus, about 2 inches from the root end. Discard those ends and cut the remaining spears into 1-inch long pieces. Add the cut asparagus to the pot, cover, and cook for 4 more minutes. Add the watercress, tahini, cream, salt, and sumac. Remove (and discard) the bay leaf and thyme sprigs and remove from heat. Carefully pour the soup into a blender and puree until smooth. Ladle into soup bowls.
• Garnish the soup: Garnish the soup with feta, potato chips, scallions, aleppo pepper, olive oil, and serve.

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

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.

ASPARAGUS POTATO AND WATERCRESS SOUP

Steps:

• Over medium heat, sweat the shallots and garlic in butter in a pot.
• Once the shallots are translucent add the potato, asparagus and tarragon.
• After a minute, add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer.
• Once the asparagus and potatoes are cooked through (timing will depend on size of pieces), puree in a blender and pass through a fine strainer.
• Place back in pot and bring to a boil.
• Since watercress is a little bitter, I suggest you add it gradually- puree& taste.
• Repeat until it suits you.
• Add the cream and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Garnish with chervil.

ASPARAGUS SOUP

Steps:

• In a 3-qt. saucepan, saute onions in butter for 4 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook until tender. Add asparagus, broth and seasonings; cover and simmer for 30 minutes. , Add rice. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; gradually stir into soup. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

CREAM OF ASPARAGUS SOUP (CRèME D'ASPERGES)

Steps:

• Cut tips from 12 asparagus 1 1/2 inches from top and halve tips lengthwise if thick. Reserve for garnish.
• Cut stalks and all remaining asparagus into 1/2-inch pieces.
• Cook onion in 2 tablespoons butter in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened. Add asparagus pieces and salt and pepper to taste, then cook, stirring, 5 minutes. Add 5 cups broth and simmer, covered, until asparagus is very tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
• While soup simmers, cook reserved asparagus tips in boiling salted water until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes, then drain.
• Purée soup in batches in a blender until smooth, transferring to a bowl (use caution when blending hot liquids), and return to pan. Stir in crème fraîche, then add more broth to thin soup to desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Bring soup to a boil and whisk in remaining tablespoon butter.
• Add lemon juice and garnish with asparagus tips.