Everyday-to-Elegant Asparagus Soup

One of spring's great classics is a steaming bowl of asparagus soup. This is the recipe I've followed for many years, in part because it's so simple, in part because I change the recipe, just slightly, to move from an everyday and almost rustic asparagus soup to a richer, smoother, more refined and elegant soup made to impress. This one's a keeper!

Budget-Friendly. Fresh & Seasonal, a Spring Classic. Weeknight Easy, Weekend Special. Weight Watchers Friendly. Low Carb. Naturally Gluten Free. Great for Meal Prep.

~ Skip Straight to the Recipes ~

~ Asparagus Soup ~
~ Homemade Crème Fraîche ~

COMPLIMENTS!

• "Seriously yummy!" ~ Amy
• "Just made this for my sick boyfriend. He loved it!" ~ Sonia
• "I love food-saving recipes, but they are rarely as tasty as this one." ~ Cordel
• "... it was delicious!" ~ Stephanie via Facebook
• "My first time making asparagus soup and I found the perfect recipe ..." ~ LeeAnn
• "INCREDIBLE ... My first time making asparagus soup and I found the perfect recipe, thank you!" ~ Unknown

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No Soup Snobs Here. But ...

A few years back, a foodie friend and I shared a patio supper with a new acquaintance. The spring night was unseasonably warm and the conversation soon turned familiar.

When the woman boasted about her husband’s kitchen prowess, we asked if he had a specialty. Soup! she answered and we were suitably impressed.

She elaborated with apparently genuine enthusiasm, that the so-called specialty entailed nothing more than — get this — opening a can of soup.

Huh? My friend and I dared not look at one another, we'd have guffawed out loud.

Now, please, before making assumptions about food snobs, please know that my sister and I were raised on Campbell’s (tomato and mushroom, thank you very much) and that my pantry always includes cans of each.

But homemade soup is so easy – and fast and healthful – to make, I wonder, really, why that’s so.

If you’ve not made soup for awhile, start with Everyday-to-Elegant Asparagus Soup, one version for comfort food on a weeknight, the other to impress friends (or yourselves) on the weekend.

Hmmmm ... Can You Make Soup from the Woody Ends of Asparagus?

Frugal cooks know that one good way to save money on groceries is to use every last bit of the food we buy, never wasting a thing. I pay real attention to the "real cost" of vegetables, measuring what's edible, what goes to waste.

Much to my surprise, asparagus are one of the most wasteful vegetables! By snapping off the woody ends, we throw away 40-50% of the spears. This means that if we're paying $2 or $3 or even $4 for a pound of asparagus, our "real cost" is far higher than obvious.

But then I thought, can we use the woody ends for asparagus soup? So I saved the ends from three big bunches of asparagus and made soup. Voila! Very little waste!

Now know this. I wouldn't serve asparagus soup made from the woody ends to guests: it's "very rustic" and can be a little bit fibrous, depending on the asparagus. But it is a technique to try, see if it works for you!

RESOURCES Okay, I know that composting would prevent waste entirely. But I'm not there yet and suspect that others aren't either. UPDATE We're composting! Check out My Most-Used Kitchen Tool.

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EVERYDAY-TO-ELEGANT ASPARAGUS SOUP

Hands-on time: 20 minutes
Time to table: 45 minutes
Makes 5 cups (Everyday) or 3 cups (Elegant)

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (Elegant: 3 tablespoons)
• 2 large onions
• 2 ribs celery
• 2-1/2 pounds asparagus
• 5 cups chicken broth or Homemade Chicken Stock
• 1/2 cup non-fat yogurt or buttermilk (Elegant: crème fraîche or heavy cream)
• Salt & pepper to taste

FOR SERVING
• Balsamic vinegar (don't skip, Everyday or Elegant)
• Steamed Asparagus Tips (Elegant)

Melt the butter over medium high in a large pot or Dutch oven but don't let it darken. Meanwhile, chop the onion and celery, add these to butter as they're prepped. Sauté until golden, really letting some color develop, stirring often and adjusting the heat up or down as needed to keep developing color without burning.

Meanwhile, cut off and discard the woody ends from asparagus. Cut the remaining spears into one-inch lengths. (For Elegant: Cut off the top inch or so of each spear. Separately, steam the asparagus tips until almost cooked and reserve for garnish.)

RESOURCES How to Snap the Woody Ends from Asparagus, with Step-by-Step Photos & Video. There's a rhythm!

Add the asparagus to the pot and sauté the asparagus pieces for 2-3 minutes, just until they begin to take on a little color. Add the chicken broth, cover the pot and bring to a boil. Once the soup boils, reduce the heat to maintain a slow simmer, just a few bubbles, and let simmer about 20 minutes or until the asparagus turns soft.

Remove the soup from the heat and purée with an immersion blender or, in batches, in a blender. (For Elegant: Purée, then press the soup through a strainer after it's been puréed.)

If making ahead of time, stop here and refrigerate or freeze. Before serving, reheat the soup and continue.

Stir in the yogurt or buttermilk. (For Elegant: stir in Homemade Crème Fraîche or heavy cream.) Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve with a splash of vinegar. (For Elegant: Top bowls with steamed tips, then a dollop of crème fraîche or a swirl of cream.)

ALANNA's TIPS Asparagus Soup is a good use for fat spears of asparagus, save the skinny spears for a Gorgeous Raw Asparagus Salad or Stir-Fried Shrimp with Asparagus. When asparagus is plentiful, make a double batch of soup, one for the freezer. If you’re in a rush, pre-heat the chicken broth in the microwave. For a very spare and simple soup, skip the yogurt, crème fraîche or cream entirely. Don't skip the balsamic vinegar, somehow it's the perfect contrast for the earthy asparagus. I'm always disappointed when asparagus soup turns out a pale, drab green versus the bright asparagus green of the quick-cooked spears. To bring back some of the green, drop in a handful of fresh spinach leaves to cook for just a minute or two before puréeing.

NUTRITION INFORMATION
For Everyday Asparagus Soup Per Cup: 108 Calories; 2g Tot Fat; 2g Sat Fat; 6mg Cholesterol; 450mg Sodium; 15g Carb; 4g Fiber; 9g Sugar; 7g Protein. WEIGHT WATCHERS Old Points 2 & PointsPlus 3 & SmartPoints 4 & Freestyle 1 myWW green 1 & blue 1 & purple 1 CALORIE COUNTERS 100-calorie serving = scant cup (7g protein). This recipe has been "Alanna-sized".

For Elegant Asparagus Soup Per Cup: 227 Calories; 11g Tot Fat; 7g Sat Fat; mg Cholesterol; 800mg Sodium; 24g Carb; 0g Fiber; 13g Sugar; 8g Protein. WEIGHT WATCHERS Old Points 5 & PointsPlus 8 & SmartPoints 11 & Freestyle 5 & myWW green 5 & blue 5 & purple 5 CALORIE COUNTERS 100-calorie serving = scant half cup (3g protein).

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Homemade Crème Fraîche

Velvet-textured crème fraîche (pronounced krem-fresh) is easy to make at home! Unlike cream, crème fraîche can be boiled without curdling, that means it's revered in culinary circles, also for its slight tang akin to sour cream.

To make crème fraîche, simply stir two tablespoons of buttermilk into a cup of heavy cream. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 8 – 24 hours or until the mixture thickens. Refrigerate it and use within a couple of days. That's it!

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More Recipes for Spring Asparagus

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~ more asparagus recipes ~

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Shop Your Pantry First

(helping home cooks save money on groceries)

~ asparagus recipes ~
~ yogurt recipes ~
~ buttermilk recipes ~

~ All Recipes, By Ingredient ~
~ How to Save Money on Groceries ~

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Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Quick Suppers are Kitchen Parade favorites and feature recipes easy on the budget, the clock, the waistline and the dishwasher. Do you have a favorite recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail via recipes@kitchen-parade.com. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. Never miss a recipe! If you like this recipe, sign up for a free e-mail subscription. If you like Kitchen Parade, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. If you make this recipe, I'd love to know your results! Just leave a comment below.

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