In the Kitchen: Asparagus Soup

This weekend I bought way too much asparagus for Mother's Day lunch that we didn't end up using so I decided to make an asparagus soup. It was a bit of a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kind of recipe as I was being lazy and didn't want to go to the store. Although, I think it actually helped the recipe because I had to get creative which made the flavors more complex. 

Because I used  a rue and some low fat Greek yogurt, I was able to keep the consistency thick and creamy without having to use heavy cream. There was only 1 tablespoon of butter and 2 tablespoons of flour in the entire recipe (which makes about 2 quarts) so I felt like it was a little healthier as a whole.

A word of warning, I had two pounds of asparagus to use so this recipe makes a lot of soup, which is great for freezing for later. However, if you're looking to make enough for just a few people, split the recipe in half.

Here is the recipe:

The first step

What you need:

2 lbs Asparagus, cut in one inch pieces
4 cups Vegetable stock (reserve one cup for the rue)
1 cups Greek yogurt
2 cups soy milk
1 large onion, chopped
2 Tbs lemon
1 Tbs butter
2 Tbs all purpose flour
Season with salt, pepper, garlic & basil (or anything else you fancy!)

The plan: 

Boil vegetables in 3 cups vegetable stock on medium high heat until asparagus and onions are tender. In a blender, puree stock and vegetables. In the same pan used to boil the veggies, melt the butter. Once melted whisk in flour until it becomes a brown paste (about 1-2 minutes). Be careful not to burn your Rue! On high heat add in reserved veggie stock, whisk together and bring to a boil (this will create a gravy like concoction). Add puree and milk, stir. Whisk in yogurt and incorporate. Add lemon and seasoning. Stir and simmer for 20-30 minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally. To garnish add grated Parmesan. I also added a little flat-leaf parsley from my herb garden to plate the dish.

The finished product.

 A couple tips:

I used and emulsion blender rather than an upright blender and pureed the veggies while still in the pot. It's my preferred method but it does add an extra couple of steps since you have to remove the puree from the pot to make the rue, then add it all back in again but I didn't mind. It actually helped me see where any remaining chunks of veggie were to re-emulsify.

I couldn't wait to try it so I ended up eating it hot, although if well chilled I think this could double as a great cold, summer soup. I picture it as a fabulous starter to any dinner party served in shooters with a crispy crostini or Parmesan cheese straw on the side or as a comforting after-work dinner.

To freeze in one batch, place in one large container. For individual servings, pour into muffin trays and freeze until solid. then remove solid soup servings and store them in one large container separated by parchment paper.