Asparagus Soup

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. green asparagus
• 6 cups vegetable stock, or light chix stock or water
• bouquet garni
• 2 white onions
• 1 leek
• 2 red potatoes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• parsley
• creme fraiche

Method

• Cut or snap off the rough, rooty ends of the asparagus and simmer the ends in the stock with the bouquet garni for 30 minutes or so.
• In a soup pot, saute the onions, leek and potatoes, peeled and diced, in the olive oil and a little water. When the vegetables are very soft, strain the stock into the pot and bring to a simmer.
• Chop the asparagus roughly, reserving the tips to garnish, and add the rest of the chopped asparagus to the soup pot. Let the soup simmer for about 5 minutes until the asparagus is just tender. Do not overcook, or you will lose freshness and color.
• Puree the soup in a blender using mostly asparagus and a little stock and pass through a fine sieve into a bowl. Setting the soup in the bowl into a larger bowl of ice water to cool rapidly will help keep a nice color. The soup should be a dense but smooth liquid. Thin with stock as needed to make a soup consistency.
• Cut the asparagus tips in helf lenthwise and blanch for about 1-2 minutes. Serve the soup chilled or reheated to just below a boil, garnished with the asparagus tips, chopped parsley and creme fraiche.

Notes

• SERVINGS: 8
• SOURCE: Chez Panisse Vegetables